Training program to boost China's presence on world stage

China will invest more in cultivating high-caliber talents to the United Nations and boost their numbers at international bodies over the next few years, a top human resources official said on Monday.

"Over the past years, the quantity and quality of Chinese staff working at the UN has indeed improved significantly. However, this number is still very small compared with China's financial contrition to the organization's annual budget," said Lu Yulin, deputy director of the international cooperation department at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

There are currently 1,095 Chinese staff working at the UN and other international organizations, according to Lu.

Most Chinese staff at international organizations hold low-level positions, he said. To boost their representation on the world stage, the United Nations Association of China and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security's international cooperation department have conducted training programs for international civil servants since 2011.

"We hope that such training programs can help train more interdisciplinary talents, who not only have strong language abilities but also have deep understanding of international affairs and rules," Lu said at the opening ceremony of the 4th China International Civil Servant Capacity Building Training Courses, which was held at Shanghai International Studies University.

Lu also said the country will continue to invest in the training of international civil servants from China.

In 2007, the university launched the country's first undergraduate program aimed at deploying more international civil servants to the UN and other global bodies. The training program attracted more than 100 participants, mostly are university students.

During the eight-day program, professors, diplomats and Chinese staff working at the UN are invited to give lectures. In addition to an introduction to the UN system, courses in the fields of international economics and social issues are also given to participants.

"In addition to possessing the ability to speak multiple languages, expertise in a series of areas, such as politics, economics, international relationships, social and cultural studies is also important for attaining a position at the UN and other international bodies," said Zha Mingjian, dean of School of English at Shanghai International Studies University.

"I think participating in the training courses will help me improve my global awareness and broaden my perspectives on international issues," Wang Jin, a student at the School of Asian and African Studies of Shanghai International Studies University, told China Daily.

The program will help improve China's capacity for participating in global affairs and broaden developing countries' influence on the international stage, said Liu Zhixian, vice-president and director-general of the United Nations Association of China.