TOP ENGINEERING PRIZE WINNER

Xu Kuangdi， a metallurgist and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering （CAE）， was awarded the Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Prize for Achievement on May 30.

The prize is the highest engineering honor in China and is conferred every two years.

Born in 1937， Xu graduated from the Beijing Institute of Iron and Steel Engineering （today the University of Science and Technology Beijing） in 1959. He entered politics in 1989 and was mayor of Shanghai from 1995 to 2001. He returned to scientifi c research in 2001 and became CAE president in 2002.

Xu was a pioneer of metal injection molding—an effi cient method for the high volume production of shaped components from powders. Since returning to science， Xu has participated in formulating major scientific development strategies in China regarding the equipment manufacturing industries and the integrated development of Beijing， Tianjin and Hebei in north China.

Mobile Payment Security

Legal Daily June 9

Mobile payment technology has been thriving in recent years， with both the number of users and volume of transactions higher in China than anywhere else in the world. Even street vendors now use QR codes to exact payment， while many senior citizens have also adjusted to this new way of paying.

However， it is still too soon to say that China has become a cashless society considering that over half the population is still using cash and given that mobile payment poses a number of security issues.

These problems stem from the possibility of peoples phones falling into the wrong hands or from loopholes in operating systems or apps. If the most widely used QRcode payment systems contain malicious code this could cause information leakage and serious fi nancial losses for users.

More steps need to be taken to improve the security of mobile payment. First， awareness of security should be enhanced among users. Those using mobile payment should set a password and avoid the password-free function of online payment platforms. They should also cancel their accounts on payment platforms when they change phone numbers.

But mobile payment providers also need to play their role in ensuring the safety of users information and property by improving the ability of their platforms to detect theft and scams.

Those responsible for overseeing the sector should improve their supervision and management. Although Chinas central bank， the Peoples Bank of China， put in place regulations to reduce the risks of barcode payments earlier this year， supervision of QR codes has been absent. Both technical and legal measures must be taken in order to improve the safety of QR-code payment.

New-Style University

China Newsweek June 11

The Southern University of Science and Technology （SUST）， which was founded in Shenzhen in south Chinas Guangdong Province as a pilot of Chinas higher education reform in 2012， has taken a number of steps toward the innovation of education.

For a long time Shenzhen lacked a quality institution of higher education to support its hi-tech economy. Although the city has invited prestigious establishments such as Peking and Tsinghua Universities and the Harbin Institute of Technology to set up graduate schools there， substantial results only recently began to emerge.

Since its establishment， SUST has been keen to establish a modern system of governance， with its first president chosen by a head-hunting company followed by the establishment of a board of directors.

In contrast to traditional Chinese universities where the recruitment of teachers is dominated by administrative departments， teachers at SUST are recruited by the universitys schools and departments independently， with administrative departments merely assisting in the process.

SUST takes Stanfords prioritization of the application of science and tech-nology to industrial development as its model. Professors at SUST are allowed to become shareholders of enterprises formed using their research results.

The university has formed a comprehensive discipline system incorporating science and engineering. A medical school is under construction in order to promote the development of Shenzhens medical industry which lags behind the citys economic strength. Humanities subjects are also under development with an eye on providing premium education in the arts for students majoring in science and technology.

Hunt for Corrupt Offi cials

Beijing Youth Daily June 8

An update on the possible whereabouts of Chinese fugitives wanted for corruption who have fled the Chinese mainland was released by the Fugitive Repatriation and Asset Recovery Offi ce of the Central Anti-Corruption Coordination Group on June 6.

Thirty-two of these 50 fugitives were among the 100 major fugitives wanted for corruption who were on the run abroad， according to the red notices issued by the International Criminal Police Organization in April 2015.

The move followed the disclosure of the whereabouts of 22 red notice fugitives last year， with six of them handing themselves into authorities on the Chinese mainland.

The offi ce said the updated list was released to engage the public in fi nding fugitives still at large， and pledged to protect informers.

The ID cards and passport numbers of the fugitives， as well as the dates when they fl ed and the countries and regions where they might be hiding were all made public， including their residential addresses.

The move demonstrates Chinas strong determination and relentless efforts to repatriate fugitives.

China has made remarkable progress in returning suspected corrupt officials who fled overseas through operations such as Fox Hunt and Skynet， as well as anti-corruption cooperation with other countries.

By the end of April， a total of 825 corrupt officials had been returned from more than 90 countries and regions under Operation Skynet which began in March 2015， with nearly 10 billion yuan （$1.6 billion） of illicit assets retrieved.

Corruption-related crimes are harmful to society， with tackling corruption having become an issue with broad international consensus. Corrupt offi cials who have fl ed overseas are advised to stop taking chances and surrender to justice in China.

FILM DIRECTOR PASSES AWAY

Zhang Junzhao， whose groundbreaking work One and Eight ushered in a new era for Chinese fi lms， passed away on June 9.

Born in 1952， Zhang enrolled in the Department of Directing at the Chinese Film Academy in 1978. After graduation， Zhang became a director with the Guangxi Film Studio in southwest Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region， later becoming vice president of the studio in 1989.

One and Eight， released in 1984， was adapted from a poem written by Guo Xiaochuan（1919-1976）. It tells the story of how a former Eighth Route Army officer， wronged and sent to prison， educated other inmates and motivated them to fight Japanese invaders during the Chinese Peoples War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression （1931-45）. The fi lm occupies an important position in the history of Chinese fi lm， with his classmate and the world-renowned movie director Zhang Yimou responsible for its cinematography.

Zhang made few fi lms later on owing to poor health， occasionally directing TV dramas.

“At first there were bicycles， then private cars thanks to the increase in resident income. Now bicycles are back again but backed by e-commerce innovation. It has been a remarkable and respectable process.”

Arafat Harahsheh， the Jordanian co-founder of a trading company which exports Chinese industrial products to Arab countries， commenting on Chinas transformation since the start of reform and opening up

“With or without their national team， Chinese fans passion for the tournament and their interest in going to the World Cup to watch their favorite players in the flesh is always strong.”

Zheng Lai， Vice President of Beijing Shankai Sports International Ltd.， Chinas only FIFA-authorized sales agency， in a recent interview with China Daily

“The governments of second-tier cities should notice that welfare， housing and money can attract people in a short time. Professionals aim mainly at prospects for career development rather than just benefits.”

Chu Zhaohui， a senior researcher at the National Institute of Education Sciences， commenting on reports that leading second-tier cities are attracting more recent college graduates

“Travel agencies often pay tour guides poorly. To compensate， many guides have made deals with shopkeepers to bring them tourists … A win-win mechanism should be built such as giving standardized tips to guides.”

Yang Fuquan， a researcher at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences， south Chinas Yunnan Province， commenting on the case of a local tour guide in Yunnan convicted for berating and threatening tourists who refused to shop at souvenir retail outlets