World's oldest professor turns 109

Fellow scholars wish happy birthday to
Zheng Ji yesterday in Nanjing. (Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery

BEIJING,May 7-- The world's oldest
professor, Nanjing's most elderly male resident Zheng Ji, celebrated his 109th
birthday Wednesday.

Born in 1900, Professor Zheng is widely thought to be
the world's most aged academic, according to the Jiangsu-based Yangtze Evening
Post.

Around 100 guests attended a birthday party in his
honour at Nanjing University yesterday, most of them were Zheng's students.

Zhu Changsheng, one of the organizers of the party
and one of Zheng's students, told China Daily: "Professor Zheng felt very happy
to have so many people come to celebrate his birthday".

Zheng told guests: "Maintaining a positive and
optimistic attitude and living in an active manner are the main factors
contributing to a long life." As the founder of anti-aging biochemistry in the
country, Zheng is one of the most famous biochemists and nutritionists in China.

He has accumulated valuable experiences in the field
of anti-aging studies.

When he was 100, Zheng published a book about
maintaining good health and enjoying long life.

Zhang Youshang, a member of the Chinese Academy of
Sciences who attended the party, said: "Professor Zheng insisted on doing
research and normal exercises after turning 100. He set a good example for other
professors in the universities. Professor Zheng's actions fully illustrate the
meaning of 'life lies in motion'".

In Zheng's book, he suggests the main cause of aging
is the failure of cell metabolism. Therefore, isolation from radioactive and
toxic substances and a healthy lifestyle are the main anti-aging factors.

Zheng spends his daily life in a strictly scheduled
way. He gets up at 5 am and goes to bed at 10 pm and has a detailed timetable of
activities set each day that he follows closely.

Born into a farming family in Sichuan province 109
years ago, Zheng graduated from Dongnan University (the former name of Nanjing
University) and attained his master degree and doctorate in the United States.

(Source: China Daily)

Chinese grads get offers in teaching, business

Special
Report: Global Financial Crisis

BEIJING,May 4-- Up to 16,000 graduates in Guangdong province
will be selected this year to work as teachers in grassroots-level schools.

The move is one of a series of policies designed to help university
students find jobs or start their own businesses.

"Under the current financial crisis, university students about to graduate
this summer will face a very tough challenge in employment," said Zheng
Chaoyang, deputy director of the provincial labor and social security
department.

Those working as teachers in villages will have their school fees paid
back, Zheng said. Another 1,600 graduates will work as assistant secretaries in
village Party committees.

In another initiative, start-up companies founded by graduates will be
exempt from administrative fees for three years.

Small guaranteed loans will be increased to 50,000 yuan (7,300 U.S.
dollars) for students who start their own businesses after graduation.

Zheng said as many as 5,000 companies, scientific and research institutes
and industrial associations will be included in an "internship program",
providing work service for more than 60,000 graduates from 2009 to 2011.

Companies that hire more graduates than last year and sign employment
contracts for more than one year will be given social insurance subsidies, Zheng
said.

Students who still do not find jobs after graduation will be given
temporary subsidies by the government for about six months. Song Hai,
Guangdong's vice-governor, said last month that about only a quarter of
graduates in the province had signed employment contracts by the end of March.

"There are fewer job vacancies than last year, but there will be more
students graduate this summer," said Li Xiaolu, deputy director of Guangdong
provincial education department.

About 363,000 university students are set to graduate in Guangdong this
year.

(Source: China Daily)