In order to enhance talent training and promote the job opportunities for XMUers with international organizations, the alumni couple, Zhao Qinghua and Chen Shaohua, were invited back to the campus by the Student Affairs Office, Secretariat of XMU General Alumni Association and School of Mathematical Sciences (SMS) for a series activities themed as "XMUers in World Bank". Currently, Zhao Qinghua and Chen Shaohua are both senior officials in World Bank (WB). The couple, both Class of 1977, actually matriculated in XMU in January of 1978, majoring in control theory in SMS. Zhao now serves as a senior data scientist with the research department of WB while Chen is the Chief Statistician of the development research group.
On the morning of May 8, the couple held friendly talks with students from SMS, the School of Management and College of Journalism and Communication at the coffee house in the Building of Maths. They also accepted an exclusive interview with a schoolwide Wechat official account called "XMUers from All Walks of Life". The two alumni shared their college life and work experiences in WB with students present and encouraged them to keep up the good work and broaden their knowledge base since more skills mean better development.
In the afternoon, Lin Dongwei, Vice Secretary of the CPC Committee of XMU, had a meeting with the couple at the Song’en Administrative Building. They discussed how to better create a talent pipeline for international organizations, and Zhao and Chen were offered the position by the university as advisors for this initiative. Zhao and Chen pointed out that there is a huge need for professional diplomatic talents in China today, so it is beneficial not just for the school but for the country as well if XMU could provide customized training for its students. The couple noted that the university ought to exhort and guide more students to get involved in the training where they could improve their foreign language proficiency, their writing and interpersonal communication skills as well as their professional competency.
Later in the evening, the couple delivered a lecture to an audience of about 250 teachers and students on the theme of “XMUers in World Bank” at the lecture hall of Keli Building, Siming Campus of XMU. By citing their 30-year experience in WB, they gave vivid, detailed presentations on such quintessential contents as international organizations, duties and jobs in WB, employment of Chinese in WB, recruitment channels and job requirements, preparations needed for international organizations as well as the resources for data and research. The couple stressed that personal competencies win bountiful opportunities on the global stage, and they encouraged the students to develop their talent to the fullest, become well rounded, and carve out their own path in the international arena.
Edited by Li Zhiruo, Long Jin
