Beijing animators, games designers offered honorifics
Xinhua, July 27, 2015 Adjust font size:
Beijing has introduced an honorific system similar to professorship into the animation and gaming industry, hoping that formally recognizing animators' and games designers' skills will help attract more talent.
China identifies academics through a hierarchical ranking -- professor, associate professor, lecturer and assistant lecturer.
People working in animation and gaming can now apply to the Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau for their own honorific. An expert panel will assess the applicant's credentials.
The application can be done online through the bureau's website.
"This structural system can help boost social recognition for people working in these industries, and help attract more talent to join the business," said Zhou Jin, a professor with the Beijing Film Academy.
A honorific system is popular in different industries in China. Engineers, doctors and technicians are all commonly ranked. People with higher status usually get better pay.
With cartoons and games having gained popularity in China over the past decade, Beijing has more than 50,000 people working in these industries.
"The creative industries have become an new engine for economic growth. We want to give people working in these sectors official recognition," an official with the bureau told Xinhua. Endi