1 9 6 0 ▁in ▁the ▁out sk ir ts ▁of ▁Shang hai , ▁China , ▁to ▁parents ▁who ▁were ▁both ▁primary ▁school ▁teachers . ▁He ▁entered ▁school ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁the ▁year ▁that ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution ▁began . ▁His ▁education ▁was ▁sever ely ▁dis rupted ▁in ▁the ▁cha otic ▁period , ▁and ▁he ▁" grad u ated " ▁from ▁high ▁school ▁after ▁only ▁nine ▁and ▁half ▁years , ▁with ▁just ▁two ▁and ▁half ▁years ▁of ▁un inter rupted ▁school ing . ▁He ▁was ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁far mer ▁in ▁rural ▁Shang hai ▁when ▁the ▁National ▁College ▁En tr ance ▁Ex am ination ▁was ▁res umed ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁a ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution . ▁He ▁took ▁the ▁exam ▁and ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁App lied ▁Physics ▁of ▁Shang hai ▁J iao ▁T ong ▁University . ▁ ▁After ▁ear ning ▁his ▁B . S . ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁he ▁purs ued ▁gradu ate ▁studies ▁at ▁the ▁Shang hai ▁Institute ▁of ▁Opt ics ▁and ▁Fine ▁Mechan ics ▁of ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Academy ▁of ▁Sciences , ▁obtain ing ▁an ▁M . S . ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁and ▁a ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁He ▁moved ▁to ▁Australia ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁initially ▁as ▁a ▁visit ing ▁scholar . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Gu ▁was ▁a ▁La ure ate ▁Fellow ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁Research ▁Council ▁and ▁a