Vigorously cultivate scientific talents and give play to the role of strategic scientists as a "key minority"

The Central Economic Work Conference held a few days ago for the first time regarded science and technology policy as one of the seven major policies for macroeconomic stability in the next year, and proposed that science and technology policies should be implemented in a down-to-earth manner, and strengthening the national strategic scientific and technological strength is one of the important tasks. Strengthening the national strategic scientific and technological strength is inseparable from the main body of the strategic talent force. He is a scientist and a science and technology strategist

Having the "great power of the country" in mind and acting as the "heavy weapon of the country" is the most prominent trait of strategic scientists. Strategic scientists all regard sharing the worries of the country and serving the country and the people as their own pursuit. They can not only put forward strategic goals for science and technology, but also pay attention to the tactical issues of achieving strategic goals, have first-class strategic implementation capabilities, and are good at organizing and leading "large corps" operations. They have high morals and charisma, and can unite a large number of innovative talents to work together. They have a global perspective, have a high reputation in the world, and understand the rules and situation of international science and technology governance. They not only understand the profession, but also participate in science and technology management and understand the process of science and technology policy formulation. They are scientists, but also tech strategists.

The great changes in the world today that have not occurred in a hundred years have accelerated their evolution, scientific and technological innovation has become the main battlefield of the international strategic game, and the competition around the commanding heights of science and technology is unprecedentedly fierce, highlighting the importance and urgency of vigorously cultivating and using strategic scientists. The formulation and implementation of the science and technology development strategy is directly related to the process of China's construction of a socialist modern power and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and it is especially necessary for China's strategic scientists to combine the national conditions, stand on the overall height to provide scientific thinking judgment for the national science and technology strategy and the prospects for scientific and technological development, unite with other strategic talents, and jointly strive for high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement.

Improve the mechanism of discovery and training of strategic scientists

Strategic scientists are not selected and supported, but are the result of continuous tempering and gradual recognition in practice. In order to form a growth echelon of strategic scientists and give full play to the role of the "key minority" of strategic scientists, it is necessary to continuously improve the mechanism for the discovery, training, motivation and use of strategic scientists.

First, multi-channel establishment of a discovery recognition mechanism for strategic scientists. Looking at the world, broaden the vision of talent selection, and coordinate domestic and international resources. It is necessary to adhere to the practice test standards, face the world's scientific and technological frontiers, face the main economic battlefield, face the major needs of the country, and face the people's life and health, and consciously find that high-level composite talents who can organize multidisciplinary and large corps to cooperate in tackling key problems and have the potential of strategic scientists should continue to pay attention to and cultivate them. It is necessary to persist in expanding the opening up and cooperation in science and technology, gather the world's talents and use them, expand the channels for the discovery and identification of strategic scientists, discover potential reserve talents of strategic scientists among the winners of major international scientific and technological awards and scientists serving in key posts in international scientific and technological organizations, attract and gather talents in the competition for international talents, and attract and gather talents with the wisdom of talents, the sincerity of loving talents, the courage to use talents, the grace of accommodating talents, and the good recipe of gathering talents to attract those scientists and talents who love the country and the party, are willing to serve the people, and devote themselves to the construction of a strong country. Relevant departments should carry out research and study as soon as possible to grasp the current situation of China's strategic scientist resources.

Second, multi-way training promotes the growth and emergence of strategic scientists in the talent echelon. Strategic scientists must be "rare" scarce talents, only to expand the base of the national strategic talent force, to cultivate first-class scientific and technological leading talents and innovation teams, young scientific and technological talents and outstanding engineers, so that all kinds of talents innovation vitality burst forth, in order to make strategic scientists in the strategic talent echelon emerge "out". It is necessary to gradually cultivate scientific and technological tacticians who are good at solving specific problems into strategic scientists who are strategic in their planning, support them in expanding their international horizons, create conditions to guide them to participate in international scientific and technological cooperation and exchanges, and consciously promote the appointment of Chinese scientists to first-class international scientific and technological organizations to help them enhance their international popularity and influence. It is necessary to give play to the role of strategic scientists in the construction of high-level national think tanks, encourage strategic scientists to participate in scientific and technological decision-making consulting services, and understand the process of scientific and technological policy formulation. In view of the current serious shortage of strategic scientists, at this stage, we should also pay attention to the creation and support of innovative talent teams, and form a strategic scientist support team.

Third, break through the existing rules and regulations and improve the use mechanism of strategic scientists. It is necessary not only to encourage the current scientific and technological leading talents to take command, but also to let go of the "newcomers" who have the courage to "unveil the commander-in-chief" and emerge under the mechanism of "horse racing system" to undertake scientific research projects, continuously improve their leadership ability and organizational management level, and give play to their effectiveness in the practical application of the new national system such as key core technology research. It is necessary to establish a mechanism for the use of trust-based strategic scientists to give them more trust, better help and stronger support. When strategic scientists participate in scientific and technological strategic consulting work, there should be a more flexible mechanism so that they have channels to report quickly and directly to the decision-making level. It is necessary to encourage them to make advisory suggestions based on their responsibilities to the country and the people, allow for pluralistic opinions based on professional judgment, and protect the independence of the recommendations.

Fourth, establish an incentive and guarantee mechanism conducive to the role of strategic scientists. Establish a liaison and communication mechanism for the main leaders of the party and government to contact strategic scientists, and entrust them with mission responsibility. Continuously improve the system of contact services between relevant departments and strategic scientists, scientific and technological consultation, decision-making reference, and resource coordination. In terms of supporting policies and management mechanisms, it provides convenience and conditions for strategic scientists to organize major scientific and technological research projects, participate in scientific and technological consultation, international scientific and technological cooperation and serve in international scientific and technological organizations. Through institutional arrangements or authorizations, it can mobilize resources such as professional think tank teams to carry out research on strategic issues of concern to them when necessary. In terms of living conditions, health care and other aspects to solve the actual needs of strategic scientists, to provide more intimate and warm services.

(Xu Jie, the author is deputy director and associate researcher of the Survey and Statistics Center of the Innovation Strategy Research Institute of the China Association for Science and Technology)

Source: Science and Technology Daily