“To do a good job in China’s affairs, the key lies in the Party, the key lies in people, and the key lies in talent.” As the whole country is currently studying and implementing the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the “Report on Talent Development in Land and Resources (2017)” (hereinafter referred to as the “Report”), recently compiled by the Human Resources Development Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources—drawing on the Open Laboratory for Talent Evaluation in Land and Resources and the Professional Committee on Human Resource Research of the China Geological and Mineral Economic Society—has been officially released. The “Report” focuses on analyzing the major trends and policy environment facing talent development in land and resources, proposes a new approach for land and resource talent work in the new era—“seeking progress while maintaining stability”—evaluates the mid-term implementation status of the medium- and long-term talent development plan for land and resources, assesses the current state of talent development within the land and resource system and the geological exploration industry, and explores ways to address the difficult and pressing issues in land and resource talent work. This report provides crucial decision-making support for the reform and innovative development of the ecological land and resource sector in the new era. Recently, our newspaper’s reporter interviewed Researcher Du Xinbo, the executive chief editor of the “Report,” to gain insight into its core contents.

Q: Currently, the central government attaches great importance to talent development, especially General Secretary Xi Jinping, who has issued a series of important instructions on the development of the talent sector. The Party Group of our ministry also places great emphasis on talent work. How does the “Report” assess the current policy environment facing talent development in the land and resources sector?

Answer: Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping, from the strategic perspective of the overall cause of the Party and the country and with a view to achieving the “Two Centenary Goals” and realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, has made a series of important pronouncements on talent work, thus forming General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on talent work. This thought includes such key ideas as “regarding talent as the primary resource for supporting development,” “innovation-driven development is essentially talent-driven,” “building a talent system that is globally competitive,” and “upholding the Party’s principle of managing talent and doing well in uniting, guiding, and serving them.” These ideas fully reflect our Party’s profound grasp of the laws governing talent development and its high regard for talent work, and they highlight the broad-mindedness of contemporary China in welcoming talented individuals from all over the world. The report to the 19th National Congress of the Party further elevated talent work to an important position in the Party and state’s overall agenda, explicitly mentioning the word “talent” no fewer than 14 times. All these elements constitute the brilliant “chapter on talent” within Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, providing us with fundamental guidance for carrying out talent work in the new era. In particular, the report put forward the important assertion that “talent is a strategic resource for achieving national rejuvenation and gaining the initiative in international competition,” elevating talent from being merely the “primary resource” for economic and social development to becoming a “strategic resource” for realizing national rejuvenation. By directly linking talent to the original aspiration and mission of the Communist Party of China, this assertion imbues talent work with an even more noble mission and even greater significance.

Today, economic and social competition in the world is not only a competition for talent but, more fundamentally, a competition of systems underlying that talent. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the central authorities have formulated and implemented a series of major guidelines and policies. In 2016, the Central Committee issued the "Opinions on Deepening Reform of the Talent Development System and Mechanisms," setting forth clear requirements regarding "firmly grasping the main line of unleashing and enhancing the vitality of talent," "the reform objectives for building a talent development governance system," "giving full play to the decisive role of the market in allocating talent resources," and "promoting the deep integration of talent development with the five major areas of development." These guidelines provide institutional guidance for "accelerating the establishment of a globally competitive talent system and attracting talented individuals from around the world," marking another significant breakthrough in China's practice, institutional development, and theoretical advancement in talent cultivation. Subsequently, the state has successively introduced a series of policies, including the "Several Opinions on Further Improving the Management of Central Financial Funds for Scientific Research Projects," the "Several Opinions on Implementing a Distribution Policy Oriented toward Increasing the Value of Knowledge," the "Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the Professional Title System," the "Guiding Opinions on Supporting and Encouraging Professional and Technical Personnel in Public Institutions to Innovate and Start Businesses," and the "Opinions on Further Strengthening the Party Committees' Work in Connecting With and Serving Experts," continuously providing a favorable policy environment for talent development.

The Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Natural Resources attaches great importance to talent development. Minister Jiang Daming emphasized that the cause of natural resources is highly intensive in both science and technology and human resources, and we must firmly establish the concept that talent is our primary resource. We need to nurture young talents, make good use of existing talent, attract innovative talent, cultivate leading talents, and build an innovation talent pool that is appropriately sized, reasonably structured, and of high quality—thus unleashing the innovative vitality and potential of all types of talent. According to preliminary statistics, since 2010, the Ministry of Natural Resources has issued nearly 25 personnel and talent-related documents covering comprehensive talent development plans, cadre management, scientific and technological innovation, personnel system reform, and education and training, actively promoting the building of a talented workforce in the field of natural resources and effectively ensuring that the scale, quality, and structure of natural resource talent are aligned with and coordinated with the development of the natural resources sector.

Q: As socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, new demands have been placed on all aspects of society and the economy. According to the Report, how should talent work in land and resources “grasp the overall situation and plan strategically” to fully leverage the role of “human resources” as a strategic asset?

Answer: Observing the big picture and planning strategically are an important ideological approach and working method embedded in General Secretary Xi Jinping’s series of important speeches. From a national perspective, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, embarking on a new journey to fully build a modern socialist country. From the perspective of land and resource management, China’s basic resource conditions remain unchanged; the role and significance of resources in the broader development context remain unchanged; and the overall trend of tightening resource and environmental constraints remains unchanged. However, significant, trend-based changes have emerged in the structure of demand for land and resources, the mechanisms driving this demand, and both domestic and international environments. Consequently, advancing supply-side structural reform places even higher demands on innovation and reform in the field of land and resource management. Under these circumstances, “observing the big picture and planning strategically” fundamentally means, on the basis of thoroughly understanding and mastering the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, deeply grasping the situation and tasks facing talent work in the land and resource sector. In addition to gaining a profound understanding of the direct requirements for talent work laid out in the report of the 19th National Congress, we should also focus particularly on three key aspects:

First, we must deeply understand the new requirements that building a modern economic system places on talent development in the land and resources sector. The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was the first to propose “focusing on accelerating the development of an industrial system characterized by coordinated growth among the real economy, scientific and technological innovation, modern finance, and human resources.” The real economy is the backbone of our country’s economy; scientific and technological innovation is the primary driving force behind economic development; and human resources are the world’s most precious resource. How we combine technology, labor, talent, and capital to boost total-factor productivity hinges critically on talent. Looking at the development trajectories of advanced countries, almost all have achieved a transformation in their economic development model and a shift in growth drivers by substituting human resources for natural resources once they entered a new stage of development. According to World Bank estimates, among the factors of production—such as natural resources, material resources, and human resources—human capital is three times more important than physical capital. Moreover, an innovative talent can drive economic growth four times more effectively than an ordinary professional. In building a modern economic system, our country must deeply grasp the laws governing social development in the knowledge economy era and attach great importance to investment in human capital. Land and resources serve as the foundational support for economic and social development, and achieving high-quality development likewise depends crucially on investing in human capital within the land and resources sector. This calls for us to firmly implement the strategy of building a strong nation through talent, vigorously cultivate a large workforce that is knowledgeable, skilled, and innovative, and foster a substantial contingent of strategic scientific and technological talents, leading scientific and technological figures, young scientific and technological talents, and high-level innovation teams with international standards. At the same time, we must also follow the principles of knowledge innovation to promote innovation in talent management, emphasizing people-oriented management practices such as employee participation, interpersonal communication, incentive measures, democratic decision-making, and welfare policies, thereby providing institutional platforms for intellectuals in the land and resources sector to fully unleash their individuality and creativity. Furthermore, we must adapt to the new era of "Big Data, Intelligence, Mobility, and Cloud Computing," making full use of cloud computing and big data technologies to drive innovation in talent management, and guiding macro-level talent management from being "experience- and intuition-based" toward being "data- and fact-based."

Second, we must deeply understand the significant impact of building a “Beautiful China” on talent development in the field of land and resources. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China endowed the goal of building a modern socialist country with the qualifier “beautiful,” designated “upholding the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature” as one of the fundamental strategies, and identified the construction of ecological civilization as a millennial plan for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. The report of the 19th National Congress specifically highlighted, as key tasks for the next five years, promoting green development, making concerted efforts to address prominent environmental issues, intensifying ecosystem protection, and reforming the ecological and environmental regulatory system. These measures not only represent a systematic action plan for implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era’s ecological civilization perspective but also constitute strategic initiatives aimed at effectively responding to the evolving principal social contradictions in our country. Ecological civilization construction and talent development are mutually interdependent: a highly developed ecological civilization system and harmonious human-nature relationships serve as crucial prerequisites and practical safeguards for talent development. At the same time, the fundamental purpose of ecological civilization construction is to highlight the central role of humans in natural and social activities;Thus, the core理念 and fundamental value orientation of ecological civilization construction lie precisely in talent development—a manifestation of the people-centered development philosophy. Therefore, in building a Beautiful China, we must regard talent development as the fundamental approach to problem-solving, the essential precondition for addressing challenges, and the key to success. This calls upon us to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization perspective, consciously putting into practice the principle that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” In particular, we must integrate the idea of humans and nature forming a “community of life” into our strategic thinking on talent resource development. We must place even greater emphasis on and actively practice the principle of “prioritizing talent and leading with high-end expertise,” and significantly strengthen the strategic adjustment of our talent pool—including further optimizing goals and tasks around the spatial layout of land use, paying more attention to building a team of versatile professionals engaged in functional zone planning, ecological conservation planning, urban-rural planning, land-use planning, land planning, marine functional zoning, and integrated multi-plan approaches. Focusing on the goal of more efficient resource utilization, we must place greater emphasis on cultivating strategic scientific and technological talents capable of achieving breakthroughs in key technologies in areas such as energy conservation, resource recycling, new-energy development, pollution control, and ecological restoration, while simultaneously strengthening the development of scientific and technological talent teams dedicated to basic research, experimental R&D, engineering applications, and market services related to ecological civilization. With regard to the overarching goal of comprehensively improving ecological and environmental quality, we must step up efforts to build talent teams specializing in natural resource and ecological environment surveys, monitoring, statistical analysis, and evaluation, as well as those involved in pollution prevention and comprehensive remediation. Finally, in pursuit of the major institutional goal of establishing a solid foundation for ecological civilization, we must place even greater emphasis on building legal talent teams for natural resources and ecological environments, standard-setting talent teams, strategic and policy advisory talent teams, as well as talent teams for property rights market services, financial services, and new types of Party and government cadres.

Third, we must deeply understand the new requirements imposed by the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party on the building of the cadre and talent pool in the land and resources sector. Our Party has always attached great importance to cadre development and has consistently regarded building and nurturing a high-quality, loyal, and reliable cadre team as the fundamental organizational guarantee for achieving sustainable leadership and governance. The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China further elaborated, from eight aspects—political development, ideological and moral conviction, cadre team building, grassroots organization development, rectifying conduct and enforcing discipline, combating corruption, improving the supervision system, and enhancing governance capabilities—that we must unswervingly pursue comprehensive and strict governance of the Party and continuously enhance both the Party’s governance capacity and leadership level. In practice, this puts forward even more systematic and comprehensive requirements for the building of the cadre and talent pool. As an important component of the national cadre and talent pool, the cadre and talent team in the land and resources sector must resolutely implement the new requirements of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in their practical work, earnestly uphold the standards for good cadres in the new era, adhere to the principle of Party management of talent, and make concerted efforts to elevate the political awareness of all types of talent teams and strengthen political criteria.

Q: In conjunction with the mid-term evaluation of the implementation of the medium- and long-term talent development plan for land and resources, what analyses and summaries were conducted in the Report regarding the effectiveness of the evaluation and the major issues identified?

Answer: According to the evaluation results of the five-year implementation of the plan, nearly all of the 97 tasks identified in the plan have been basically implemented, and more than 60 outcomes have already been achieved. All units have significantly intensified their efforts in talent development, and the overall atmosphere for talent work has markedly improved. The scale and quality of the talent pool have steadily increased, and talent work as a whole is presenting a positive picture characterized by “producing talented individuals, establishing sound systems, and demonstrating tangible results.” In particular, talent work has been proactively integrated into the cause of land and resources, providing crucial talent support and intellectual backing for the implementation of major land and resource strategies and projects.

During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the main achievements include: the basic establishment of a Party-led talent management system for land and resources, with a talent planning framework that is vertically integrated, horizontally complementary, and well-coordinated; a stable development trend in human resources within the land and resource system, marked by optimized structures in terms of education levels, gender distribution, and professional specializations, leading to a significant improvement in talent quality; a dual downward trend in both the total number of personnel and the number of specialized technical staff in the geological exploration sector, yet overall workforce levels remain relatively high; remarkable progress in cultivating high-level talents in land and resource management—resulting in the emergence of 82 leading talents, 141 outstanding young talents, and 46 innovation team cultivation programs within the land and resource system; the number of specialists in niche fields more than doubled during the 12th Five-Year Plan period; the system provided training to 1.73 million person-times across various types of talent, with training structures increasingly aligned with central government requirements, and overall effectiveness of academic education significantly enhanced; seven jointly-built universities have supplied the land and resource and geological exploration sectors with 29,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 graduate students; substantial breakthroughs were made in the internationalization of land and resource talent development—more than 600 land and resource management and technical professionals received overseas training, over 700 land and resource management officials and professionals from more than 80 countries and regions were trained, and over 60 foreign experts were engaged; more than 50 experts have served in international geoscience organizations; continuous enhancement of the foundational capacity-building for land and resource talent—establishment of an annual statistical and regular publication system for human resources within the land and resource system, creation of an online platform for cadre education and training, and initiation of the development of a land and resource talent database information system; establishment of the Human Resources Research Professional Committee of the China Geological and Mineral Economic Society, formation of the Land and Resource Vocational Education Teaching Guidance Committee and six specialized teaching guidance committees, and addition of six postdoctoral research workstations by the Ministry of Land and Resources.

From the perspective of the issues at hand, there remains a certain gap between the actual effectiveness of talent development and the expectations set forth by the central authorities, the demands of the industry, and the aspirations of talented individuals themselves. This gap is primarily reflected in the following areas: the total number of professionals specializing in land and resource management is insufficient and their quality is inadequate; there is an overall shortage of urgently needed, practical talents in the land and resource sector; the talent pipeline for geological exploration skills faces the imminent risk of a "gap"; there is a dearth of high-level, innovative science and technology talents in land and resource management; there is a lack of top-tier think-tank experts; and there is a shortage of versatile talents—such as chief engineers and deputy chief engineers—who possess rich experience and are capable of leading large-scale projects in the geological exploration industry. At the same time, the talent pool in geological exploration suffers from severe homogenization, with most personnel concentrated in traditional geological fields—a situation that fails to meet the needs of the transformation and upgrading of geological work in the new era. The competency and skill structure of land-related technical professionals is not well aligned with the comprehensive promotion of ecological civilization construction. Imbalances between supply and demand for land and resource talents, as well as mismatches in professional training, continue to surface. The talent pool in state-owned geological exploration units increasingly finds itself “constrained” by institutional mechanisms, policies, and regulatory frameworks. Professional development among land-related technical professionals remains insufficient. Moreover, there are inadequate safeguards for implementing land and resource talent plans, resulting in insufficient impact and effectiveness.

Q: Considering the current situation, tasks, and challenges facing talent development in the land and resources sector, what strategies does the Report recommend for advancing talent work in this field going forward, and in which key areas should innovation efforts be intensified?

Answer: The field of talent development in land and resources should be guided by the methodology of "seeking progress while maintaining stability," and we must deeply grasp the dialectical unity between "stability" and "progress." From the perspective of "stability," the key focus of talent development in land and resources is to continue advancing the implementation of the medium- and long-term talent development plan for land and resources. Currently, the implementation of the land and resource talent plan has entered a critical stage of tackling tough challenges and securing decisive victories. We must, in accordance with General Secretary Xi Jinping’s repeated emphasis on “carrying through a well-conceived blueprint to the end, passing the baton from one generation to the next, and continuously developing and improving it in practice,” intensify overall coordination efforts, prioritize the advancement of high-priority talent projects and programs, accelerate the implementation of talent programs that have been lagging behind, address the issue of imbalanced implementation of talent programs, and promote the coordinated development of all 15 teams of land and resource talent, thereby providing robust talent guarantees and intellectual support for the cause of land and resources.

From the perspective of "advancing," the key focus of talent development in land and resources work lies in establishing strategic, demand-driven, and problem-oriented approaches. We must employ the mindset of supply-side structural reform to tackle the challenges facing talent development. The core task is to promote supply-side structural reform in talent development, strengthen structural reforms in both talent cultivation and recruitment, reduce ineffective and low-end supply, expand effective and mid-to-high-end supply, and reinforce the institutional and systemic framework of land and resource talent policies, thereby providing robust talent support for the reform and development of the land and resource sector. In the coming period, the key areas for reform and innovation in land and resource talent development should emphasize the following eight aspects:

First, we must proactively formulate a new strategy for talent development in the field of land and resources for the new era. We need to accurately grasp the positioning of land and resource talent work in the new era, comprehensively analyze the new situation, new challenges, and new tasks facing this work, and distill a new strategy for the development of land and resource talent. This strategy should establish new guiding principles, strategic goals, strategic tasks, and strategic arrangements, thus embarking on a new journey for the development of land and resource talent initiatives.

Second, in alignment with the “Three Deep and One Soil” strategy for innovation in land and resource science and technology, we will vigorously promote the development of a high-level, innovative talent pool in the land and resource sector. In particular, we will strengthen the cultivation and recommendation of national-level high-caliber innovative talents and teams, including academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, recipients of the “Thousand Talents Program,” the “Ten Thousand Talents Program,” the “Changjiang Scholars,” and those funded by the National Fund for Distinguished Young Scientists. We will also effectively implement the High-Level Innovative Talent Cultivation Project for Land and Resources, as well as flagship talent programs such as the Li Siguang Scholar and Huang Jiqing Scholar initiatives, thereby nurturing a group of scientific and engineering master craftsmen in the field of land and resources. Furthermore, we will reinforce the building of innovative teams around land and resource science and technology innovation platforms and key disciplines, establishing support mechanisms that integrate platforms with talent development. Finally, we will innovate the mechanisms for cultivating young scientific and technological talents, placing great emphasis on harnessing the vital role played by young talents as the driving force behind scientific research.

Third, we will promote the transformation and upgrading of the geological exploration talent pool, focusing on the transformative development of geological work in the new era. The key is to grasp the new requirements posed by ecological civilization construction for the geological exploration talent pool. We will drive structural adjustments within the traditional geological exploration workforce, addressing areas such as ensuring national energy and resource security, promoting ecological environment protection, preventing and mitigating disasters and safeguarding geological resources, advancing new-type urbanization, and accelerating agricultural modernization—thereby addressing existing talent gaps. Furthermore, in alignment with major national strategies—including the Belt and Road Initiative, building a maritime power, military-civilian integration, and the “Three Deep and One Soil” initiative—we will optimize the spatial distribution of geological exploration talent and concentrate our efforts on building a robust geological exploration talent pool. We will actively promote the establishment of a nationwide database of frontline geological exploration personnel, select a group of leading figures, professional leaders, and outstanding young talents from the front lines of geological exploration, and push forward the establishment of a system for geological exploration masters.

Fourth, in response to the needs of developing talent work in the field of land and resources in the new era, we will adjust and add a number of new talent development programs for land and resource professionals. The primary focus will be on implementing the spirit of the "Opinions of the Party Group of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the CPC on Building a New Type of Think Tank for Land and Resources," conducting research and launching key projects for building a think tank talent pool in the land and resource sector, and promoting the development of leading talents, outstanding talents, specialized and highly skilled backbone talents, and young outstanding talents in high-end land and resource think tanks, as well as establishing several distinctive think tank research teams. We will also implement the spirit of the "Opinions of the Party Group of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the CPC on Fully Promoting the Construction of a Law-Based Land and Resource Management System," conducting research and launching a talent development program for cultivating law-based professionals in land and resource management. We will focus on enhancing the ability of land and resource Party and government personnel to apply rule-of-law thinking and methods, strengthen the construction of law-based teams within land and resource authorities, and promote the specialization and professionalization of social legal service teams in the land and resource sector. Finally, in accordance with the spirit of the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Accelerating the Promotion of Ecological Civilization Construction," we will adjust and refine relevant talent development programs, placing particular emphasis on cultivating a group of versatile, innovative, and urgently needed professional and technical personnel in the areas of natural resource investigation and monitoring, property rights registration, evaluation and planning, integrated utilization, remediation and restoration, and institutional development—thus serving the broader goals of natural resource governance and spatial management.

Fifth, conduct an analysis of the supply and demand situation for land and resource personnel, and strengthen macro-level regulation and guidance of such talent. In collaboration with relevant universities, vocational colleges, and employers, carry out surveys on talent supply and demand as well as specialty-specific needs. Fully leverage big data technologies and platforms to effectively analyze the supply and demand dynamics of land and resource personnel, and prepare and release reports on talent supply and demand and specialty analyses. These reports will dynamically reflect the potential supply scale, structure, and distribution of various land and resource professionals being trained by universities and vocational colleges, as well as the actual supply situation. They will also highlight the current status and trends in talent demand from industry sectors and organizations within the land and resource field, thereby providing practical support for universities and vocational colleges in their annual enrollment planning, discipline and specialty adjustments, and for employers in their talent recruitment efforts, and helping to guide the dynamic balance between supply and demand for land and resource personnel.

Sixth, we will deepen reform of the talent development system and mechanisms in the land and resources sector, actively creating an environment that prioritizes talent development for all types of professionals. We will implement the spirit of the "Opinions on Deepening Reform of Talent Development Systems and Mechanisms," issued by the CPC Central Committee, and proactively establish a land and resources talent development governance system that is scientific and standardized, open and inclusive, and highly efficient. We will earnestly put into practice the principles of upholding Party leadership over talent, unleashing and enhancing talent vitality, serving the overall development agenda, adopting differentiated strategies, and expanding talent openness. A key focus will be on fully leveraging the autonomy of employing units in talent cultivation, attraction, and utilization; improving the collaborative mechanism among industry, academia, research, and application for talent development; optimizing support measures for cultivating high-level, innovative science and technology talents; intensifying efforts to nurture young science and technology talents; innovating talent evaluation mechanisms; refining the systems of professional titles and vocational qualifications; establishing sound mechanisms for smooth talent mobility; perfecting talent incentive and guarantee mechanisms in the land and resources sector; promoting the cultivation and introduction of internationally-minded talent; setting up mechanisms to ensure priority development of talent; strengthening talent unity, education, and service; stepping up innovation in systems and mechanisms; and reinforcing policy provision.

Seventh, in response to the new era of “Big Data, Intelligence, Mobility, and Cloud,” we will continue to advance the informatization development of human resources in the land and resources sector. We will seize the new opportunities presented by the integrated development of talent management and information technology, fully leveraging internet-based thinking and big data technologies to promote the development of a land and resources talent database information system. Our key focus will be on building a land and resources talent database management service system that enables effective storage, management, and monitoring of various types of talent data and information. We will also develop a land and resources talent evaluation, management, and service support system to achieve the informatization and normalization of the selection, evaluation, and monitoring of various professional and technical talents in the land and resources sector. Furthermore, we will create an online education and training service support system for land and resources personnel, thereby promoting new internet-based learning models such as mobile learning, collaborative learning, and smart learning. Finally, we will develop a land and resources talent supply-and-demand survey and recruitment information system to provide practical services for two-way regulation of talent supply and demand and for optimal talent allocation, ultimately establishing the nation’s sole authoritative land and resources talent information network and cloud platform.

Eighth, we should actively promote the development of a professionalization system for practitioners in the land sector. The 2015 edition of the "National Occupational Classification Directory" established a total of six occupational categories for geological exploration professionals and identified five core occupations and 19 specific job roles for geological exploration skills personnel. However, in terms of specialized technical personnel in the land sector, only the occupation of "Land Remediation Engineering Technicians" has been officially recognized, and this occupation is also included as a sub-category within the broader directory. This provides ample room and opportunities for comprehensively advancing the professionalization of land-sector practitioners. Going forward, we should focus on seizing the opportunity presented by the inclusion of the "land management industry" in the national standard classification of economic sectors, conduct comprehensive surveys of land-sector practitioners, strengthen supporting research to bolster the construction of the land-sector occupational framework, and actively promote the inclusion of specialized technical personnel engaged in real estate registration, land surveys and monitoring, land evaluation (appraisal), and land planning into the National Occupational Classification Directory. We should also develop corresponding occupational competency standards, advance the establishment of land-sector career development evaluation systems and vocational education and training service systems. At the same time, we need to systematically plan the framework for both the land-sector professional title system and the professional qualification system, actively push ahead with reforms of the land-sector professional title system, explore the development of a land-sector professional qualification system, and effectively design a tiered certification system and career development pathways tailored specifically for land-sector practitioners.

Q: As a research outcome that serves as an important decision-support tool for talent development in land and resources, what other distinctive features does the “Report” have?

Answer: This report continues to integrate management, operational, and research efforts, broadly drawing on the research achievements of industry professionals. The report focuses on nine key studies addressing current hotspots and challenging issues in human resource development for land and resources, including “A Study on Career Development Pathways for Professionals in the Land Sector,” “A Study on Competency Standards and Application for Local Party and Government Leaders in Land and Resources,” “A Study on the Construction of a Competency Model for Science and Technology Talents in Land and Resources,” “A Study on Capacity Building for Cadres in the Land and Resources System,” “A Study on the Reform of Title Evaluation at the Ministry of Natural Resources,” “A Study on the Internationalization of Talent Development in Overseas Geological Survey Organizations,” “A Study on the Reform of Institutional Mechanisms for Public Interest Second-Class Geological Exploration Units,” “A Study on the Construction and Optimization Paths for a Performance Management Indicator System in Land and Resources,” and “A Study on the Design and Implementation of a Database Information System for Land and Resources Personnel.”