▁of ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁State . ▁After ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁accepted ▁to ▁Hun an ▁Agricult ural ▁Mechan ization ▁College . ▁Because ▁the ▁school ▁was ▁closed , ▁he ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁mechan ic ▁in ▁L eng sh u iji ang ▁Iron ▁and ▁Ste el ▁Factory . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁he ▁entered ▁P ek ing ▁University , ▁major ing ▁in ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Physics , ▁where ▁he ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁he ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁a ▁farm ▁in ▁south west ▁China ' s ▁Gu iz hou ▁province . ▁A ▁year ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁later , ▁he ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁a ▁cry stal ▁factory ▁in ▁the ▁sub urb ▁of ▁the ▁capital ▁city ▁G ui y ang . ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁he ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁a ▁computer ▁factory ▁in ▁his ▁home - city ▁Sh ao y ang . ▁After ▁the ▁res umption ▁of ▁National ▁College ▁En tr ance ▁Ex am ination , ▁he ▁earned ▁his ▁Master ▁of ▁Engineering ▁degree ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Academy ▁of ▁Sciences ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁He ▁earned ▁his ▁doctor ' s ▁degree ▁at ▁Pur due ▁University ▁under ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁Benjamin ▁W ah . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁research er ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois ▁between ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁and ▁December ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁China ▁in ▁January