In a symbolic gesture of attracting talent, Jinan celebrated its first "Haiyou Talent Day" on June 12, marking the start of the month-long second "Haiyou Talent Festival." This festival gathered high-caliber talent from both domestic and international backgrounds, including ten foreign experts from Shandong University, Shandong University of Science and Technology, and Shandong Jianzhu University, who attended the opening ceremony and the "Connecting China and the World" event in Tianqiao District.

Supported by the strategic initiative to strengthen the provincial capital through talent, Jinan has emerged as a "megacity of talent." Alumni are considered a new driving force for both universities and their host cities, and alum economics has become a new impetus for urban growth in recent years. Jinan, known for its concentration of prestigious universities, has naturally become a gathering place for high-quality global alums. The local government has proactively implemented a series of forward-thinking and innovative "foreign-friendly" policies, providing extensive development opportunities and a superior living environment for foreign talent. Additionally, Jinan has developed high-quality "quasi-overseas" projects tailored to the needs of foreign talent, enhancing the city's international appeal in aspects such as work, living, education, healthcare, leisure, and integration, creating a warm, comfortable, and convenient home for them.

Matthew Eddy, a foreign teacher from Shandong University of Science and Technology, expressed his excitement about being recognized as a "Haiyou Talent." He is committed to sharing Jinan's positive stories and acting as an "overseas communicator," urging scholars from the Global Union of Ph.D. Experts to visit Jinan and contribute to its social and economic development, industrial upgrading, and international cooperation.

A robust platform for innovation and entrepreneurship serves as a "phoenix tree" that attracts talent. Jinan has established several platforms for attracting overseas talent, including the National Offshore Innovation and Entrepreneurship Base, the Overseas Chinese Dream Garden, and the Returned Overseas Town. These have become magnets for foreign professionals seeking to study, invest, and build careers in Jinan.

Xie Yuchen, a Russian postgraduate student at Shandong University, shared that he has been in China for 11 years and finds Jinan to be a “just right” city and highly friendly to foreigners. Through the Haiyou Talent Festival, he witnessed Jinan's strong appeal to talent and hopes to work in Jinan in the future, contributing to China-Russia relations.

Today, Jinan is becoming a city of opportunity, hope, and a future for global talent, earning the confidence to establish "Haiyou Talent Day" and host the "Haiyou Talent Festival." As Jinan aspires to be an open gateway to the Yellow River basin, connecting Asia-Pacific and Eurasia, it continues to attract more international friends, making it easier to communicate with the world. This journey not only provides opportunities for dreamers but also stages for those who love life, aligning talent and city aspirations, and expanding Jinan's global "circle of friends." This becomes Jinan's unique "open code" and "talent code."

(Li Xiaotong; Yuan Yuhua; Gong Lili; Hua Shan; Hou Yawen; Liu Xiaohan; Lou Xinyu; Hui Sheng; Liang Ruixin; Dou Zhuoran; Kuang Qiongqiong; )