Foreign residents learn how to make sweet dumplings, a traditional treat for Chinese Lantern Festival, in Shanghai on Saturday. [Photo/China Daily]

To achieve its ambitions to become a global innovation and technology hub by 2030, Shanghai is going all-out to attract foreign talent to speed up its transformation.

Since June, the city government has introduced several beneficial policies such as providing permanent resident's permits for high-level overseas passport holders and offering subsidies to high-tech professionals.

One policy now means international students who obtain master's degrees at Chinese universities can instantly get work permits if they land a job with a company in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, while bachelor's degree holders who want to start a business can apply for two-year residence permits.

"The enhanced recruitment system has been widely applied to help graduates find jobs and help companies hire overseas professionals with better abilities," said Chen Hao, deputy director of the municipal government's organization department. "People always play the core role in the growth of companies, which eventually contributes to the development of the city."

According to Shanghai Education Commission, more than 53,800 international students were studying in Shanghai in 2013, up 30 percent on 2010.