China's prestigious Qinghua  University is eager to attract world-famous professors to further  elevate its education and research.

   Gavriel Salvendy, a U.S. Professor from Purdue University and  an academician of the American Academy of Engineering, was  appointed dean of the just-established industrial engineering  department of Qinghua last week.

   According to the contract, Salvendy will spend four months a  year in Qinghua, where he has the option to give lectures to  students. The professor, who is renowned for his outstanding  achievements in the study of engineering, will receive an annual  salary of 100,000 US dollars.

   This is the first time Qinghua has named a foreign scholar as a dean since 1949.

   Meanwhile, other famed professors including Yu-Chi Ho from  Harvard, Peter B. Luh from the  University of Connecticut, and Xi- Ren Cao from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have  agreed to teach at Qinghua as visiting scholars. 

   Sources said that Qinghua has established a foundation to  invite leading teaching staff throughout the world, which is part  of its ambitious plan to build itself into first-class  international institute.