Professors, 'bosses'

As Zhu Qingshi, the university's principal who also delivers lectures, promised at the school's inception, the professors and teachers have the final say on many important issues.

A senior official from the Shenzhen government once visited the university, with the aim of assessing a class. But, unusually, his request was turned down by the relevant professor, who feared that his students would be disturbed by the intrusion, said Lan Hai, the university's spokesman.

"Here we treat the professors as the bosses," said Zhu. He explained that professorial representatives form a scholarship committee, the highest decision-making body for academic issues.

"Many of the professors here value this culture greatly and I know some in other universities who are also considering coming," said Zhu. "A university will collapse if it can't keep its professors, and we will lose ours if we don't maintain this culture."

Zhu said another key factor in the university's ability to attract first-class researchers is the financial support provided by the local government, a boon for cash-consuming scientific research.

He Jiankui, 28, is an associate professor in the biology department. He returned to China from Stanford University in the US and led the 2011 class that won the gold medal for the Asia region in the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition.

He said that if he had stayed in the US for a little longer he would probably have been offered a position at a university. "But obtaining funding for research is so difficult there now," he said. "And Shenzhen has huge advantages in this issue."

The university has been highlighted as part of Shenzhen's education reform and development plan for 2020, with an estimated investment of around 2.5 billion yuan (roughly $400 million). The government is aiming for the school to become "a high-level international research university".

Students and lecturers collaborate on work in one of the university's labs. Zou Zhongpin / China Daily

Facilities in the lab used for the sophomore chemical experiments far exceed those at many other universities. The room is neat and tidy, with none of the smells usually associated with the discipline. The 20 students are overseen by four teachers.

"This lab is not just equipped for normal lessons," said Li Pengfei, an assistant professor. "It is also good enough for fundamental scientific research."

The class is delivered in Chinese with the occasional technical expression in English thrown in. Li said the students are allowed to write their reports in either language, as long as the contents are correct.

There was no harsh bell or a typical roll call to mark the start of class. As the students filed into the room and gathered around, Liu Xinyuan, the main lecturer for the lesson, began writing a chemical reaction on the white board and explained it in Chinese.

One student seemed too busy preparing for the experiment to listen to Liu, who stopped writing when he noticed. The lecturer walked up to the student and tapped him on the shoulder: "It seems that you already know the formula well enough. Why don't you write it on the board and explain it to us?" he suggested.

"I know he is a very loyal fan of Mr Liu and myself," joked Li, who was also in attendance, as the student complied with Liu's request. Even the student joined in the general laughter.

This casual relationship between teachers and students is partly forged by close proximity. School regulations require that most teachers live in the same buildings as the students, so they can communicate easily whenever necessary. Even exalted faculty members, such as Professor Tang Shuxian, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, are subject to this rule.

Li and He were unable to hide their satisfaction when they discussed the quality of the students. They both have undergraduates as assistants for their research projects because, as yet, the university has no masters' or PhD candidates.

"I don't worry about their knowledge or academic level at all. All I'm concerned about is how they balance their classes and research," said Li.

Contact the reporters at wuwencong@chinadaily.com.cn and chenhong@chinadaily.com.cn

Huang Yuli contributed to this story.