China's Emerging Technological Edge
Assessing the Role of High-End Talent

Addresses issues surrounding China's science and technology talent pool, and suggests significant policy implications for China and the international community.

Denis Fred Simon (Author), Cong Cao (Author)

9780521712330, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 19 March 2009

434 pages, 79 tables
22.8 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm, 0.7 kg

'Several decades have passed since researchers and analysts could find a comprehensive document on Chinese pools of scientists, engineers and students. Simon and Cao have given us deep and profound insights on China's emerging technological edge in a multidimensional perspective.' Jon Sigurdson, Stockholm School of Economics

In less than thirty years, China has become a major force in the global economy. One feature of its rapid ascent has been an enormous expansion of the country's science and technology capabilities, leading to the emergence of a large and increasingly well-educated talent pool. Yet China finds itself engaged in an internal debate as to whether its full potential can be realised. At the heart of this debate lie a number of uncertainties surrounding the quality, quantity and effective utilisation of China's S&T workforce. Written by two leading experts in the field, this book is the first in forty years to address these critical issues. Building on exciting new research and a plethora of comprehensive statistical materials, its findings will have significant policy implications both for China and the international community, especially in terms of issues relating to national competitiveness and innovation potential.

Introduction
1. Human resources, technological innovation, and economic growth
2. China's talent challenge
3. Human resources in science and technology and their structure and characteristics in China
4. Higher education and scientists and engineers in the pipeline
5. Utilization of scientists and engineers in China
6. 'Brain drain', 'brain gain', and 'brain circulation'
7. Demand and supply of S&T talent in China: key drivers
8. China's talent in key emerging technologies
9. Whither China's talent pool?
Appendix: understanding Chinese S&T human resource statistics
Bibliography.

Subject Areas: International business [KJK], Business innovation [KJD], Business & management [KJ]