Starting this year, Nankai University will allocate no less than 500,000 yuan ($73,180) every year to sponsor doctoral students to go abroad for academic conferences. The funds will be used to pay roundtrip airfare and accommodations.

In recent years, the university has also set aside several million yuan a year to fund creative studies for undergraduates. "The money can be used by all majors, including science and technology, literature and culture. Thousands of students apply for it every year," said Xue Jinwen, Party Secretary of Nankai University.

COMMITTED: Zhang Boling (1876-1951), the first President of Nankai University, dedicated his life to improving education in China (XINHUA)

LEADING EDGE: Nankai University pharmacology professor Chen Qiang (right) experiments on finding ways to kill the virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) back in 2003 (LIU HAIFENG)