I studied in the UK, then returned to help community

I am from a poor and isolated village in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. I am one of those people whose lives are transformed because of education.

I returned to Ningxia after graduating from Lanzhou University in Gansu province with a master's degree in physics, and joined the corporation because I know how important talent is to Ningxia, which is an inland region. Also, my emotional tie with Ningxia is very strong.

In 2005, I was offered a scholarship to do my doctoral research on special materials at Loughborough University in the UK. After spending four years in that country, I've learned to think more from the perspective of others, which can actually help me be a good National People's Congress deputy.

NPC deputies are from all walks of life. During the annual two sessions, everyone's voice counts and is equally important, no matter if you are a villager or a Party chief.

People often ask me why I will return to Ningxia after receiving my doctoral degree, because I can get a much better salary and benefits elsewhere easily. My answer is always that there is a tree in Ningxia for me to nest upon.

The "tree" I refer to is China's only beryllium material research institute. Beryllium is crucial for China's aerospace, defense and nuclear industries. I have all the equipment and team members I need there to conduct research.

Ningxia needs more "trees" like that to attract more highly skilled professionals. It should encourage those from the region to return after they receive higher education elsewhere.

But they will not come to Ningxia or stay permanently if the region cannot offer them better research facilities, equipment and benefits than more advanced areas. I think it is a common problem in all western regions in China.

When he visited the region in 2016, President Xi Jinping said less-developed areas need to focus more on innovation-driven development. I am glad to see that Ningxia has invested heavily to build research and innovation facilities since last year.

As someone who grew up in poverty, I deeply understand the importance of poverty alleviation, which is a major task for Ningxia. Poverty often makes people feel hopeless and helpless.

When I went back to my village last year, I was shocked by what I saw. The villagers have all moved into new houses from the old adobe ones. Also, a new village road was built making the transportation of local agricultural products so much easier.

I am so glad to see that the results of poverty alleviation work have begun to show and people have seen obvious changes in their lives.

Q&A

How did you feel when you were elected to the NPC?

Being a deputy is a constant learning process. I want to learn more from other deputies so I can see the bigger picture and generate better ideas.

What suggestions have you made?

My focus is to help Ningxia attract more highly skilled professionals and, more important, keep them.

How will you undertake your role in the next five years?

I want to see all preferential policies to attract skilled professionals to the region are in place and working. I hope Ningxia will become a popular destination for them to start their careers.

Wang Dongxin spoke with Cui Jia.