Talent is the first resource, and it is also a strategic resource to win the initiative of international competition. At present, the development of scientific and technological talents in China has made remarkable achievements, but many aspects of the vitality of scientific and technological talents still do not meet the requirements of high-quality development, and it is urgent to speed up reform.
First, the achievements and shortcomings of scientific and technological talents’ innovation vitality
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the state has attached great importance to the work of scientific and technological talents, and successively issued Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the System and Mechanism of Talent Development, Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Reform of the Evaluation Mechanism of Talents by Classification, Pilot Implementation Plan on Giving Scientific and Technological Researchers the Ownership or Long-term Use Right of Scientific and Technological Achievements, Notice on Implementing the Relevant Documents Giving Scientific and Technological Institutions and Personnel Greater Autonomy, Guiding Opinions on Supporting and Encouraging Professional and Technical Personnel in Institutions to Innovate and Entrepreneurship, which have played an important role in stimulating the innovation vitality of scientific and technological talents. The innovation ability of scientific and technological talents in China has been continuously improved, but the innovation potential still needs to be further explored. Mainly as follows:
(A) the ability of talent innovation has been continuously enhanced, but there is still much room for improvement in the vitality of talent innovation.
China Science and Technology Talents Development Report 2020 shows that the total number of scientific and technological talents in China has increased rapidly. In 2019, the total number of R&D personnel in the country was 7.13 million, 1.3 times that of 2015. However, there is still a big gap between China and developed countries in terms of scientific and technological talent reserve. In 2021, the number of researchers per million people in China was 539, which was lower than that in developed countries such as the United States (3,496), Japan (5,078), Germany (3,168) and France (1916), and the gap with the average level of high-income countries (3,036) was also very obvious (Figure 1).
In 2021, the ranking of China Global Innovation Index has risen from 34th in 2012 to 12th. In recent ten years, the full-time equivalent of R&D personnel in China has also been continuously improved. However, the national R&D researchers account for only 43.9% of the full-time equivalent of R&D personnel, which is lower than that of major economies in the world (50%). Among them, the proportion of full-time equivalent of R&D basic researchers has a downward trend (Figure 2). There is still a big gap between China and the major countries in the world in the investment intensity of R&D personnel and the proportion of basic researchers in R&D personnel. In recent years, the growth rate of R&D personnel in enterprises has slowed down, which needs more attention.
Figure 1 Comparison of scientific and technological talents between China and developed countries in 2021 (person)
Data source: According to the data of International Statistical Yearbook 2021 of the National Bureau of Statistics.
Figure 2 Changes of full-time equivalent of R&D personnel in China from 2011 to 2020 (person-year,%)
Source: Wind database.
(B) The input-output efficiency of scientific research has improved significantly, but the value of human capital of scientific researchers has not been properly reflected.
In recent years, the citation rate of China’s scientific research papers has increased significantly, and it has formed an influence in certain fields. According to the Statistical Report of Scientific Papers in China in 2021, the number of papers in top international journals in China ranks second in the world, rising by two places, and the number of highly cited papers and hot papers continues to rank second in the world, among which international co-authored papers account for 26.2% of the total published papers in China. However, China lacks originality and basic innovation, its core technology and bottom technology are still controlled by others, and its innovation ability still cannot meet the requirements of high-quality development, and there is still a gap with the world-class powers. At present, the transformation rate of scientific and technological achievements in China is only about 10%, and the industrialization rate is less than 5%. Take the proportion of internal expenditure of R&D funds and technology market transactions in GDP as an example, the proportion of basic research is low, and the growth rate is lower than that of internal expenditure of R&D funds. At the same time, the proportion of technology market transactions in GDP is less than 3% (Figure 3). The market-oriented conversion rate of scientific research results is not high, which affects the realization of human capital value of scientific researchers.
Figure 3 Changes of R&D investment in China from 2011 to 2020 (RMB 10,000,%)
Source: According to the Wind database.
From the realization of human capital value of scientific researchers, in recent years, the salary of scientific and technological talents in China has increased steadily, but compared with other types of personnel at the same level, the salary level of scientific and technological personnel is still not competitive, and the salary level of scientific and technological personnel does not match its contribution. According to the salary survey data of enterprises in Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the median salary of engineering technicians, agricultural technicians and health professionals in China in 2021 was 71,000 yuan/year, 49,400 yuan/year and 57,100 yuan/year respectively, which was lower than the salary level of management, finance and IT (Table 1). From the comparison of job types in enterprises, taking the median salary as an example, the salary level of professional and technical personnel in the same rank is lower than that of management personnel (Table 2). In terms of industries, the wages of professional and technical personnel are generally above the average level of regulated enterprises, but in most industries, such as mining and manufacturing, the wages of professional and technical personnel are lower than those of managers of the same rank.
Table 1 Comparison of salaries of professional and technical personnel in China in 2021 (10,000 yuan/year)
Source: Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
Table 2 Comparison of salaries of technical and management personnel in China in 2021 (10,000 yuan/year)
Source: Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
(3) The level of scientific research opening has been greatly improved, but the phenomenon of brain drain is still outstanding.
In recent years, the level of scientific and technological talents’ foreign academic exchanges and scientific research cooperation in China has been continuously enhanced. According to Statistics of Scientific Papers in China in 2021 published by China Science and Technology Information Research, from 2011 to 2021, the proportion of papers produced by 10 disciplines in China exceeded 20% in the world. Among the international papers published in China in 2020, there were 144,500 international co-authored papers, up by 11.1% year-on-year. International co-authored papers account for 26.2% of the total published papers in China, and international co-authored papers with China as the first author account for 69.3% of all international co-authored papers in China, with partners involving 169 countries (regions).
However, for a long time, the loss of scientific and technological talents abroad, and the loss of scientific and technological talents from state-owned departments to the private sector is still relatively common. According to the data of the Ministry of Education, in 2022, nearly 700,000 China students chose to stay abroad, and the proportion of Tsinghua University and Peking University studying abroad reached 14.2% and 18.9%, while the proportion of Qingbei students returning to China was only 20%. According to a survey conducted by the Paulson Foundation in the United States in 2020, about 60% of AI scientists in the world work in American universities, companies or private research institutions, and two-thirds of them come to the United States for further study after graduating from other countries. The main source of students is China, accounting for 27%, and 32,000 Chinese scientists have voluntarily become American citizens. There are many high-end talents among them.
In addition, the state-owned sector is also facing the challenge of the flow of scientific and technological talents to private enterprises. According to the research and development center of China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology on Aerospace Science and Technology Group, from 2012 to 2016, the total number of people leaving the main institutions of the group showed an upward trend, with the annual turnover rate exceeding 10%, and the loss was concentrated in the young and middle-aged backbone groups under 35.
Second, development concepts, institutional mechanisms and talent policies affect the release of talent vitality.
With the rapid changes of economic, social and technological progress, the traditional management mode of scientific and technological talents has not adapted to the development requirements of the new era, and the scientific research management system and mechanism restrict the development of scientific and technological talents’ innovation and creativity. At present, we need to stimulate the vitality of scientific and technological talents more than at any time in history, and it is urgent to press the "acceleration button" for talent reform.
(A) The concept of talent development, some regions and departments have failed to pay attention to the all-round development of people and the diversified demands of talents.
Some cadres have not fully applied the development law of scientific and technological talents, some ways of thinking are still in the era of planned economy, and some important decisions often "see things but not people", which is not enough to mobilize the enthusiasm of scientific and technological talents. In some jobs, there are many elements about the importance of talents, but there are not many practical and effective measures to stimulate the vitality of talents. Some state-owned units are still stuck in the traditional personnel management mode, and the talent management mode is extensive and backward, emphasizing material incentives and neglecting the shaping of talent environment. There are still many institutional and institutional obstacles in personnel training, introduction, use, motivation and mobility, and the system of introducing foreign talents and high-end skilled immigrants is still not perfect.
The concept of all-round development of scientific and technological talents has not yet been formed, the training of top-notch innovative talents is lagging behind, the education system has put too much emphasis on result orientation, and the atmosphere of attaching importance to exam-oriented education and knowledge infusion, ignoring interest cultivation and innovation discovery is still very strong. Some highly educated international students have global vision and cutting-edge knowledge, and have been integrated into the forefront of global scientific and technological development. However, the attraction of these talents returning to China for development is insufficient, and the brain drain problem is still outstanding. There is still a big gap between China and the global talent center.
The "administrative color" of scientific research personnel management is still very prominent, which emphasizes management over service. There are many reports, many approvals and long time-consuming in the declaration and evaluation of scientific research projects, and scientific research personnel have to spend a lot of time and energy in administrative affairs. There are too many detailed items in the budget of scientific research funds, and many requirements are not suitable for the uncertainty and periodicity of scientific research activities. There are many restrictions on the payment of wages and labor expenses for scientific research funds, and the knowledge labor of scientific research personnel cannot be properly reflected. Excessive frequent assessment restricts the initiative of scientific and technological talents to concentrate on research. According to a survey conducted by the Policy Research Group of the Talent Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the three measures that scientific and technological talents most want to speed up implementation are loosening burdens, supporting talents to carry out basic research for a long time and giving them greater autonomy, with the selection ratios of 40.2%, 35.9% and 32.8% respectively.
(B) Talent incentive mechanism, the decisive role of the market in the allocation of talent resources is not fully played.
The system and mechanism to promote the entrepreneurship of scientific and technological talent officers need to be further optimized, the decisive role of the market in the allocation of human resources has not been fully exerted, and the human capital value of scientific and technological talents has not been properly reflected. In recent years, the internationalization, marketization and competitiveness of scientific and technological personnel in China’s state-owned departments have been continuously improved. However, in some state-owned enterprises, the problems of "lying flat", "Buddhism" and overstaffed personnel are still outstanding. Due to strict identity management, low salary and narrow promotion space, some state-owned departments have lost their own scientific and technological talents, and the ranks of scientific and technological talents are unstable.
Due to the unreasonable performance appraisal and salary distribution system, some units can not reflect more work and more pay, and distribution according to work, which leads to many scientific and technological talents in state-owned enterprises doing more and doing less, and doing the same with not doing it. There are also some enterprises that lack an incentive job development system, which makes it difficult for scientific and technological talents to be promoted and moved. Some talents can’t see their career development prospects and their entrepreneurial enthusiasm can’t be mobilized. In some public-owned units, the talent incentive means is single, so it is difficult to mobilize the entrepreneurial enthusiasm of talent officers, and the reform of salary distribution such as equity incentive is slow. Especially under the background of digital economy, human capital elements play a prominent role in various enterprises, but the human capital value of core technicians and outstanding operators has not been properly reflected after the reform. The traditional salary system, which mainly focuses on wages and bonuses, can no longer meet the needs of enterprise development. The reform of state-owned enterprises in market-oriented selection, contractual management, differentiated salary and market-oriented exit is not in place, and they cannot retain core talents, so they are at a relative disadvantage in talent competition.
(C) In terms of talent policy, there are problems such as weak pertinence, difficult implementation and untimely evaluation.
In recent years, in order to mobilize the enthusiasm of scientific research talents, many talent policies have been issued from the central government to the local government, such as Guiding Opinions on Supporting and Encouraging the Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Professional and Technical Personnel in Institutions and Guiding Opinions on Implementing the Distribution Policy Oriented to Increasing Knowledge Value. However, there are still some problems in the process of policy implementation, such as weak pertinence, difficult implementation, lack of supporting facilities and untimely evaluation, which cause "good policies" to fail to achieve "good results". Take actively encouraging scientific researchers to take part-time jobs, take part in projects and start businesses as an example. Due to the lack of supporting implementation rules, some scientific research units are difficult to grasp who can take part-time jobs, how to manage part-time workers and how to confirm knowledge achievements, and there are practical difficulties such as "thinking out" and "going out can’t come back". The lack of evaluation of the talent policy that has been implemented for a period of time is not conducive to policy iteration, and it is not conducive to timely adjustment, which affects the effect of policy implementation.
Third, countermeasures and suggestions
Talent vitality is "released", not "managed". It is suggested to further change the concept of talents, speed up the "streamline administration, delegate power, strengthen regulation and improve services" reform in the field of talents, optimize the talent policy, create a better talent ecology, and create conditions for further releasing the vitality of talents.
The first is to change the concept of talent development and promote the development of talent career with comprehensive evaluation of talents.In terms of talent concept, it is necessary to further improve the evaluation system of scientific and technological talents with classification, scientific diversity and openness. According to the job characteristics, set evaluation indicators, and recognize the performance of job responsibilities, participation in scientific research work, high-level papers published, and the effectiveness of achievements transformation as contributions, so as to avoid using only signed achievements as the basis for assessment and evaluation.
The second is to speed up the reform of the system of scientific and technological talents and stimulate the innovation vitality of scientific and technological talents with the guidance of increasing knowledge value.On the basis of ensuring the normal growth of the basic salary level, we will gradually increase the basic salary that reflects the innovative talents to perform their duties and responsibilities, and increase the autonomy of performance pay. We will increase the sharing ratio of scientific and technological achievements of researchers, and increase the fruitful income of researchers through multiple channels. Give researchers the long-term right to use their scientific and technological achievements for not less than 10 years, and clarify the specific operation methods for researchers to take part-time jobs.
The third is to speed up the reform of "streamline administration, delegate power, strengthen regulation and improve services" for scientific and technological talents and further create "relaxation" for scientific research.Give scientists more power to decide the technical route, control more funds and dispatch more resources, and accelerate the formation of strategic fulcrum and yan zhen pattern. Promote scientific research units to reduce the frequency of assessment, implement medium-and long-term assessment such as employment period assessment and project cycle assessment, and simplify and dilute the usual assessment. Open major national scientific research infrastructure and large-scale scientific research instruments to the society, and improve the use efficiency of scientific research equipment and the synergistic effect of innovation.
The fourth is to optimize all kinds of talent policies and actively shape the ecological environment of scientific and technological talents suitable for people to give full play to their talents.Vigorously carry forward the spirit of "two bombs and one satellite" with innovation as the core in the whole society, and vigorously cultivate an environment that encourages innovation and tolerates failure. Consultation channels should be established for management issues and financial systems with strong policies, and good practices, experiences and cases of local and unit scientific and technological talents development should be well publicized.
(The author Qian Cheng is an associate researcher at the Institute of Public Administration and Human Resources of the State Council Development Research Center; Feng Wenmeng is a researcher at the Institute of Public Administration and Human Resources of the State Council Development Research Center)