Elite U.S. Universities Vie for China's Best Math Students

November 17, 2008

Admissions officers from top universities in the United States are scouring China for its best mathematics and science students. "There are no quotas, no limits on the number of Chinese students we might take," William Fitzsimmons, Harvard University's admissions dean recently indicated to an audience at a Beijing high school. "We know there are very good students from China not applying now. I hope to get them into the pool to compete."

One student that Fitzsimmons and other admissions officers had their eyes on was a 16-year-old junior named Tiger (Li Taibo in Chinese). Adept in geometry, Tiger had competed in October against scores of China's brightest in the final round of a two-day national mathematics contest. He was among 40 finalists at the first Shing-Tung Yau High School Mathematics Awards, named for the Harvard mathematician and organizer of the event.

"This is a historic event," Fitzsimmons told the Boston Globe. "We're trying to get out the word that Harvard is world class in math, science, and engineering, not just in the humanities." Fitzsimmons predicted that, in addition, Harvard's outreach to Chinese students would foster improved U.S.-China relations.

Tiger, who ranked in the top 10 of his 750-member class, noted something else. "It might change my life, my whole life," he mused. His picture of Harvard is based solely on virtual visits via the Web. "Harvard is so beautiful compared to the campuses of Chinese universities," he remarked. "I want to go because it is said that schools in the United States inspire you to think, instead of just teaching you what to do."

Yau, the Harvard mathematician behind Tiger's dream, had returned to China to try to spur the improvement of the nation's math education. "I want to help the very poorest students in China make their dreams come true," he said.

And the Chinese students at the competition were impressive. They included Wang Shun Zhi, whose team had devised an algorithm to ease traffic on Beijing's congested streets; Qin Yipeng, who had invented a mathematical model for snow sweeping; and Li Zhoujia, who equalized water distribution in sprinkler systems to prevent students from getting soaked through open classroom windows.

Tiger didn't win an award at the Beijing math competition. "It's OK. It's OK," he said afterward. "I just want to know how I can improve. I expect there will be a time when my name will finally be called." A day later, Tiger showed up at his school's math club, where he spent three hours studying number theory. It was "just for fun," he said.

Some people worry that Harvard's international recruiting efforts may make it harder for U.S. students to get in. "There's a real tension here," said Harry Lewis, a computer science professor and former dean of Harvard College. "We get tax exemptions not so we can help build the economy of China, but so we can help contribute to the economy of the United States."

Source: Boston Globe, Nov. 9, 2008.