Zhejiang University, a top Chinese university located in east China's Zhejiang Province, will begin providing a generous post allowance to its leading scholars, according to sources with the university.
On Tuesday morning, six scholars, including Guggenheim Award winner Liu Kefeng from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Kong Xueou from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Du Weimin from Harvard University, became the first recipients of the special allowance, a minimum of 360,000 yuan (some US$43,373) per year.
Apart from the special allowance, the university will also provide the scholars a round-trip ticket home once a year and free on-campus housing.
In order to qualify for the allowance, scholars must be recipients of academic awards or leading researchers in their fields. All of them should play a role in the university's research programs in their respective fields, help the university to instruct young research fellows and postgraduates, and promote international academic cooperation, according to the plan.
Funds for the special allowance have been provided by the Hong Kong tycoon Chao Kuang-piu, who provided HK$20 million (some US$2.5 million) to establish the fund for leading scholars.
(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2003)
