Successful candidates should be healthy college and university graduates, aged between 20 and 40, speak fluent English and have experience as a volunteer in China. The first group is to be composed of 10 volunteers, who are scheduled to work in Laos between March and September this year.

More than 100 people, including teachers, reporters, doctors, network editors and company staffers, have applied for the 10 vacancies. Two are faraway Shanghai students studying in Melbourne, Australia.

The first applicant coming for registry was a secondary school teacher named Chen Mingjie. He applied to teach at a rural school in Yunnan province, a multi-ethnic area in southwestern China, three years ago. But he failed in his first attempt as he was newly married.

"Though my wife gave birth to my son just a month ago, but she and my parents support my decision to become a volunteer. I will strive to help more children in Laos know how to use computers. I will be happy and love to help others," Chen said.

Miss Sun, who works at IBM's Shanghai branch, said, "If I am picked as a volunteer, I will have to quit my present position. But I will feel no regret for my decision."

Ideal candidates, with the exception of agro-science experts, were picked during a spoken exam, said Li Jin, an official with the Shanghai municipal committee of the Communist Youth League.

(Xihua New Agency February 17, 2003)