"I'm proud that I made the right choice to come back and teach in China," said Chen Yayang, a Chinese scholar who quit his work in a British university as a professor for a new teaching post in China.

Chen, together with other 190 overseas Chinese scholars, were enrolled as members of the "Chang Jiang Scholar Program" on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People. The program, initiated in 1998, recruits overseas Chinese scholars every three years and is designed to attract more talents from overseas.

Clutching the program certificate given to him by Chinese State Councilor Chen Zhili, Chen Yayang said the program had a wide-ranging influence among overseas Chinese scholars. "Many Chinese scholars like me consider it favourable to be involved in the program."

According to him, "Chang Jiang" scholars will receive specific financial support for research and development from a foundation jointly launched by the Ministry of Education and the Foundation of Li Kai-sing, one of the most renowned entrepreneurs in Hong Kong. From 1998 to 2004, 727 overseas Chinese scholars attended the program, and six of them were awarded by Li Kai-sing foundation for their academic contribution to the Chinese mainland.

Chen Yayang, born in Singapore, always follows his predecessor's teaching and bears in mind his hometown in South China's Fujian Province. He had stayed in Singapore and Britain for more than 40 years before coming to China last year.

The great changes in Chinese society and the people's desire for knowledge left him deep impressions and gave rise to the idea of return, Chen said.

Chen's idea immediately gained support from his foreign friends and colleagues. Richard Askey, an academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States even told him that China would be an ideal place for basic scientific research.

Huang Boyun, President of the Central South University in South China's Hunan Province, said the "Chang Jiang Scholars Program" gave rise to young scholars and helped improve the innovative capability of Chinese higher education institutes.

The 727 "Chang Jiang" scholars from 1998 to 2004 were at an average of 42-year-old, and 98 of them had Ph.D. degrees, and 140 people were of foreign nationality.

As Chinese Minister of Education Zhou Ji commented, the "Chang Jiang Scholars Program" represents a historic change in China's higher education system in terms of personnel. It will introduce the best scholars with advanced research subjects and thus create an innovation-oriented atmosphere.

Statistics from the Ministry of Education showed that by 2005, 24 "Chang Jiang" scholars were selected as academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences or Chinese Academy of Engineering. Forty-six scholars became chief scientists heading national projects. And the research results of 87 scholars have won national awards.

The "Chang Jiang Scholars Program" is a great move of the Chinese government towards the goal of building an innovation-oriented nation, the Nobel Prize winner Chen Ning Yang once said.

Li Ning, a "Chang Jiang" scholar with China Agricultural University, was awarded by the program's foundation for his excellent performance in poultry gene study, with a total bonus of one million yuan (around 120,000 U.S. dollars). His research improved the variety of poultry in China and was purchased by many foreign companies.

"Our country offers us good working conditions and supportive policies, and that makes me successful," he said.

Editor: Wing