Dear Colleagues:

I am Head of the Department of International Finance in the school of Economics at the Tsinghua University, perhaps the most prestigious university in China, and I am writing to recommend Mr. Hui Buhui, one of my favorite students, for acceptance into your Master’s program.

I got to know him personally last semester when he was taking the course of Special Topics on International Finance that I was teaching. In the class, he showed great interest in economics. He studied conscientiously and often talked with me after the class about the questions that he had come across in his readings. Once when we talked about the country’s ongoing restructuring of its tax system, he delved into the increasing cost of tax evasion. We then discussed several methods of calculating the cost. As we talked, I found that he was very skilled in expressing his ideas through diagrammatic curves and mathematics. Recognizing that the government’s attitudes to acts of tax evasion will affect not only people’s behavior but also the cost of levying taxes, he saw possible solutions to the problem in the Game Theory. I encouraged him to pursue this idea. He said he didn’t know much about the Game Theory and proceeded to borrow some essays by Nash from me. He thus left me with a deep impression.

Studying with conscientiousness, Mr. Hui often came up with creative ideas. Unlike some other students, he studied not to just pass the exams but to really improve his knowledge and expertise. He stands out among his fellow classmates with an unmistakable thirst for genuine understanding of the country’s economic realities and problems. That has won him appreciation from not just me but my colleagues as well. But he did do well in exams too. In the final exam of last semester, he got a high score of 90 for my course.

He often talks with me about his ideal to become an economist. To help quench his thirst for knowledge, I have lent many of my own books to him and tutored him in his self-study program. He has been much more engrossed in doing independent research than preparing for exams, but his grades still keep him ranked among the top 25% of his class. I think he is a very intelligent young fellow.

Mr. Hui has a good command of the English language. As he is well acquainted with me, he has often helped me in my own research by translating some English essays that I am too busy to translate. His translations are usually quite good. His oral English is good too. Compared with other Chinese students who may be applying to your program, I think Mr. Hui should be considered more favorably.

Well grounded in the theories of economics and the methodologies of economic research, and proficient in English, Mr. Hui should make an outstanding student in graduate studies. I have not seen many Chinese students who are so intent on achieving an academic career in economics. If you accept him, you will find that his drive and sense of purpose very contagious among the students. In view of all that I know of him, I strongly recommend him. If you want to know more about him, please don’t hesitate to contact with me.

Sincerely,

Hao Zhang
Professor of Economics
Associate dean, School of Economics, Tsinghua University
Head of Department of International Finance