Graduate students march through the desert
In the vast Zhangye National Desert Sports Park, 225 doctoral and master's students move swiftly or run, competing with one another. They are not here to enjoy the scenery or go on an adventure tour, but to participate in a special sports competition – taking part in a uniquely designed talent selection exam...
Practical Ability Test: "Emergency Off-Road"
Recently, Zhangye City held a press conference on the introduction of urgently needed and scarce talents for 2012, confirming that the city plans to publicly recruit 80 urgently needed and scarce talents nationwide this year in key industries and projects such as ecological construction, modern agriculture, emerging industries, tourism and culture, and social management. Among them, there will be 24 full-time doctoral and master's students and 56 undergraduates from “985” and “211” project regular higher education institutions. The recruitment process for doctoral and master's students includes qualification review, practical ability testing, physical examination, and assessment.
The selection method may seem conventional, but upon closer inspection of the published practical ability test plan, reporters found that the test is divided into three segments: emergency rescue orienteering hiking test, leaderless group discussion test, and practical assessment. Notably, the first challenge for doctoral and master's applicants is not a knowledge test, but rather an emergency rescue orienteering hike in the Zhangye National Desert Sports Park and Zhangye National Wetland Park. This includes a 4-kilometer hike in the desert park and a 6-kilometer hike in the wetland park. Participants are ranked according to their finishing times within a set period, and one-third of the contestants will be eliminated.
By the registration deadline on June 10, a total of 602 people had applied, including 58 doctoral students and 544 master's students. After the initial qualification screening, 539 eligible doctoral and master's students remained, and 225 ultimately showed up for the test.
225 Postgraduates Compete in the Desert
On the morning of July 8, the Zhangye National Desert Sports Park was bustling with activity as 225 applicants vying for high-level talent positions in Zhangye prepared to engage in a contest of physical strength and willpower under the scorching desert sun.
At around 9:30 a.m., the starting gun fired, and the applicants began jogging swiftly through the vast desert under the blazing sun. Twenty-four minutes later, Wang Peixian from Huining, Gansu, was the first to reach the finish line, closely followed by Xu Yangbao from Liaoning. Despite just completing the 4-kilometer desert off-road course, they appeared relaxed. They told reporters that such physical tests not only allow one to appreciate Zhangye’s unique natural beauty but also offer a chance to free the mind and surpass oneself. During the 4-kilometer crossing, some particularly challenging sand dunes were set up to further test the participants’ endurance and stamina. At the finish line, several applicants crossed together, sharing that the test allowed them not only to push their own physical and mental limits but also to experience the power of teamwork and mutual support. One applicant from Shanxi mentioned that the difficulty of the race far exceeded expectations. Although he had mentally and physically prepared beforehand, traversing the desert under such intense sunlight truly tested one’s stamina. The route involved many undulating sand dunes that were extremely taxing, but participants encouraged each other and found the resolve to keep going even when on the verge of giving up.
Reporters learned that among the 225 participants, 94 were female and 131 were male. The competition was divided into men’s and women’s groups, with the fastest man completing the 4-kilometer desert off-road in just 24 minutes, and the fastest woman finishing in 27 minutes.
Innovative Selection Method with Far-Reaching Significance
According to reports, this method, similar to outward-bound training, is widely used by companies both in China and abroad to train employees, boost enthusiasm, inspire innovation, and enhance team cohesion. However, its use in selecting high-level talents for administrative and public institutions is the first of its kind in China.
Li Meixin, an applicant from Lanzhou, said that experiencing the untouched desert terrain firsthand would be a new and valuable life experience for her. Li added that adding a physical test component to the selection was an innovative move. This process can evaluate participants' overall quality – only those who develop morally, intellectually, physically, and aesthetically can be considered outstanding talents, and only then do they meet Zhangye’s talent recruitment standards.
It is also understood that Zhangye City, currently in a phase of economic transformation and leapfrog development, has seen significant improvements in infrastructure across sectors such as ecological construction, modern agriculture, beef cattle industry, emerging industries, and cultural tourism. Development is progressing rapidly, but the city faces a shortage of highly specialized, high-level professionals within its cadre ranks, which has become a critical bottleneck constraining progress. From the formulation to the announcement of this year’s talent recruitment plan, months of deliberation were undertaken to strictly adhere to the principle of “testing what is required for the job,” highlighting job-specific traits, emphasizing practical abilities, intensifying assessments of real-world working capacity, achieving optimal person-position matches, and selecting the best from the best.
A spokesperson from the Zhangye Municipal Talent Office explained, “Zhangye is located in the inland northwest with relatively harsh conditions. The high-level talents we introduce will take on leadership roles and work at the grassroots level for extended periods. Therefore, we are seeking individuals with high professional standards and capabilities who can work in challenging western regions, who are passionate, courageous in facing difficulties and challenges, willing to endure hardship, suited to grassroots work needs, and possess strong professional skills, good comprehensive qualities, and great potential for growth. The practical ability test emphasizes an assessment of candidates' overall capabilities. It specifically uses the emergency rescue orienteering hike to evaluate applicants' adaptability, willpower, ability to think independently, make correct judgments, act decisively, respond quickly under environmental pressure, as well as their confidence and determination to challenge themselves and overcome difficulties.” These words reveal the profound significance of this test as the first selection hurdle.