China’s overseas professionals facilitate knowledge exchange

Since the end of the 1970s, nearly 300,000 professionals have migrated permanently from the People’s Republic of China. Many were students sent overseas by the Chinese government to international universities who then never returned. However, these migrants have helped their country through the knowledge exchanged between China and rest of the world.

Recognising the magnitude and significance of overseas professionals, China has developed over 200 policies for this group of migrants. Although the policies initially focused on encouraging permanent return, since the late 1990s, the idea that these individuals can contribute as much to China by remaining overseas has grown. Researchers from the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society at Oxford University, UK, provide a systematic review of government initiatives and evaluate what works to encourage these professionals to contribute their skills to the Chinese economy and society.

The major contribution from those overseas has been to help build research and development capacity in China, instead of simply focusing on technology transfer. Such knowledge exchange has been closely linked to the career development strategies of the professionals. Career starters, for example, are keen to develop relationships with institutes in China, but have difficulties in realising it. At the next level professionals need to establish their overseas careers and hence have little time for other activities. It is usually the middle to senior level professionals who have had the most connections with China and are more willing to return on a short-term basis to share their experiences.

Government agencies in China have implemented various programmes focusing on both long-term and short-term return that develop knowledge sharing networks. The report finds that:

• The state remains the major investor and organiser of knowledge exchange programmes.
• Profitable commercial projects are the main expected outcome of these programmes. However, a focus on profit neglects the long-term nature of knowledge exchange and generally tends to ignore important knowledge areas such as management, law, social sciences and humanities.
• Government agencies at local levels work well together, but at the central level there is a lack of coordination and a duplication of work.
• Overseas associations, such as the Chinese Association for Science and Technology in the USA, remain an important means for building networks across countries.

Knowledge exchange works best through a combination of formal programmes and informal (personal) networks. Improvements in government management practices and the bringing together of state initiatives and market mechanisms are two key areas to be addressed.

In the case of China, the government should:

• Concentrate on improving coordination between government ministries, helping departments develop their own separate areas.
• Balance the focus on commercial projects with a long-term effort of network building, particularly with overseas students.
• Pay closer attention to the concerns of the countries to which Chinese people emigrate and enhance intergovernmental collaboration in knowledge exchange.
• Ensure knowledge exchange meet the career needs of those living overseas.
• Finally, devise human resource and industry policies to link the mobility of highly skilled professionals to both domestic high-tech industry and global markets, which was crucial to the success of India’s information technology sector.

Source(s):
‘Promoting Knowledge Exchange through Diaspora Networks (The Case of People’s Republic of China)’, Report by the ESRC Centre on Migration, Policy and Society, by Xiang Biao, March 2005 Full document.

Funded by: Asian Development Bank

id21 Research Highlight: 29 March 2006

Further Information:
Xiang Biao
ESRC Centre on Migration, Policy and Society
University of Oxford
58 Banbury Road
Oxford OX2 6QS
UK

Tel: + 44 (0) 1865 274693
Fax: +44 (0)1865 274718
Contact the contributor: biao.xiang@compas.ox.ac.uk

Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS), University of Oxford

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