More foreign scientists are lured by China to work  in the country and it also seems that more foreign scientists are willing to work there. According to Professor Theo Beckers from Tilburg University of the Netherlands, who attended a conference in Beijing on Thursday the facilities are excellent and the openness is wonderful. The Chinese government is so willing to invest in scientific research, that it makes us in Europe jealous Professor Theo Beckers said jokingly.

Professor Beckers has been in China for a two-month research program on environmental policies in cooperation with scientists of the Chinese Academy of Sciences ( CAS). Over 70 scientists from from all over the world came to the conference to share their experiences. The president of the CAS Bai Chunli said at the conference the CAS considered international cooperation as an inseperable part of research and development. According to him it brings different advantages like talent for innovation and the utilization of global scientific advances. On the other hand it is a way for the Academy to contribute to the international science progress as well as tackling various global challenges he said.

Elizabeth Sawyer who is working at the Institute of Biophysics under the CAS said China's massive economic growth and scientific output makes it impossible for scientists not to work in China if they want to be at the research forefront.  Even so there's a culture difference, the people are friendly and helpful. The only problem she faced was the language difficulty. The CAS has promoted exchanges between Chinese and foreign scientists for projects since 2009. After 2009, the CAS approved  477 applications of senior scientists and 179 young fellows to work in China for cooperation.

It is in China's middle and long-term plan on science and technology to raise the proportion of research input to above 2.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2020. In the 2.500 projects the Chinese launched in the past five years some major scientific topics where among them, like aircraft and transgenetic-crops.

Source: Xinhua News Agency, 10 June 2011