University class aims to foster computing talent

Hubei province's Wuhan University has attracted the attention of prospective students who have outstanding admission scores with a new course called the Lei Jun Class that will focus on computer science and technology.

The class is named after the founder and chairman of Chinese tech company Xiaomi Corp, who is a famous university alumnus.

The university said 30 students will be enrolled in its first year, with half being those who sat the college entrance exam, or gaokao, and the rest selected from freshmen enrolled in other majors.

The class will be tailored to cultivate future leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Among the enrolled students is Wang Weixi, a graduate of Enshi Prefecture High School, who said he is intrigued by the opportunity of guaranteed eligibility for further studies at the master's and doctoral levels.

"There are risks and opportunities in being part of the first cohort of this class, but I am eager to take on the challenge," he said. "I have a keen interest in computer science, and the Lei Jun Class provides us with unparalleled resources to pursue our aspirations in this sector."

Students in the class will have access to distinguished mentors in innovation and entrepreneurship and professionals from the computer science and technology industry.

The mentors will provide personalized guidance to Lei Jun Class students, aiding them in their academic pursuits, research endeavors and practical engineering activities, the university said.

The students will also have access to a wide array of educational resources, including exclusive internship opportunities at top-tier companies and dedicated funding for participation in overseas study programs and academic conferences.

The class offers a more flexible credit recognition and evaluation system, allowing students to tailor their academic and career development plans to their individual goals, Du Bo, dean of the university's School of Computer Science, said at a news conference in May.

"Students in the Lei Jun Class will get the best academic resources, teaching resources, engineering practice resources and alumni resources of Wuhan University," Du said.

Lei donated 1.3 billion yuan ($179 million) to his alma mater in November to support fundamental research in mathematics, physics, chemistry, literature, history and philosophy, as well as innovation in computer science and technology.

Other universities offer similar classes. The Turing Class at Peking University, which was initiated in 2017, is also committed to cultivating the next generation of leaders in computer science.

Some universities have developed special classes in other fields. One example is the Qian Xuesen Class at Xi'an Jiaotong University, in Shaanxi province, which aims to cultivate engineering talent.