Twenty-six Chinese students studying in the US Midwest received the 2011 Chinese Government Scholarship for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad on Friday at Purdue University in Indiana.

Three students received special honors for academic excellence.

"Ninety-five percent of the more than 1.5 million Chinese students abroad are self-financed. The Chinese Government Scholarship for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad reflects the government's positive view of the students' research and hard work," Yang Guoqiang, China's consul general to Chicago, said at the ceremony.

Yang encouraged the scholarship winners to continue working hard and to make more contributions to the development of humanity.

Yang and his colleagues handed out the scholarship awards, giving each recipient a minimum of $6,000. In order to be eligible for the award, students must be from China, under the age of 40, and pursuing a doctoral degree abroad.

The Chinese consul general said that over 100 students at schools in the Midwest applied for the scholarship this year, and he encouraged more to apply in the future.

"There are about 50,000 Chinese studying in the Midwest, and Purdue University has the most Chinese students in the region, with nearly 4,000 Chinese students on campus. That's why this year's awards ceremony is being held here," Yang said.

"I was quite surprised when I heard the news that I got the award, because recipients were chosen by experts who were organized by my country. It means that what we have published here is recognized at home. This really stimulated my mind," said Xiongwei, a student at University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The scholarship was established by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) in 2003, for the purpose of encouraging outstanding self-financed students studying abroad to achieve academic excellence and return to China to contribute to society in various ways. 

Xinhua