Pragmatic Idealists

    Selection criteria for the "handpicked graduates" has a dual focus – good scholarship in the form of a bachelor degree or above, and good character as well. These volunteers are trained to work at the grassroots level as a competent reserve force for local Party and government departments at, and above, the county level.

    Heilongjiang native Ren Zhongquan, a postgraduate student in Tsinghua University's Aerospace School, has been selected as such for the grassroots level in Chongqing after his graduation. Evidence of his interest in Chong-qing manifested itself in his freshmen year, when he had disagreement with a Chongqing classmate about issues related to agriculture, farmers and rural development there. "His view of Chongqing's rural situation and mine were quite different, as mine was based on my understanding of my homeplace in northeastern China," he says of the argument. "My misconception may seem like a little thing, but it's stayed in my mind, and I've since developed a kind of emotional identification with it, I guess," Ren said.

    Last July, Ren participated in drafting the Blue Paper on Chongqing and worked on the section about population relocation during the process of urbanization. He made an investigative trip to Chongqing, paid out of his own pocket, to ensure firsthand knowledge of the city's situation in its Three Gorges Reservoir environment. His effort was rewarded by practical, in-depth knowledge of Chongqing's developmental conditions and options, and the personnel requirements. He was determined to work there.

    Ren is clear about his role in Chongqing as a "handpicked" graduate, "First, it means I will work at the grassroots. Second, since what I do is Party and government work, I need to make contact with the local people." Although the job is irrelevant to his academic specialty, Ren firmly believes that his rich experience in solving practical problems and cooperating publically with others will be useful in his future career.

    Many of his classmates were surprised at his choice, an attitude Ren takes in stride. "In a sense, selecting one thing means to abandon something else. To me it is just a personal choice." He knows that casting aside the chance at a well-paid job in a big city for the most commonplace grassroots position is not a decision that launches a distinguished career.

    Ren insists his choice is not noble behavior, but an opportunity to challenge himself. "I'm kind of an idealist, but my mission is not to do something that just sounds good. I like to work with and for ordinary people at the grassroots level," said Ren.

    This year there will be nearly 40 graduates from Tsinghua University working at Chongqing's primary level grassroots. As students, they had already set up an impromptu reading club to follow policy related to Chongqing, and they continue to attend public lectures on grassroots methodologies to enhance personal skills and team building. "As practical idealists, each of us makes every effort to do even minor things well," said Ren Zhongquan, who has learnt Chongqing dialect for better communication with local people.

Irresistible Forces May Be Short Term

    Lu Yongzheng, secretary of the Chinese Communist Youth League Central Committee, commented on the current employment situation during the 2009 Western Plan videoconference. Especially where graduates are concerned, the supply of employment appears to falling short of meeting demand, and at the same time, the big shortage of qualified personnel in West China and at the grassroots, cries out for talent.

    With a projected seven million graduates filling out job applications and pounding the streets this year, the State Council is gearing up for a strengthened implementation of the Western Plan and related programs calling on graduates to work in western China. There are perks that go with the job now. Plan participants are discharged from their term of service with privileges, such as preferential status for civil servant and public institution recruitment, and postgraduate enrollment. These are key factors enticing candidates to western posts in the short term. It is clear, however, the key to the long-term development of western China is how to entice volunteers to stay on in the west once their term of service expires.

    It is here that planners might well consider the motivations of Tian Xi-ping. After graduating from Southwest Normal University in 2006, he chose to work as a secretary at the administration office of Kangning Hospital in Aksu, Xinjiang. "At the time," he explained, "job vacancies were scant in developed areas, and it so happened that the Aksu Personnel Bureau came to my university for recruits. I thought the job they offered was suitable, so I signed an employment contract with them. The deal was win-win."

    However, Tian is native to Chong-qing, living and going to school within its confines, and like any restless youth he fell prey to wanderlust. The world outside his hometown beckoned, especially places like Xinjiang and Tibet. He daydreamed about the "boundless Gobi Desert and bare mountains, like the American West glorified in a U.S. blockbuster." Not until he worked there, did he realize that apart from a little social backwardness and the more acute economic inequity of his dream destinations, there wasn't much difference – not in urban development, nor in career opportunities. Homesick and estranged, Tian started thinking about other opportunities for personal development.

    It turned out Tian changed his mind in his third year. "Finding another job takes both energy and money. Besides that, I am accustomed to the local life now and have made many friends around here. So I have to say I love this land, and find it a good place to be. As for my career, the competition here isn't as fierce as East China, so I think its best for me to stay put."