An employee assembles a car at a factory in Jimo district, Qingdao, Shandong province, on Sept 21. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In recent years, Shandong has consistently regarded post-doctoral researchers as a crucial means of cultivating strategic young talent, said local officials.

Efforts have been focused on establishing a complete chain encompassing the "attraction, cultivation, utilization, and service" of post-doctoral fellows, which has greatly facilitated the rapid development of the post-doctoral program in Shandong.

Shandong has implemented a series of specialized projects such as the "Shandong Provincial Postdoctoral Innovation Project" and "Shandong Provincial Postdoctoral Innovative Talent Support Program". Through these initiatives, postdoctoral fellows who stay in Shandong can receive up to 400,000 yuan ($54,652) in funding support, promoting postdoctoral innovation and entrepreneurship.

Shandong has also established stable cooperation mechanisms for postdoctoral research mobility stations and workstations (innovation practice bases), aiming to consolidate advantageous resources and deepen collaboration between universities and enterprises, thereby improving the quality of postdoctoral training. By adhering to a classification assessment approach, an evaluation index system for mobility stations and workstations has been established, ensuring more scientific orientation and assessment outcomes.

In addition, Shandong provides a "Preferred Talent Card" to eligible outstanding postdoctoral fellows, which allows them to enjoy policy benefits in areas such as spousal relocation, children's education, healthcare, and professional title evaluation.

Shandong has hosted the postdoctoral innovation and entrepreneurship competition for the past five years, attracting postdoctoral fellows from over 20 countries, with over 4,200 projects participating. The landed projects have generated a total output value exceeding 12 billion yuan.