Cheng Dazhuo, a ninth-grader at Shenzhen Yaohua Experimental School, has been admitted to the Qiu Chengtong Training Program for Leading Talents in Mathematical Sciences at Tsinghua University. Cheng, 14, became one of the two junior high students in the country who have been admitted to the prestigious university. The training program, which started enrolling students this year, mainly targets senior one and senior two students, while also extending a welcoming hand to exceptionally talented ninth-graders and senior three students. The 68 shortlisted students will major in mathematics and applied mathematics in Tsinghua University, which will adopt a “3+2+3” schedule to prepare students for undergraduate studies all the way to Ph.D. programs. During the “3+2” study period, students are not allowed to transfer to other majors. According to Cheng, he was overjoyed to have been recruited by Tsinghua’s talent training program. At a farewell party held by his alma mater on Thursday, Cheng expressed his gratitude to every teacher for their dedication and for the learning environment provided by the school. Gao Jianzhong, Cheng’s class teacher, said that Cheng has been very fond of mathematics and physics and has great talent. When Cheng found that he needed to apply a lot of advanced mathematics knowledge to physics competitions, he taught himself some advanced mathematics. It turned out that the advanced mathematics Cheng learned in advance also helped him pass the selection process of the Qiu Chengtong training program. Cheng said that he has been keen on reading books on physics and mathematics, and would look up information in books when he saw problems he didn’t understand. Meanwhile, Cheng likes to do experiments and has a strong hands-on ability. He once wowed his teachers and classmates by making an exquisite telescope model out of paper. “Everybody likes him,” said Feng Tianfang, Cheng’s former class teacher, who thinks that Cheng is not only smart but also warm-hearted and helpful. (Zhang Yu) | 