Raising the Chinese Voice

THIS year marks the 40th anniversary of Chinajoining the International Atomic Energy Agency（IAEA）. To mark the milestone， China will open12 nuclear research platforms to other countriesto conduct experiments or engage in joint research. TheChina National Nuclear Corporation （CNNC） EnvironmentalProtection Co.， Ltd. （CEPC） plays a key role in organizinginternational projects on nuclear energy. Yu Jie，in charge of international cooperation at the CEPC， talksabout how her organization is nurturing experts with interdisciplinaryskills.

“When a company first engages in any internationalcooperation project， its efforts usually focus on technologicalexchanges. But as it moves into the next phase， ithas to deal with international business operations， whichcover all aspects of international commerce. When weexpand overseas， we need team members with expertisein many areas， including knowing the local language，conditions， and legal and financial systems，” she says.

Therefore， besides technological skills， capabilities infinance， business， law， and language are also necessaryfor the overseas team. Currently， the CEPC has a group oftalents who have international educational backgroundsand work experience. They were first trained in skillsrequired for specialized projects in China， and then sentto work in branch offices in other countries. “This combinationof understanding the culture and having workexperience at home and abroad enables our employees todelve into international market development with highefficiency.”

She herself is a prime example of this strategy. Soonafter she started her career， she realized that the natureof her work required not only technological expertise butalso a deep understanding of international relations. As aresult， in addition to degrees in chemical engineering， shehas become a Ph.D. student in international relations.

As it usually takes a long time to achieve results ininternational cooperation， it is important for the teamto have passion for their work and maintain it. Yu said，“Those who maintain their passion after the first overseasassignments continue to grow with some having becomeleaders.”

Through organizing and participating in internationalforums， Yu has witnessed how the advancement of China'stechnological capacity has drawn more international attentionto Chinese companies and helpedthem quickly win global recognition.

Every year， three or four CEPC expertswork in prominent internationalorganizations and specialized committees，including the IAEA and specializednuclear energy agencies under theUnited Nations. “There are few membersfrom developing countries in internationalnuclear organizations. As oneof the few developing countries presentthere， it is a valuable opportunity forChina to have a voice in these institutions，”Yu said.

As part of the events celebratingthe 40th anniversary of China joiningthe IAEA， the CEPC will open its atmosphericand water environment and radio-ecologicalsimulation research platform to other countries for jointresearch. “We look forward to promoting technologicalinnovation together with international partners，” shesaid.

By September 2024， the CEPC had organized or participatedin over 50 high-level international exchangeactivities. Based on its specialty， it hosted seminars andsponsored training courses for overseas programs. “Atthese events， our international partnerssaw China’s steady progress innuclear technology，” she said.

In 2024， Yu submitted a report onthe operational challenges faced bythe overseas branches of Chineseenterprises to the National Committeeof the Chinese People’s PoliticalConsultative Conference （CPPCC），China’s top advisory body. She alsosubmitted a report on acceleratingmutual recognition of internationalprofessional qualifications to theBeijing Municipal Committee of theCPPCC.

She believes that an efficient systemfor smooth mutual recognition of qualifications willfacilitate talent exchange. “Today， a number of youngprofessionals who have studied or worked overseas wantto work in China. For them， the professional qualificationsthey obtained abroad are a key factor in determiningtheir suitability for a professional post when theycome to China to work. This means that mutual recognitionof qualifications in critical professions is particularlyimportant，” Yu said.