• Zhang Huiming was hired as a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences through the Hundred Talents Program.

Zhang Huiming was hired as a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences through the Hundred Talents Program. (Photo : Wikimedia Commons)

Shanghai district authorities are addressing problems on red tape, which has been identified as one of the factors that make it difficult for local talents to remain in their districts.

One such example is that of biochemist Zhang Huiming, who was hired under the Hundred Talents Program in 2014 after he finished his postdoctoral research in the U.S. The program offers jobs for those who have international doctoral degrees or those who have held an assistant professor status in international universities for at least four years.

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Zhang enjoyed a secure post at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. However, he faced one major hurdle: he had difficulty enrolling his daughter in a local school.

"I had never expected the troubles I experienced trying to get my daughter into a local primary school," he said, according to Shanghai Daily.

Zhang, who was working on rhizobacteria research at the Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, needed to present a permanent residency permit in order to have his child enroled in primary school. However, because he was born in Fujian Province and his daughter was born in the U.S., he had to acquire a permanent residency permit at his birthplace and have it transferred to Shanghai.

The entire process would take six months, and by the time the permit would be granted, it would have been too late for his daughter to enrol in school.

Additionally, Zhang was not given special talent treatment in his hometown because his employer was registered in Xuhui.

Fortunately, his employer sought the help of the local government to intervene in the situation. Zhang was given waivers, and his daughter was finally enroled in a local school.

"We took special steps because he is a member of an important national research team. And he actually is a Songjiang resident now," Songjiang talent affairs official Zhang Jun told Shanghai Daily. He added that Zhang's case shows how important children's education is in the security of the local talents they are recruiting.

"In the end, thanks to my employer and the local government, the problem was solved and I could devote all my attention again on my research," Zhang said.