With the aim of attracting more global talent and offering them one-stop support for life and career development, the Bund Service Center for International Professionals was launched on April 8 in Shanghai's Huangpu district.

Located on the first and seventh floors of No 100, South Zhongshan Road, the center is set to begin operations at the end of April. Targeting international talent, it offers 36 services covering customs clearance, business solutions, social services, employment, and entrepreneurship. In addition, it provides comprehensive lifestyle services in areas including medical care, education, financial and legal services, community engagement, foreign affairs, translation, and training.

Gao Yun, Party secretary of the district, pointed out that Huangpu, as the "heart, window and business card" of Shanghai, serves as a pivotal gateway for attracting talent from around the world.

"The inauguration of the center exemplifies Huangpu's vision to build a pioneering platform for talent retention. We aim to deliver one-stop, full-cycle services to international talent, to make them feel Huangpu's unwavering resolve to 'embrace talents from all corners of the world with open arms'. We aspire to turn Huangpu into the foremost hub and the first choice for global talent embarking on professional, entrepreneurial, educational and lifestyle journeys in Shanghai," he said.

Together with the launch of the center, the Bund Riverside International Talent Apartment was also unveiled at the ceremony. Located next to the center, a total of 215 apartments are on offer for global talent with international, intelligent and people-oriented services. Meanwhile, the district also rolled out a favorable policy on talent attraction incentives and a bilingual guidebook on life and career development during the event, aiming to better attract talent and help them get rooted in the city.

Elena Sidelnikova, a 40-year-old Uzbekistani teacher at Shanghai Hehuachi Kindergarten, is excited about the launch of the center. Having been in the city for 10 years, she shared that her experience living in Shanghai over the past 10 years has been increasingly comfortable, friendly, and safe.

"We need a place like this, which will help foreign talent to navigate the city and understand the culture better. This center aims for a holistic approach, which is a fantastic idea as it means that you don't have to go to different places (to work things out). For foreign talent living abroad, visa support and immigration would be a top issue. I would also love to have a place where I can go for legal advice, financial guidance as rules here are different. I'm very excited for the networking hub here as well, which will enhance cultural integration," said Sidelnikova.