Shanghai, July 28 (Xinhua) — Recently, Shanghai issued the "Measures for the Evaluation of Professional Titles in Digital Technology under the Shanghai Engineering Series," specifying talent evaluation standards for 14 professional directions in digital technology.

　　The measures encompass all 14 specialties in the digital technology category of the "Occupational Classification Code of the People's Republic of China" and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security's special program for cultivating digital technology engineers (integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, industrial internet, virtual reality, digital management, smart manufacturing, big data, blockchain, robotics, additive manufacturing, data security, and cryptography engineering), establishing a professional title evaluation system that conforms to the occupational characteristics of digital technology and the career development needs of talent, and forming a concerted effort to attract and cultivate digital technology talent.

　　The measures implement the requirement to "break the four sole criteria and establish new standards." The evaluation standards adopt a representative works system; in light of the professional characteristics of digital technology, traditional evaluation factors such as papers and projects are downplayed, with emphasis placed on assessing practical ability. Granting of invention patents, formulation of technical standards, participation in new technologies, new products, and new applications, promotion of the transfer and transformation of achievements, and the design and development of digital platforms are treated as important evaluation factors, with emphasis on technological innovation and actual contributions in the field of digital technology, and with focus on examining and cultivating the practical and application abilities of digital technology talent.

　　The measures explore the implementation of a "recommendation system" to select talent without rigid constraints. The measures specify that a recommendation mechanism shall be established for professional and technical personnel who have achieved major breakthroughs in basic research and key core technologies in the field of digital technology, solved major engineering technical problems in the field of digital technology, filled gaps in frontier technologies, and made major contributions to promoting the development of the city's digital technology industry. Recommended by one academician or two experts with senior professional titles who enjoy special government allowances, such personnel may bypass requirements concerning academic qualifications and tenure and apply directly for senior professional titles. The experts' recommendation opinions shall serve as an important basis for professional title evaluation.

　　The measures link up with the digital technology engineer cultivation program and the Young and Middle-aged Engineers Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, exploring a new mechanism that combines cultivation with evaluation and substitutes competition for evaluation. For applicants who have obtained national digital technology engineer cultivation and assessment certificates, cultivation hours shall be counted toward continuing education hours, and participation in and passing of the digital technology engineer cultivation program shall be regarded as one of the important evaluation criteria; the practice of substituting competition for evaluation shall be explored, whereby for team members who reach the finals of the Young and Middle-aged Engineers Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, experts from the Shanghai Engineering Series Digital Technology Professional Title Evaluation Committee shall be organized to review the competitors' performance, level, and ability during the competition, and to determine the corresponding tier of professional titles.