NEXT GENERATION: Qiu Chengtong (left) delivers a speech at the awards ceremony of the Qiu Chengtong High School Mathematics Awards (CHEN GE)

An awards ceremony for a high-school mathematics competition held in Beijing on October 24 attracted an unusually large amount of attention from across China. Named after Qiu Chengtong, a world famous Chinese American mathematician, the competition was part of a plan to foster a new generation of Chinese mathematicians.

The competition-selection committee consisted of top mathematicians from schools such as Harvard, Stanford and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Speaking at the event Qiu said, "What I want to do is to bring modern mathematics to China, and encourage Chinese children, students and colleagues to reach the top world level in mathematics."

Top honor

Qiu, also known as Shing-Tung Yau, is in his late fifties. He is a professor at Harvard University. Qiu was born in Shantou City, Guangdong Province in south China. He later moved to Hong Kong, and after graduating from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, attended the University of California, Berkley, where he got his Ph.D. His instructor, Chen Xingshen, is also a famous Chinese mathematician.

At the age of 25, Qiu became a professor at Stanford University. At 33, he was awarded the Fields Medal, the top honor for a mathematician. Qiu was the first Chinese to receive the award.

Officially launched in Beijing in March 2008, Qiu Chengtong High School Mathematics Awards are the first open to Chinese high school students worldwide. The organization and selection process of the award is modeled after America's Westinghouse Science and Technology Competition, the "Nobel Prize" for youths, which emphasizes innovation and teamwork.