Shanghai's Changning district has been optimizing its talent development environment through a series of targeted measures to attract, cultivate, retain, and deploy talent. These efforts are further supported by several policy pilots and reform initiatives, positioning Changning at the forefront of Shanghai's talent development efforts.

The district's approach focuses on four key areas.

1. Housing support: Optimizing the talent cultivation ecosystem

The official Changning webpage on International Services Shanghai is the city's first district-level international service portal, providing online services in policy interpretation, daily life guidance, and event information. The website also features an online application system for overseas talent apartments, offering services such as apartment reservations and remote video tours.

The district continues to strengthen its multi-tiered housing system through rental subsidies, preferential purchasing, and dedicated allocations. Under the "Two Subsidies, Two Allocations" policy, more than 14,000 professionals from over 2,000 enterprises have received rental subsidies for outstanding talent. Seven designated apartment projects have provided over 7,800 housing units.

Additionally, the Talent Station initiative provides up to three months of free temporary accommodation for qualified high-level talent, with the first 100 units provided by Hongqiao Talent Apartments. To further support top-level talent, the district has launched a series of talent community projects, such as the Gubei International Talent Community, improving residential convenience and fostering a positive environment for living, work, and innovation.

Changning has also enhanced its comprehensive talent service capabilities. As one of the first pilot districts for Shanghai's high-level talent full-cycle service reform, the district has leveraged its cultural, sports, educational, and medical resources to offer services tailored to the diverse needs of talent. Its talent hub brand has expanded its service network to more than 30 service stations. From 2021 to October 2025, these stations provided offline services for more than 188,000 individuals.

2. Service facilitation: Enhancing overseas talent service efficiency

The Shanghai Hongqiao One-Stop Service Center for Overseas Talent has upgraded its service standards, providing convenience for expats in Shanghai.

Aine Kanzira, from Uganda, earned his master's degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2023 and now works at a new energy company. He visited the center on May 23, 2024, to apply for a health insurance card. Thanks to the center's dedicated overseas talent health insurance service channel, he completed the process directly and received his health insurance card and booklet on-site. The staff members also provided clear guidance on provident funds and tax-related matters.

As a demonstration site for Shanghai's overseas talent one-stop service system, the center has undergone a comprehensive upgrade.

The revitalized center now focuses on overseas talent affairs, daily life services, and community integration, integrating 69 service functions and streamlining seven major services into a single, one-stop process that minimizes paperwork and procedures.

The center also provided seven English guides covering topics such as exit and entry, investment and entrepreneurship, and city exploration, providing practical guidance for expats in the city. Its webpage features multilingual guides on the district's talent policies, daily life services, and an online system for applying for talent apartments. As of October 2025, the center has served more than 157,000 domestic and international professionals.

Notably, the center pioneered an "expats serving expats" model, the first of its kind in China, with foreign social workers offering 31 life services, including housing, healthcare, and education. The initiative helps expats integrate smoothly into the city.

Beyond that, the center supports innovation and entrepreneurship through a dedicated service mechanism that facilitates resource matchmaking, policy interpretation, company registration, and enterprise launch.

3. Policy improvement: Attracting outstanding talent

Changning has introduced a full-cycle policy framework consisting of 19 targeted measures that address key needs related to talent attraction and development.

By applying a tiered system of points-based residence, talent introduction, and overseas graduate settlement policies, the district has facilitated the local household registration of more than 30,000 individuals since 2021.

The district launched an overseas talent service partner initiative, leveraging 20 service stations operated by 10 partners to conduct various overseas recruitment activities. It also hosts signature events such as the "Stay in Shanghai" international students exchange conference, overseas outstanding institutions recruitment fairs, and talent matchmaking sessions.

To support youth talent development, Changning has expanded internship programs, research salons, workshops, and talent camps. It also launched the city's first district-level "Youth One-Stop Service Platform" on the "Suishenban" app, offering 24 online services that cover housing searches, networking opportunities, and policy inquiries.

4. Platform upgrades: Promoting innovation and entrepreneurship

The district will continue to build platforms that support innovation-driven growth. It hosts regional rounds of global innovation and entrepreneurship competition, expands outreach to attract high-quality domestic and overseas projects, and promotes post-competition follow-up services to facilitate project transformation and talent development.

Initiatives such as the "Science and Technology Stars" program, innovation forums, and camps provide diverse opportunities for showcasing and roadshows. In recent years, the district has worked to deepen university-enterprise cooperation and has selected more than 70 innovation teams and over 20 joint training projects since 2021.

Source: Official WeChat account of Shanghai Changning media center （ID: "shchangning")