‘Snowball effect’: China could double down on talent build-up but with strong headwinds

As China drafts its 15th five-year plan – the next entry in a line of expansive blueprints that have set the tone for the country’s development over more than seven decades – we explore what China will do in the field of science and technology, particularly regarding the introduction of scientific talent. For more stories in this ongoing series, click here.

The appointment of Liu Jun, a former tenured Harvard statistician, as a “Xinghua distinguished chair professor” at Tsinghua University in August was more than just a ceremonial occasion.

With senior university leaders present, the event underscored China’s escalating bid to attract world-class scientific talent.

Liu joins an elite group of only three ever awarded this highest academic honour at Tsinghua, alongside globally recognised figures like climatologist Chen Deliang and materials scientist Gao Huajian.

Their homecoming reflects a broader and accelerating trend: China’s strategic pivot towards cultivating and recruiting elite scientific minds, both from overseas and within its own borders.