Recruiting in China

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Accounting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu plans to hire as many as 2,400 new staff for its mainland China and Hong Kong operations, the South China Morning Post reported Monday citing a senior executive.

The hiring campaign "reflected the firm's belief that (China's) economy would rebound to strong growth despite the recent poor market environment around the world," Kester Yuen, regional managing partner for southern China at Deloitte, was cited as saying.

Around 400 of the jobs will be in Hong Kong, while the rest will be based in mainland China, the report said.

It said the new recruitment will represent an increase of 18% in the headcount of the Hong Kong division and a 25% increase in the mainland China division.

Newspaper Web site: http://www.scmp.com

By Yang Huiwen

WHILE retrenchments are occurring across many sectors, the lubricants business of oil major Shell is expected to keep hiring here as it continues to expand its regional operations.

No details were given on Monday on numbers but extra manpower is needed to expand its grease plant, where an upgrading is in process that will allow production capacity to be doubled. The work will be completed sometime next year.

The grease-making facility forms part of Shell's larger lubricant oil blending plant at a 5.5 hectate site in Woodlands North. The plant employs 170 people.

It produces greases and lubricating oils for the local and export markets.

About 90 per cent of its products are sold in 52 markets worldwide, including Australia, Indonesia, China and Kuwait.

Lubricant oils, or lube oils, are high-value products used to improve the efficiency of machinery by reducing wear and tear.

The plant also manufactures marine lubricants, which are supplied to ships that stop in Singapore through bunker vessels.

'Although not very big in land area, this plant has one of the highest production capacity in the Shell network globally, and is the primary source of Shell Lubricants' supply network in Asia,' said Shell Lubricants Asia-Pacific vice president Tim Ford.

'The growth in our Shell Woodlands North operations in the current economic climate is a testament to our proven track record and leadership in fuels innovation.'

Shell's regional expansion is driven by strong demand for lubricants in industrialising countries such as China.

Last year, Asia overtook North America as Shell's largest lubricant consuming region in the world, accounting for 38 per cent of sales compared with a 28 per cent share in the US.

Demand for lubricants in the Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at about 5.1 per cent a year until 2017, according to industry figures, while demand in the US and Europe is expected to decline.

Shell, the largest international lubricants supplier in Asia by sales volume, is also the leader in the lubricants business. It captured 13 per cent of the world market last year, two percentage points in front of Exxon Mobil, according to consultants Kline & Company.

Shell also has lubricant blending plants in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and China.

It is building its sixth blending plant in China - in Zhuhai in Guangdong Province. This will start operating next year.

Shell's lubricants business employs about 10 per cent of the oil major's total workforce worldwide.

Harvard focuses more heavily on China in an effort to increase the diversity of the student body

By BENJAMIN K. GLASER
Contributing Writer

It wasn’t her school, it wasn’t a Web site, and it certainly wasn’t a recruiter that got Yichen Chen ’11 to apply to Harvard in 2006. It was a little help from her friends.

Like many students from mainland China, Chen, a native of Beijing, had to navigate the application process largely on her own. A loose network of friends, including other applicants, served as guides—even encouraging her to apply in the first place.

RED TAPE

“In China...there’s no such thing as a [guidance] counselor,” Chen explains.

In an education system that requires only one entrance exam for enrollment in national universities, Chinese students are often ill-prepared to apply to schools abroad. SAT testing is restricted; Chen traveled to Hong Kong for both the SAT I and SAT II exams.

“You feel like you are just trying to travel in the dark,” says Chen of her application process. “Sometimes there are lights around that are trying to point you in the right direction, but you can’t really trust every one of them.”

But Harvard administrators, like Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 and President Drew Gilpin Faust, hope to increase Harvard’s presence in mainland China. Fitzsimmons and Faust’s recent high-profile trips to the People’s Republic of China are some of the current programs that have sought to promote connections and exchange between Harvard and mainland China.

“A leading university like Harvard has to be involved in areas where knowledge is being created and disseminated at really a revolutionary pace,” says Professor William C. Kirby, director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies and chair of the Harvard China Fund.

HARVARD WANTS YOU

In the past few years, China’s higher education system has undergone an explosion in growth and development. According to Kirby, the university population has increased from five to 20 percent of the college-age population. Their aspiration, Kirby says, is to double that number. Currently, China has upwards of 26 million college and university students, in comparison to the U.S.’s fifteen million.

“If you look ahead 50 years from now,” Kirby says, “the only system of higher education that has the capacity to compete with, and perhaps exceed, America’s in many areas is China’s.”

Dean Fitzsimmons sees recruitment of the best and brightest Chinese students as an essential part of Harvard’s long-term vibrancy as an institution. In his view, an increased presence of Chinese students is necessary both to create a diverse student body and to maintain elite standards. “We are thinking generations ahead,” Fitzsimmons says. “We’re thinking much more competition.”

Kirby adds that some Chinese families are pleasantly surprised to hear that “you don’t need to be rich” to apply to Harvard. The University’s recruitment efforts are aimed at both clearing up current misconceptions and getting “people thinking about Harvard in very broad terms,” he says.

DIGGING TO CHINA

In October, preeminent Harvard mathematician Shing-Tung Yau organized the first annual Shing-Tung Yau High School Mathematics Award, a mathematical sciences competition held in Beijing. Fitzsimmons served as a judge.

While Yau established the program to “fulfill [his] dream to promote mathematics,” he acknowledges the benefits of interactions between Harvard representatives and Chinese students. “Harvard students and faculty should understand this country,” he writes in an e-mail message. “The participation of brilliant Chinese high school students [in future undergraduate life] will be very meaningful.”

While the Shing-Tung Yau High School Mathematics Award was not explicitly established to create stronger ties between Harvard and China, Harvard’s Shanghai Office does have such a mission in mind. Opened in the spring of 2008, the office seeks to promote and assist all sorts of University ventures in China. One of the office’s several goals is to facilitate Harvard admissions interviews, as well as providing “on-the-ground services” for students and faculty working and studying in the PRC, according to its Web site.

However, increased awareness has not yet translated into increased matriculation for mainland China’s students. The applicant pool from mainland China has more than dectupled in the last ten years—from 44 for the class of 2003 to 484 in the class of 2012. But the number of accepted students has remained amazingly consistent, around five each year. Fitzsimmons attributes the phenomenon to remaining obstacles, ranging from standardized tests to language skills. A lack of SAT scores and difficulties with English “will not be positive factors,” he says.

STUDENT MOVEMENT

Many student groups have taken matters into their own hands, often long before the University got in the game. Every summer since 2006, the Harvard College Summit for Young Leaders in China has brought Harvard undergrads to Shanghai to teach 300 Chinese high school students as part an intensive week of seminars, guest speakers and extracurricular activities.

“I really want a lot of Harvard students to step on the Chinese mainland,” says co-founder and Shanghai native Meijie “MJ” Tang ’09. She hopes that each trip will give Harvard students a better understanding of Chinese culture. As for the Chinese students, Tang hopes that they will find in HSYLC a love of the “true liberal arts education” and the “eagerness to learn” that she found at Harvard. Whatever HSYLC is doing, it must be working: 22 percent of their Chinese alumni are currently enrolled at prestigious universities abroad, including several at Harvard.

“There are so many programs I’ve heard about between Yale and China,” Chen says. “And Harvard should definitely be more awesome.”

—Lingbo Li contributed to the reporting of this story

BEIJING, Aug. 10 -- The world's leading auto parts maker Bosch said China would represent some 40 percent of its total workforce in the Asia-Pacific by the end of 2008, placing the region's workforce second only to Germany in terms of numbers.

"China is a main contributor to the increase of the Bosch business in Asia. We attach a special importance to the recruiting, training and retaining of skilled associates," said Uwe Raschke, who has just taken charge of Bosch's Asia-Pacific business.

Raschke is the successor to Rudolf Colm, who has taken up a new role within the Bosch board of management, steering the worldwide activities in the consumer goods and building technology business sectors.

The Stuttgart-based company announced that it would invest 1.9 billion euros ($2.85 billion) in the Asia-Pacific region from 2008 to 2010.

By the end of 2007, Bosch had invested around 1 billion euros in China, and it will invest a further 850 million euros in the country between 2008 and 2010.

"We see great growth potential in Asia for all our business sectors especially as it relates to green technologies to conserve resources and protect the environment," said Rudolf Colm.

He said Bosch drive systems for the car are geared to lower consumption and emissions, both in the diesel and the gasoline engines. The company continues to develop automotive technologies that are safe, clean and economical with a special focus on innovation and localized solutions for Asian manufacturers, including low price vehicle applications.

Though it is troubled by the financial crisis, U.S. auto giant Chrysler LLC has not stopped looking for new partners in China since its dropped out of Daimler AG's joint venture (BBDC) with Beijing Auto. However, Chrysler keeps its potential new Chinese partner(s) "highly confidential" for the moment, said sina.com today citing Chrylser's China sales unit.

Chrysler has proceeded with production of the Chrysler 300C and Sebring in Beijing Auto, and Chrysler's some Dodge-brand models will be made in Southeast Motor, a Chinese partner of Mitsubishi Motors. Chrysler's Jeep-brand Compass, Grand Cherokee, and Commander have been sold in China as imported cars. Since it withdrew from BBDC a few months ago, Chrysler has talked with several Chinese automakers, including Chery Auto, for the partnership.

However, Chrysler LLC has not decided yet on which local automaker to team up with in China, the world's second largest auto market. Recently the U.S. auto company announced that its deal with Chery Auto has been put on hold until the two sides sort out their individual financial futures. And Chery has said that its talks and discussions with Chrysler are still going according to plan.

Great Wall Motor is developing an A-class car along with Chrysler. In mid-August, Great Wall revealed that the company's cooperation with Chrysler was making progress. Since then, Chrysler has sent dozens of technicians to assist Great Wall Motor in developing the new car model. The latter's former designs have been given up or totally changed.

Sooner or later, Chrysler will form its joint venture in China for its expansion in this fast-growing market. The company has been recruiting auto professionals in the country for this purpose. Chrysler has planned an extensive product lineup for the Chinese buyers and more positive operation pattern for its recovery in the China market by 2010.

By George Gao

by CSC staff, Shanghai

Lin Kaiqing, a Ph.D. from the UCLA Department of Mathematics, was once a mathematical researcher working on such problems as Goldbach’s Conjecture. In 1997 he moved over to the financial industry and worked for Washington Mutual, JP Morgan Chase, and Credit Suisse before joining Duff & Phelps, an independent financial consulting and investment banking firm.

Born in Taiwan, Lin Kaiqing has always considered Mainland China his home. Now his biggest wish is to return to Shanghai and set up a team to operate the company’s Asian business.

The financial crisis has pushed the unemployment rate in the US to 6.7%. Wall Street may cut as many as 200,000 employees in the financial and related IT areas. Chen Xunyong, founder and chairman of Wall Street Ren, an organization of Chinese Wall Street professionals, says nearly 10% of Chinese working on Wall Street have lost their jobs.

“I have several friends that have been recently laid off. They can find a new job within months, but during this time they have begun to notice work opportunities in China that they didn’t pay much attention to in the past,” Chen said. “Our group began to pay attention to the Chinese market and job opportunities in China. I went to China last month during my vacation and met senior managers of many securities and fund companies.”

Seizing opportunities in China

Chen was surprised at Chinese investment companies’ overseas strategies and eagerness to invest overseas, and sees great opportunities in China

“Originally we founded this group to offer Chinese working on Wall Street a communication platform and to assist domestic governments and organizations recruiting in the US. But it’s the first time for us to go back to learn about China and form a dialogue mechanism.

After taking the first steps, Wall Street Ren began to contact Chinese organizations and recruiters more frequently and introduce China to its members. For many Wall Street professionals who having been working in the US for many years, going back to China would be a “great leap”.

“In the past, many Chinese went back home soon after finishing financial courses in the US and didn’t have rich working experience. Now it’s different. Those returning or who have already returned are often senior professionals above manager level.

Chinese companies, including the China Investment Company, have been issuing recruiting advertisements in overseas media such as The Wall Street Journal. Overseas Chinese professionals are beginning to realize Chinese financial firms’ determination to expand overseas business and recruit overseas talents.

Among talent going back, 50% choose to work in Hong Kong, and the rest come back to Mainland China. “According to our figures, of the senior positions in Wall Street financial institutions occupied by Chinese, 90% are by Mainlanders.

Worries still exist

“Of course we still have concerns. I never drink wine, and I’m afraid I can’t get used to the working environment in Mainland China,” Lin Kaiqing told China Business News, adding that some possible returnees worried if they’ll be able to accommodate themselves to the Chinese working environment, which requires high sociability.

Lin Kaiqing’s biggest concern is whether his 11-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter can accommodate themselves to a pure Chinese teaching environment.

Lin Kaiqing has always planned to return to China when his children are grown. “I first planned to go back to LA after retirement, but now, although I think LA is good, it’s not my home. I must go back to China, my real home.”

Some of Lin’s friends have already returned to China, and one of them is now working for Everbright Bank. They all say their life in China is very pleasant. Lin is considering a return to China after his company is licensed to establishment a Shanghai branch.

High salary

In December, recruiters from Shanghai, Beijing, and Nanjing will fly to New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Boston to recruit Wall Street talent. The Mayor of Nanjing even flew to New York himself. Positions open to Chinese Wall Street talent include international financial market investment, financial and economic research, asset management, risk control, financial derivatives development, industry risk analysis, and creative supervision.

Nanjing also wants to bring in expertise in electronic and biological technology from the San Francisco Bay Area. Recruiters from Shanghai include the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the government of Pudong District, Shenyin Wanguo Securities Company, Guotai Junan Securities Company, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, and Citic Bank.

“Salaries will be lower back in China. In the US an annual salary for a senior manager in an investment firm can amount to millions of dollars, and domestic institutions can’t pay so much. But money is not the reason they go back,” said Chen Xunyong. “And of course the salary gap is narrowing some.”

Lin Kaiqing also said he was surprised when he heard domestic companies are willing to pay four or five million yuan per year to Wall Street talent. For him, this is really a big move, as big as the 4 trillion yuan economic relief package.