Shi Yigong, president of Westlake University, addresses the opening ceremony for the 2019 intake of doctoral students in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Aug 25. [Photo/chinanews.com.cn]

Westlake University, a budding research-oriented private university in Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province, welcomed its new intake of 195 doctoral candidates for 2019, with an opening ceremony held on Aug 25.

Westlake University is China's first private research university specializing in advanced science and technology and only recruited doctoral students in life sciences, science and engineering.

Of the 195 new family members, 19 have studied abroad at top universities such as Imperial College London, Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, Davis.

The 2019 doctoral candidates of Westlake University are presented with gifts at the opening ceremony in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on Aug 25. [Photo/chinanews.com.cn]

Xu Tian, vice president of Westlake University, said that the number of such students was in the single digits last year. He noted that the growing number of international students demonstrated the worldwide recognition of the university, taking it a step closer to becoming one of the world's top research institutes.

Huang Ruoshi, a graduate from the University of California, Davis, returned to China after learning about the high-quality faculty and the scientific research environment of the university.

"It is a great opportunity to learn the most cutting-edge knowledge from top-notch professors at a university in your own home," Huang said.

"During the past two years, we've recruited world-class professors and can compete with top universities in the world," Xu said, adding that he believed that talented people made education and innovative research possible.