杭州觀察（附錄二）
馮儁熙
二零零三年十一月二十三日
招聘會的啟迪
前言
這篇文章的內容主要為兩部份：前半部份記述了我去浙大招聘會的有趣經歷；後半部份是我去了這次招騁會後，所產生的一些感想和議論。其中有關星加坡的論述，由於當年依賴的是二手資料，還未真正的去星加坡考察，所以如今重讀，未免覺得有點膚淺。（我在最近（零六年一月）去了星加坡一趟，在衛生部作了presentation，亦參觀了星加坡國立大學和Biopolis一隅，對當地的生物醫學，特別是公共衛生和流行病學的發展，比三年前有了更進一步的了解。）不過，這總算是當年的思考片段，即或不成熟，也有它的歷史意義，因此除了少量格式上的修訂外，原文照登如下。
二零零六年三月三十一日（四月五日修訂）
今天浙大舉行了一個大型招聘會(Job Fair)，我也來了個趁熱鬧的份兒，排隊參加去。
先說說排隊這事情。很難得見到有二三百個人排隊購票，因為在這裡，排隊意識很薄弱。但遺憾的是，在我排了四十五分鐘隊後，來到隊頭，卻見到有人插隊，我真想破口大駡。還有，在隊頭，有人問我可不可以幫他買票。這些變相插隊的做法真可惡，我就拒絕他。他還是繼續問我，提高價錢行不行。你們都知道我的性格──我就是不理他。他最後問我：「同學，幫幫忙有什麼難委了你呢？為什麼不肯幫我買票呢？」那時候，我真的想教訓他，問他明不明白什麼是公平原則？但我還是把怒氣收斂下來，只叫他找另一個同學幫忙好了。
「醉翁之意不在酒」，我此行的目的不是為了找工作，而是想了解一下大陸現時的就業市場的情況，特別是我的本行──生物醫藥(biomedicine)方面。這個招聘會總共有五個場館，由於我愚蠢地只買了一張票（但原來是每個館要一張票），我就選擇了一個有比較多和我本科有關的機構的場館去了。
我有幾個有趣的發現。首先，他們的履歷表都是很大份的。他們把各種各樣的證書獎狀的複印本都放進去，釘裝成一份報告似的。履歷表寫得比較長，通通都有照片，有些人連英文版也放進去。相比之下，我的履歷表就很短，只有兩頁（因為在劍橋時，我們所受的教導是履歷表永不可超過兩頁），而且全用英文。坦白說，我在今天之前，從沒有想過用中文寫履歷表。
第二，有很多其他地方的同學來我校的招聘會。近的有南京，遠的有吉林！何以得知？因為很多同學的履歷表都有自己大學的校徽印在封面上，看來好像都是按同樣格式填寫的。
第三，原來在大陸，醫院要在招聘會上招聘醫生護士。他們會列出那些專科需要幾多名醫生，要什麼學歷，如西醫碩士，中西醫結合碩士等。我發覺很多醫生職位都要求碩士學歷。我記得曾有一個浙大的醫生對我說，現在杭州的醫院都不再招請本科畢業的醫生，通通都要碩士生。本科畢業的要到較落後的縣市找工作去了。
既然花了兩塊錢入場，當然要「玩夠本」才行。由於出門時只隨身帶了兩分履歷表，所以只能找兩間公司接觸一下（好像去遊樂場玩機動遊戲，但又帶不夠錢，只能玩兩次碰碰車一般）。
第一間是一間生物科技公司。當我告訴那位小姐，我是香港人的時候，她第一個問題就是：「你對大陸有什麼情結？為什麼想來大陸找工作？」之後我把握機會問了很多問題，其中我最關心的是工資，我想知道在大陸，一個本科畢業生在生物醫學這一行大約可以賺多少。她告訴我，在他們公司，本科畢業生的起薪點是月薪人民幣１６００元，碩士畢業生２０００至２５００元，博士畢業生３０００元左右。六個月試用期過後，公司會提供住宿和醫療保險。這間公司規模的比較小，所以工資也相對地低。（參考：一張來回香港－杭州的機票也要２３００至２８００元啦！對於香港人來說，這樣的工資是很低的，不過對大陸的朋友來說，由此物價也低得多，所以是可接受的。）
當她問我懂得哪些科研技術時，我就請她看我的工作經驗那一欄。當她見到我曾在德國慕尼黑大學作過研究時，她臉上有點驚訝的樣子。在我臨走前，她對我說：「你看來年紀輕輕，但經歷也不少啊！」所以，把握機會，盡量爭取各種工作經驗，甚至在不同國家工作，對我們的事業前途的確是有幫助的。
第二間是一間本地的藥廠。那位女士說他們公司主要是將外國公司的藥物抄過來，再改良一下，出產他們自己的藥物，即generic drugs也。她說在華設廠的外資公司就會用本科畢業生來做研發(R&D)，但他們卻會用博士和碩士畢業生，因為外資能把比較優秀的同學都吸引過去。在他們公司，本科畢業生主要是做品質監控。這間公司比較有規模，已有幾間工廠，所以工資就比第一間高一些，本科畢業生年薪人民幣三萬至五萬，碩士五萬至八萬，博士十萬至十五萬。她勸我將來也去讀個MBA，說如果要在製藥方面發展，就應該從研發與生產，到銷售和管理都要有所認識云云。最後，她請我回家電郵一份中文履歷表給她。唉，我這個「番書仔」又多一份功課要做了。
這場招聘會對我的最大啟發是：我們香港人要加倍努力，不然，恐怕我們在高科技層面上，例如在我的本行──生物醫藥上，很快會被星加坡與長江三角洲追過。試問董建華幾年前所說的什麼中藥港，現在在哪裡？人家星加坡政府，說了就真的去做，投資五億星加坡幣建了個Biopolis。[1] (Box 1) 世界十大藥廠有六間在星加坡有投資，如鼎鼎大名的葛蘭素史克(GlaxoSmithKline), 默沙東(Merck
& Co.), 和Pfizer在那兒設廠，瑞士制藥業巨人諾華製藥(Novartis) 投資1.22億美元在那兒設立Novartis
Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD)。[2] 而我們香港呢？相形見拙，可能是我見識淺薄吧，我未聽過有世界級的大藥廠或生物科技公司在我們那兒設廠。眼見星加坡在幾年內把我們拋離，我真的感到很痛心。無論在人口和地方面積上，我們香港都超越星加坡。香港有個大靠山，經濟不景，可以請北京幫忙。人家島國一個，任何事情都要完全靠自己。我們的人均教育水平與經濟基礎亦與人家不相伯仲。再者，星港兩地都同受９７年的金融風暴打擊。為什麼星加坡現在可以有目標有方向的去發展高科技經濟，而香港則仍在迷霧裡打轉？ (Box 2)
而更令我擔心的，其實是長三角。試想想，如果你是一間國際藥廠的負責人，你想在東亞洲建一個研發及生產基地，你會建在哪裡？長三角有浙大、復旦和南京三大名校（分別是大陸高校排名第三至五名，僅次於清華和北大），年年輸出大量精英加入勞動市場。他們在科學知識和專業技能上不亞於我們香港人。他們的英語水平不一定比我們差，但普通話就肯定比我們好。再者，他們的工資明顯比香港人要低得多，在大陸設廠，其他成本也相對地低，為何要在香港設廠呢？而現實就是，確實有國際藥廠在大陸設廠，如阿斯利康(AstraZeneca)就在江蘇無錫建其生產線，在上海設立其東亞區臨床研究中心。他們就是希望打進大陸這個市場，分這塊肥豬肉。（十三億人口的醫藥需求是一個很大的市場。）
當然，我也應該公道些，香港也不是什麼都沒有。除了各大學的科研外，還有香港科技園。香港政府成立的the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
(HKSTP)的四個發展的focused clusters之一，就是生物科技。他們也努力招商：我記得暑假在香港時，看到報紙訪問他們的總裁，細談如何外國生科公司在香港設廠生產或成立研發基地。
基於自己的所見所聞，我愈來愈有危機意識。只願我們香港人繼續努力，不要被星加坡和長三角打敗就好了。
（當然啦，我的星加坡朋友們，你們也要努力啊！我們要向你們國家學習。）
Go to the Box 2. 獅城有許多地方值得香港借鏡
Observations in Hangzhou (A2)
Job Fair: Some inspirations
Introduction
31st March, 2006. Revised on 5th April, 2006
This
essay is in two sections: the first half describing my interesting experiences in
a job fair in Zhejiang
University while the second half elaborating on my thoughts after this job fair.
In the essay, you will come across some of my comments upon Singapore, which
was based on second-hand information at that time as I had not yet visited
Singapore properly then and is now rendered superficial by my own standard. (I visited
Singapore recently in January 2006, and gave a presentation in the Ministry of
Health. I had also been to the National University of Singapore and the Biopolis. Henceforth I have a better understanding of the
development of biomedical sciences, esp. the field of public health and
epidemiology over there now, compared to three years ago.) However, even though
it is an immature piece of work, its historical importance matters as to give
you a glimpse of my thoughts at the time of writing. Thus with only a minimal
format editing, it is published below as the original.
Isaac Chun Hai Fung
23rd November,
2003
Today there was a large job fair in Zhejiang University. With some
excitement, I joined the queue to go there.
First of all, let’s talk about queuing up. It was very rare to see two
or three hundred people lining up for tickets because the sense of queuing-up
is very weak here. But to my disappointment, when I was at the head of the queue
after queuing up for 45 minutes, I saw someone jump the queue. I really wanted
to scold him. Moreover, someone asked me whether could I buy tickets for him. I
really abhorred such a practice which is just a variation of jumping a queue,
so I rejected him. But he continued to ask me, saying that he was happy to
raise the price. You all know my personality—I kept on ignoring him. In the
end, he asked me, “Hey mate, what’s wrong with it? Why are you unwilling to
help me buying tickets?” At that time, I really wanted to scold him, and ask
him whether does he understand what is fairness. But in the end I calmed myself
down and just asked him to ask any person to “help” him.
“The Old Tippler’s delight
resides not in wine.”[3]
My purpose of going to the job fair was not to look for jobs, but to understand
the current job market in mainland China, esp. in my own
profession—biomedicine. The job fair was held in five different sites. As I was
stupid enough to have only one ticket bought (it was actually a ticket per
site), I chose a venue where there were more institutions to do with my
profession.
I have several interesting discoveries. First of all, their CVs were all
very thick. They put photocopies of all their different certificates and prizes
into it, pretty much like a report. Their CVs are relatively lengthy, usually
with a photo. Some people even put an English version in it as well. To the
contrary, my CV is pretty short—in only two pages (as we were taught in Cambridge that CV should
never goes beyond two pages), and is all written in English. To be frank, I
have never thought of writing my CV in Chinese before today.
Secondly, there were students from many other places to come to the job
fair of my university, say Nanjing which is quite close
and even as far as Jilin! How did I
know? It was because a lot of students have the coat of arms of their
universities printed on the cover of their CVs. It seems that they were all
written in the same format.
Thirdly, it was found that in mainland China, hospitals need
to advertise their job vacancies in a job fair. They would have a list stating
that how many medical doctors were required in what specialties, with what kind
of academic qualification, say a Master in Medicine and Surgery (Western Medicine),
or a Master in combined Chinese and Western Medicine, etc. I found that many
job vacancies for medical doctors demand a qualification of a Master degree. I
remembered that I medical doctor in Zhejiang
University told me that nowadays hospitals in Hangzhou no longer employ medic
graduates with a Bachelor degree. They all looked for those with a Masters
degree. The former needed to find a job in the less developed towns and
counties.
As I had paid two yuans to get in, I
definitely would like to “enjoy myself to the fullest”. When I left my room, I
had only brought with me two copies of my CV, so I could only put myself in
touch with two companies. (Just like you go to a fun fair, but you do not bring
enough money with you, so you can only try two rounds of bumper car.)
The first one is a biotech company. When I told the lady that I was a Hong Kong person, her
first question was, “What particular complex do you have with mainland China? How come do
you look for a job in mainland China?” I took the opportunity
to ask a lot of questions. Salary was my prime concern. I wanted to know how
much could a graduate in biomedicine earn in mainland China. She told me
that in their company, the starting salary for a graduate was Renminbi 1600 yuans (~120 pounds)
per month, 2000 to 2500 yuans for a Master graduate
and around 3000 yuans for a doctorate degree holder.
After a six-month probation, the company would provide accommodation and
medical insurance. The size of the company was quite small and so the salaries
they offered were relatively low. (For your reference, a return air ticket
between Hong Kong and Hangzhou costs 2300 to
2800 yuans. Such salaries are very low by the
standard of Hong Kong people, but as living
costs are lower in mainland China, it is acceptable
there.)
When she asked me what research techniques did I know, I referred to the
section of working experience in my CV. When she found that I have done a
research internship in University of Munich, Germany, she was
amazed. At the end of our conversation, she said, “Though you seem quite young,
you have quite a lot of experiences!” So, it is always helpful to our career if
we take opportunities to gain more working experiences, even in different
countries.
The second one is a local pharmaceutical company. The lady there said
that their company mainly relied on generic drugs—drugs improved and based on
the original decision by some foreign companies. She said that those foreign
companies which made investments in mainland China would employ
graduates to do research and development, but they would use graduates with a
Master or Doctor degree instead, as those foreign companies always attracted
the best student. In their company, graduates were responsible for quality
control. This company is relatively well established with several factories, so
the salaries they offered were higher than the first one: graduate, RMB 30k-50k
yuans per annum,
Master graduates, 50k-80k, and doctorate, 100k-150k. She suggested me to pursue
an MBA in the future, saying that if one has to develop a career in the
pharmaceutical industry, one should have an understanding from R&D to sales
and management, etc. Lastly, she asked me to send her a CV written in Chinese. Ooop, another assignment for me, who had my education in English
since primary school….
The greatest inspiration of this job fair to me is that we Hong Kong people have to
work even harder. Otherwise, I am afraid that in the level of advanced
technology, e.g. my own profession—biomedicine, we will soon be surpassed by Singapore and the Yangtze
River Delta. Where is now the Chinese medicine Harbour promised by Mr.
TUNG Chee-Hwa several years ago? The Singaporean
government really did what they had promised and invested 500 millions
Singaporean Dollars to build the Biopolis.[4]
(Box 1) Six of the ten largest pharmaceutical companies
had investments in Singapore. The famous
GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., and Pfizer had production lines there. The
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis invested 122
millions US Dollars to establish the Novartis
Institute for Tropical Diseases there.[5]
What about Hong Kong? By comparison, we seem to
be inferior. Perhaps it is to do with my ignorance, I have not yet heard of any
large pharmaceutical or biotech companies setting up factories in our place.
Witnessing the fact that Singapore has surpassed Hong Kong in several
years, I am really saddened. Whether in population or area of land mass, our Hong Kong surpasses that
of Singapore. Hong Kong had a big
brother, Beijing, who can help
us when we are facing economic recession. To the contrast, the island of Singapore is a state of
its own. For everything she has to rely on her own. The average education level
and economic foundation of both cities are similar. Furthermore, both places
suffered from the Financial Crisis in 1997. So why is Singapore able to develop
its high-tech economy with a clear aim and objective, and Hong Kong is still
wondering around in a mist of uncertainty? (Box 2)
But it is the Yangtze River Delta that worries me more. Let’s imagine.
If you are the person-in-charge of an international pharmaceutical company and
you want to establish an R&D and production base in East Asia. Where will you
set it up? In the Yangtze River Delta, there are the three famous academic
institutions—Zhejiang University, Fudan University and Nanjing University (Top no.3 to
no.5 in mainland China, second to Tsinghua and Peking Universities in Beijing.). Every year
they provided a large quantity of outstanding graduates, the crème de la crème
of the state, into the labour market. Their scientific knowledge and professional
skills are not inferior to us, Hong Kong people. Their
proficiency of English may not be lower than ours, but it is certain that they
speak Mandarin Chinese better than us. Moreover, it is obvious that their
salaries are greatly lower than ours in Hong Kong. As the cost is
relatively low to establish a factory in mainland China, why do you
want to set it up in Hong Kong? The reality is, indeed
there are international pharmaceutical companies set up factories in mainland China, say AstraZeneca has established their
production lines in the city of Wuxi in Jiang-su province and their Clinical Research Centre (East
Asian Region) in Shanghai. Their aim is
to establish themselves in such a huge market of medical needs of 1.3 billion
people.
Of course, to be fair, there is also some development in Hong Kong. Besides the
scientific research in the universities, there is also the Hong Kong Science Park. The Hong Kong
Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has four focused clusters of
development, of which one is biotechnology. They also work very hard to attract
investments. I remember that when I was in Hong Kong this summer, I
had read an article in a newspaper. It was an interview with the General
Director of HKSTP, in which he talked about how to invite foreign biotech
companies to set up production or R&D bases in Hong Kong.
It was my own experience that gives me an increasing sense of crisis.
May we Hong Kong people continue to try our very best and hopefully
not be beaten by Singapore and the Yangtze
River Delta.
(Of course, my dear Singapore friends, add
oil too! We are going to learn from your country.)
修訂及英譯本完成於二零零三年十一月二十八日
Revision
and English translation were finished on 28th
November, 2003.
文字方塊加入於二零零三年十二月三日
Text
boxes added on 3rd December, 2003.
第二次修訂於二零零六年三月九日
Second
revision was completed on 9th March, 2006.