Post-Doctoral Fellows Visit Bayer Corporation Group Headquarters; Bayer Accelerates Recruitment Efforts In Greater China

SHANGHAI, China, Dec. 2 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- 22 Chinese post-doctoral and PhD candidates currently studying in Germany visited the Bayer Group’s headquarters in Leverkusen, Germany, from November 27 to 29, 2005 as part of the Group’s efforts to step up the recruitment of high-profile and specialised personnel for the Greater China region.

As part of the visit, the candidates met with top executives from Bayer, including Bayer Board Member Dr. Udo Oels, responsible for Technology, Innovation and Environment, and Dr. J¨¹rgen Dahmer, President of the Bayer Group in Greater China. They also had the opportunity to visit Bayer’s production and environmental protection facilities at Leverkusen.

''The Greater China region is of key strategic importance for the Bayer Group, and in order to maximize our growth in this region, we are committed to recruiting and developing highly-qualified local talent,” said Dr. Dahmer. ''We are glad to have this opportunity to meet with this group of candidates, who clearly possess the innovative qualities we seek, and who show the passion and will to play an active role to shape the future of China’s steadily ascending industries.’'

The candidates participating in the visit are majors of chemistry, engineering and related areas, who are currently studying abroad but target a career in China in the future -- which has been one of Bayer’s key criteria for selection. ''Especially in a country developing so rapidly in many areas as China, the Bayer Group mission of ‘Science for A Better Life’ offers numerous opportunities for close collaboration with local experts in scientific areas that focus on very specific needs of China’s industries,’' outlines Dr. Dahmer further.

This program is only part of various initiatives by Bayer in Greater China targeting top-level talent in the region, and reflects also Bayer’s commitment to educational sponsorship and long-term scientific co-operations in the region.

On December 6, Bayer in Greater China will mark the achievements of young scientists and top-classed post-doctoral fellows at the Chinese Academy of Sciences -- Bayer Start-up Fund and Young Scientist Award Ceremony. Since 2001, Bayer has sponsored this award to encourage talented and specialized researchers to conduct scientific research and build up research teams in China.

Bayer’s other initiatives aimed at education and recruitment include its cooperation with the Shanghai Petrochemical Academy, where Bayer has allocated EUR 1 million to establish a laboratory, pilot plant and pipe-mounting workshop. Under a specialised training program sponsored by Bayer, students receive formal training spanning 2 years in chemical engineering, with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in the practical environment of the lab and workshops. These students are required to participate in an internship of up to 12 weeks at the Bayer Integrated Site Shanghai, located at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park, where Bayer will invest USD1.8 billion till 2009 to establish world-scale production facilities for polyurethanes raw materials, polycarbonate and coatings raw materials. When completed, these will be among Bayer MaterialScience’s most technologically advanced facilities globally.

About Bayer

The holding company Bayer (China) Ltd. is a subsidiary of the Leverkusen, Germany, based Bayer Group. The Chinese holding, which is headquartered in Shanghai since the end of 2003, was established in Beijing in 1994. However, Bayer’s links with China go back to 1882, when it first began marketing dyes on the Chinese market. Today, Greater China (PR China, Hong Kong, Taiwan) is Bayer’s second largest single market in Asia, with sales of some EUR1.0 billion in 2004, and the company currently employs some 3,000 people there. The company is active in production, marketing & sales, as well as research & development in China. Bayer is represented with its entire product portfolio in the areas of health care, nutrition, and high-tech materials, supplied by three subgroups: Bayer HealthCare, Bayer CropScience and Bayer MaterialScience. Moreover, the People’s Republic of China is also one of Bayer’s main centers of global investment.

Forward-looking statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F). The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

For more information, please contact: Sally Geng Tel: +86-10-6597-3181 x3039 Email: sally.geng.sg@bayer-ag.de Michelle Ng Tel: +86-21-5359-4888 x2902 Email: michelle.ng@bayermaterialscience.com Rowena Wang Tel: +86-21-5359-4888 x2919 Email: rowena.wang@bayermaterialscience.com

China) Limited

Bayer (

CONTACT: Sally Geng, +86-10-6597-3181 x3039, or sally.geng.sg@bayer-ag.de,Michelle Ng, +86-21-5359-4888 x2902, ormichelle.ng@bayermaterialscience.com, Rowena Wang, +86-21-5359-4888 x2919,or rowena.wang@bayermaterialscience.com, all of Bayer

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