The city of Suzhou has been known as the “Heaven on Earth” for centuries. Located and deeply rooted in this historical and cultural city and founded 123 years ago, Soochow University is a Key National “Project 211” university, and one of the first institutions selected for “Plan 2011” in China. It is listed into “Double First-Class” Initiative jointly built by the Ministry of Education and Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government. It is also a provincial key comprehensive university sponsored by the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense and Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government.

Soochow University currently has 13 categories of disciplines including Philosophy, Economics, Law, Education, Literature, History, Science, Engineering, Agronomy, Medicine, Management Science, Art, and Interdisciplines. The university consists of 36 schools and departments, with 47 first-level disciplines authorized to confer Master’s Degree, 31 first-level disciplines authorized to confer Doctoral Degree and 30 post-doctoral research stations. The university features 1 national first-class discipline, 4 state key disciplines, 22 advantageous disciplines in universities of Jiangsu Province and 6 Jiangsu provincial key disciplines during the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan. Eighteen disciplines are among the top 1% on the Thomson Reuters Essential Science Indicators (ESI) ranking, among which Chemistry, Materials Science, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Clinical Medicine have ascended to the top 1‰.

The university now has 1 National 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center (leading party), 1 State Key Laboratory jointly constructed by Jiangsu Province and the Ministry of Education, 1 National Engineering Laboratory, 2 National Local Joint Engineering Laboratories, 2 National International Joint Research Centers, 1 National Research Center of Clinical Medicine, 1 National ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ Joint Laboratory, 4 Provincial University Collaborative Innovation Centers, 24 Provincial and Ministerial Key Research Bases on Philosophies and Social Sciences, and 33 Provincial and Ministerial Key Laboratories. It also boasts more than 350 national level talents, including 1 Nobel Prize laureate, 10 Academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Academy of Engineering, and 12 Academicians of national academies in developed countries.

A new era brings new opportunities and calls for new advancements. Soochow University has always adhered to improving itself with talents, quality, and culture, and spared no effort in building it up as a world-renowned research-oriented university. We hereby sincerely invite international scholars to 2023 Soochow University’s Dongwu Forum for High-level Overseas Talents.

I. About the Forum

The 2023 Soochow University’s Dongwu Forum for High-level Overseas Talents aims to gather outstanding overseas talents from different academic backgrounds to promote inter-disciplinary collaboration, and joint exploration of research frontiers through academic symposium and in-depth discussion on the latest issues.

II. Timeline

The Forum consists of two parts: The university academic central forum and Schools’ specific academic sub-forums.

Date of application: Nov. 8th to Dec. 8th, 2023.

Date of sending invitations : Dec. 12th to 15th, 2023.

Date of registration : Dec. 25th, 2023.

Date of the forum: Dec. 26th to 27th, 2023.

III. Positions and Pays 

3.1 Distinguished Professor (Top-notch Talent)

A. Requirements

Associate professor, assistant professor or position of similar level in a prestigious overseas university or research institution, or people with globally acknowledged original research outputs in academic frontiers, having equal academic reputation with national young talents. The candidates should preferably be under the age of 45 (52 for Humanities and Social Sciences).

B. Position

Distinguished Professor (Top-notch Talent) and doctoral supervisor.

C. Pay and Benefits

1. Pay: Not less than RMB 570,000 annually (pre-tax, including basic annual salary and other benefits), performance related rewards without cap.

2. Relocation: RMB 1,500,000-2,000,000 (excluding subsidies provided by the national and local governments).

3. Research support funding: RMB 300,000 – 500,000 for scholars in Humanities and Social Sciences, RMB 600,000-800,000 for scholars in Non-experimental Sciences, RMB 1,500,000-3,000,000 for those in Experimental Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

*Candidates of National Sciences Fund for Excellent Young Scholar (Overseas)

A. Requirements

1. Candidates should be under the age of 40 (born on and after Jan. 1st, 1984).

2. Candidates should hold a doctoral degree, focusing on Natural Sciences, Engineering Technology, etc., with outstanding academic achievements.

3. Candidates should in general have a teaching or research position in an overseas university or research institution or R&D department of enterprises with 36 months of consecutive working period. For those who have an overseas doctoral degree and excellent achievements, the requirement for working period can be relaxed to a proper extent.

4. Candidates should have not yet worked full-time in China, or have worked in China after Jan. 1st, 2023.

B. Position

Distinguished Professor (Top-notch Talent) and doctoral supervisor.

C. Pay and Benefits

1. Pay: Not less than RMB 800,000 annually (pre-tax, including basic annual salary and other benefits), performance related rewards without cap (RMB 20,000-200,000 in general); tailor-made for those who are particularly excellent.

2. Relocation and personal subsidy: Not less than RMB 5,000,000 (including subsidies provided by the national and local governments).

3. Research support funding: Apart from the fund of RMB 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 by NSFC, the university will provide 1:1 matching budget with the amount supported by NSFC (RMB 3,000,000 literally for Experimental Sciences, Engineering and Medicine). Large-scale equipment and apparatus may be provided as needed.

4. Livelihood security: Resolving employment for family members and ensuring children’s access to quality education.

●Selected candidates of National Sciences Fund for Excellent Young Scholars (overseas) in the name of Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University will be provided by the College with additional supports, including an increase of RMB 500,000 in relocation and personal subsidy, and an increase of RMB 1,000,000 in research support funding.

●Selected candidates of National Sciences Fund for Excellent Young Scholars (overseas) in the name of the affiliated hospitals of Soochow University (the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Children’s Hospital of Soochow University, and Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University) will be provided by the hospital with not less than RMB 1,000,000 annually (pre-tax, including basic annual salary and other benefits), a relocation and personal subsidy of not less than RMB 6,000,000 (including subsidies provided by the national and local governments), and a research support funding of RMB 5,000,000.

3.2 Distinguished Professor (Elite Talent)

A. Requirements

Assistant professor or position of similar level in a prestigious overseas university or research institution, or people with influential original research outputs in academic frontiers, having a potential to become national young talents. The candidates should be preferably under the age of 38 (45 for Humanities and Social Sciences).

B. Position

Distinguished Professor (Elite Talent) and doctoral supervisor.

C. Pay and Benefits

1. Pay: Not less than RMB 450,000 annually (pre-tax, including basic annual salary and other benefits), performance related rewards without cap.

2. Relocation: RMB 800,000-1,500,000 (excluding subsidies provided by the national and local governments).

3. Research support funding: RMB 100,000-200,000 for scholars in Humanities and Social Sciences, RMB 400,000-600,000 for scholars in Non-experimental Sciences, RMB 800,000-1,800,000 for those in Experimental Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. 

IV. Other Benefits

4.1 Talents Programs and Subsidies

1. Priority recommendations for applying “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program”. Successful group applicants will be funded with RMB 3,000,000-8,000,000 by the provincial government within 3 years. Successful PhD applicants will be funded with RMB 150,000 by the provincial government within 2 years.

2. Priority recommendations for applying “Distinguished Professor of Jiangsu Province”. Successful candidates will be awarded RMB 120,000 / year (tax free) for three years in the employment term, and a research fund of RMB 1,000,000 (RMB 2,000,000 for excellent ones) for Natural Sciences and RMB 500,000 for Humanities and Social Sciences. For talents with assistant professor or higher position overseas, direct application can be submitted through “Recommendation Channel”.

3. Priority recommendations for applying various talent programs in Suzhou, i.e. “Leading Talents of Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Gusu District” (Leading Youth Talents). Successful candidates will be awarded RMB 500,000, 1,000,000, and 2,000,000, respectively, for scientific research projects. Applicants can enjoy “Easier Settling Project” at top-talent’s level if related conditions are met.

4.2 Subsidies

1. “Talent Attraction Subsidies of Suzhou”: Talents can enjoy the subsidy from Suzhou government according to their level. The amount is at most RMB 250,000 or 500,000 or 2,500,000, respectively.

2. “Easier Settling Project” of Suzhou: Selected talents can enjoy subsidies RMB 1,500-8,000/ month for renting supported by “Easier Settling Renting”, and up to 4 times the regular amount of loaning for purchasing houses for the first time and with no other restrictions supported by “Easier Settling Loaning”.

3. “Reward for Contribution of Outstanding Talent” of Suzhou: The amount of reward should not exceed the local financial contribution of the talents based on their annual income, or the total amount of the talents’ renting or purchasing automobiles, housing, office, training and founding companies. The total amount of reward per year should not exceed RMB 1,000,000 / person.

* For successful candidates of more than one above-mentioned program, the benefits are eligible for stack-up according to relevant regulations. 

4.3 Other Supports

1. To the above-mentioned talents that are recruited full-time, apart from the supportive policies above, the university will also provide permanent employment according to relevant policies. If the applicant is a foreigner, the relevant provisions of the province, city and school shall apply.

2. Distinguished professors or higher-level talents will be supported with spatial offices and labs, support for establishing research groups, priority for recruiting lecturers, post-doctoral researchers, and research staff. No limit in number of post-doctoral researchers recruited. Priority for recruiting post-graduate students, and talent apartment for temporary residence will be provided.

V. To Apply

Please register and submit the application form in the system of “Soochow University’s Dongwu Forum for High-level Overseas Talents”: http://rckf.rsc.suda.edu.cn (copy the link to the browser to open). 

VI. Transport and Accommodation

After receiving the invitation, please book transport tickets personally. The university will reimburse the round-trip ticket (economy class). The reimbursement allowance: Europe and North America RMB 18,000 / person, Asia RMB 10,000 / person, China (including Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan) RMB 6,000 / person. The meals and accommodation will be arranged by the university.

VII. Contacts

Scholars Recruitment Office, Personnel Department, Soochow University

Contacts: Tingkai Yan, Hao Yang

Tel: +86-512-67503248

Email: rczp@suda.edu.cn

 Contacts of related schools, colleges, and institutes

Soochow University opens the positions of distinguished professors and university level excellent young scholars globally. Details can be found on the website of talent recruiting of Soochow University (https://rczp.suda.edu.cn/recruit/recruitNew/). Soochow University sincerely welcomes talents from home and abroad to join us!