Since my last opinion article on Dao Insights, Pioneering sustainability – Shenzhen is more than China’s Silicon Valley, I have received many inquiries about Shenzhen. At the same time, I got invited for a podcast interview to talk about my recently published scholarly journal article on talent migration in the case of Shenzhen. Surprisingly, the host started with a question about Silicon Valley instead of Shenzhen: In your understanding, what else can be learned from Silicon Valley?
Amazed at the worldwide business enthusiasm for expansion in Shenzhen in the midst of a global pandemic and how Silicon Valley is still being idolized by many Chinese in the face of geopolitical uncertainties between China and the United States, I pondered: In spite of social, institutional, and political differences between Shenzhen and Silicon Valley, the two global technology centres share more than one similarity: migrants and talents.
Shenzhen VS Silicon Valley = migrants VS immigrants
“Someone leaving their hometowns for Shenzhen is essentially similar to someone immigrating to Silicon Valley from their home countries. Being a migrant, despite the format, represents a kind of risk-taking, entrepreneurial spirit, and the internal desire for adventures and changes.” Grace shared this with her host during their podcast interview
Silicon Valley’s transnational entrepreneurs and successful immigrant founders of technology companies have been frequently appearing in popular media and are documented in academic books. Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Studies reported in 2019 that, among residents in technical professions with a bachelor’s degree or higher in Santa Clara & San Mateo counties, 6.9% of them are from Europe, 15% of them are from China, 23% are from India while local California residents account for 18% (see Figure 1).
Read More at https://daoinsights.com/opinions/shenzhen-vs-silicon-valley-from-female-empowerment-to-peacock-talents/
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