2nd-tiers cities woo top graduates

China's economically-booming second-tier cities are striving to woo outstanding graduates from top Chinese universities in a bid to bolster public administration.

The government of Changchun recruited 52 graduates from several prominent universities in Beijing and Shanghai this year. They will be dispatched to various public offices such as urban planning and hi-tech zone management.

An official with Changchun's Organization Department said six of the 52 recruits hold doctorates and another 25 have master's degrees.

The graduates were recruited as part of a project between the Changchun city government and universities such as Renmin, Fudan and Tongji. The universities have promised to provide top graduates each year to suit the urgent needs of the city.

Tongji University always encourages our graduates to work in places where the nation needs them most, said Li Xin, vice Party secretary of the Shanghai-based university.

"The school has established similar agreements with over 50 city governments, as we believe upstart cities present plenty of opportunities to achieve life goals," Li added.

Cai Rongsheng, an official in charge of career planning at the Beijing-based Renmin University of China, agreed. "As the economy keeps thriving in cities like Changchun, their great potential is really attractive to many university students."

Jia Baoyin, who earned a doctorate in engineering from Tongji University, declined job offers from companies in Shanghai before coming to Changchun.

"I prefer Changchun because I will have more opportunities, as the second-tier cities are generally less competitive," Jia said.

As many cities scramble for high-level university graduates to inject new life into the local administration, Changchun has to beat its competitors with appealing policies and platforms.

According to Changchun's Organization Department, the city extends various preferential policies to the graduates, such as repaying student loans and providing a fast-track to promotion.

Since community-level public offices are the most thirsty for high-quality college graduates, universities are keen to supply graduates to fill these posts, said Li.

"For long-term cooperation, Tongji hopes to take the cities' needs into consideration and integrate their requirements with the school's education and training," Li added.