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Published online 28 January 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/457522a
China targets top talent from overseas
Package aims to entice high-flyers back home.
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It is perfectly normal to lure top talents with high salary, no matching salary for their fellow colleagues. Since this practice has not been an outstanding issue in western world, I don't see why it might become an important issue among domestic Chinese researchers, particular when they are trying to align their system with the western styles.
It is important to define what a "top" scientist is. Is s/he a person having highest number of publications in "top" journals or is s/he a person having made the greatest discoveries? Is s/he a person swift in following trends and thus more "productive" or is s/he a person intelligent in breaking ground and thus is more likely suppressed? What kind a P/E (price over earning) value will this big salary-recruiting and huge grant-supporting effort will get at the end? Money can buy many things but not all the discoveries.
There are apparently different opinions about the annual salary of Mr. Shi Yigong. It would be more convincing if the author could provide the source of this "1.7-million-renminbi salary of Shi Yigong".
As far as I know the rumor of "1.7-million-renminbi salary of Shi Yigong" came from Fang Shi-min, who criticized Shi Yigong in his xys.org website. Dr. Rao Yi, also mentioned in this article, has confirmed in his blog that it's not true. He said Shi Yigong's salary is less than 1 million. Fang Shi-min then claimed that a professor in Tshing Hua University leaked this information in internet, but nobody saw it except him. It's funny that this kind of rumor finally be published in Nature.
Most of reports about China in Nature like to make news basing on rumor. This report is not the first one and will not be the last one.
I am very surprised to see a rumor like "the 1.7-million-renminbi salary of Shi Yigong" can be published in Nature, which is one of the most respected magazines in science. ----a faculty from Tsinghua University
If Yigong Shi can lead China's life science into a world-leader, then the 1.7 million salary is not really a big deal. However, does he really have such a potential? What kind of evidence indicating his big potential as even rumored as winning a Nobel Prize for China?
Most scientists recruited from overseas Chinese feel that they are very limited to be productive in China. Therefore, it is more important for China to figure out how to put those overseas-recruited scientists in positions where they can make decisions so that they can improve China?s science system, the organization, administration of funding, and management of research institutions so that they can create an environment and better manage our institutes for scientists to be productive. Now the problem is that a relative small number of them are appointed to those positions for decoration. We need the recruited to form a powerful force in order to push our reform forward.
Nature is causing serious damage to Yigong Shi and Tsinghua University by publishing erroneous information as fact. Nature should publicly apologize to Yigong Shi and Tsinghua, publish a correction, and accept all legal consequences.
It is true that most scientists recruited from overseas Chinese feel that they are very limited to be productive in China. But it is also true that China does not lack of talent guys, however the condtion in which a scientist can be brought into full play is poor, and most younger scientists can rarely get the research funds needed to fulfill his talent. If the scientific leaders think really more on such aspects and take some measures to overcome it, it is better for China to accelerate its S&R development.
This is absolutely a right and smart move -- though it comes a bit late, still better than never. Indeed, the only way to boost China?s lagging research in practically every field of endeavor is to lure the talented researchers from America and Europe to return home via handsome rewards. Providing the high-flyers with unduly huge salary may end up counter productive, drawing red eyes from the local counterparts. But to whip up their patriotism to work for a better and stronger China could well serve as a necessary (if not sufficient) incentive for long term commitments. A competitive China is essential in helping a brighter tomorrow for all. (Tan Boon Tee, btt1943@yahoo.com)
I totally support Shi Yigong's action against Nature.
Nature is very disappointing in spreading unconfirmed rumors, rather than providing insightful comments. Nature should file an official apology to Dr. Yigong Shi and make correction immediately.
It is wiser for the Chinese government to raise salaries and improve research enviornment of talent scientists based upon positions and contributions, but not upon a domestic or oversea origin. If most domestic talent scientists, who were recruited earlier, work and live in a satisfactory enviornment, the oversea talents would believe the long term commitment of the government more easily.
Comment on the "1.7-million-renminbi salary of Shi Yigong": This piece of information is under severe debate a few days ago on internet forums, as it is never substantiated by Dr Shi or authorities at Tsinghua University. The first person who "leaked" this information is Dr Shimin Fang, who claimed that he got this from a so-called insider, and yet nobody has stood out to corroborate it since. Therefore, we may refer to it as a simple and sheer rumor. Nature, as a well-respected journal, should apologize to Dr Shi and readers for publishing such unsubstantiated personal information. Spreading rumor in China is one thing; spreading rumor by Nature will bear more negative impact to the Chinese science community considering the influence of Nature itself. I sincerely hope that Nature realizes its mistake and publishes a retraction in the near future.
Nature has now corrected the error regarding Shi Yigong?s salary. Nature apologises for the mistake, and for any distress caused.
Nature should get a confirmation from Tsinghua Univ. before tht news about Shi's salary was published.
The report is right in raising awareness for supporting domestic talents in China. However, I'm deeply disturbed by the irresponsible quotation of a rumor circulating on the internet about Dr. Yigong Shi's salary at Tsinghua University as an evidence for domestic dissent. Dr. Yi Rao at Peking University confirmed that Yigong Shi?s salary at Tsinghua is mo more than 1 million RMB (~ 146,000 US$). As far as I know, Dr. Shi?s salary stands at 600,000-700,000 RMB (~ 88,000-102,000 US$). I wonder if the author had contacted Dr. Shi or Tsinghua University before publishing the report, which is a standard procedure in journalism. Nature, as a prestigious top scientific journal, should not mix science with fiction and tolerate defamation of any individual-even if unintended-by spreading unconfirmed rumors. The cavalier style of the author disappoints me.
This article still has mistake after correction. It says "Last year, rumours about the salary of Shi Yigong". Indeed, the rumor came out in January 10th when Fang Shi-min firstly claimed it, and this author catched the rumor really fast. Hmm..maybe she means last chinese year?
A few more questions for Shi and Yan: Where and how could Nature confirm the salary whereas it's been kept as top secret by Tsinghua altough it is a public funded university, and the salary was "always considered to be other's privacy"(by Yan on her blog)? What would be the "legal consequences" if Nature not making the correction? Do you really mean to sue Nature as suggested by Yan on her blog ("If I were Shi Yigong I would sue Nature")? How could it be defamatory considering the higher the salary, the higher the scientist's fame, and the stronger the China's desire to recruit oversea talents? Why don't you try to sue the Tsinghua professor who leaked the information on the New Thread (XYS) website: http://www.xys.org/xys/ebooks/others/science/dajia10/shiyigong124.txt BTW, it seems that on this issue Nature has less reliable source than XYS, "whose home page is a popular place to post rumours of scientific fraud." (Nature 440, 728-729 (6 April 2006) | doi:10.1038/440728a)...LOL.
Please provide evidence for "1.7-million-renminbi salary of Shi Yigong".
The "corrected" version says "rumours about the salary of Shi Yigong, whom the Beijing-based Tsinghua University recruited from Princeton University in New Jersey, caused an outcry among principal investigators in China." Could Nature name a few "principal investigators" who have "outcried" over this "salary" (how much exactly)?
I don't understand why people get so excited about Yigong's possible 1.7m/rmb salary. For one he might get paid more than that when he was in the u.s with his chair professor position. For two if he does a good job to promote world class science, why others shall care about how much he gets paid? As far as I am concerned, no money can measure the sacrifice his family has made due to his moving back to china. One needs some guts to do what Yigong Shi has done.
All Chinese Sciensts, Welcome back home! Our country needs you!Let's feel the great progresses of our country together!
Money is important for practical issues; but the determinant factor is whether we would be able to be MORE productive in China than we are in the United States. If not more productive, why talents move around and give up high salary and big house, ..., in the USA. "It takes a decade to grow a strong tree and a century to create a nourishing environment in which talents could flourish". A century is too long for returnees.