Oxford University's Bodilen Library. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Cecil Rhodes created the Rhodes Scholarship in 1903, with a view to seeing his scholars "esteem the performance of public duties as their highest aim".

One of the oldest international scholarship programs, it took more than a century to come to China. Since 2015, the Rhodes Scholarship has selected 12 Chinese students to study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Charles Conn, CEO of the Rhodes Trust, visited China between March 19 and 23, looking to attract new applicants from cities and regions around the country.

"We have had the pleasure of welcoming 12 courageous young Chinese Rhodes scholars in recent years and witness their commitment to making a positive impact on the world," Conn says.

"I sincerely hope that the Rhodes Trust will be able to expand the number of Chinese scholarships we can award each year, creating opportunities for more young people from all across China to join our global community of Rhodes scholars."

The first cohort of four Chinese Rhodes scholars attended the University of Oxford in 2016, each winning a scholar-ship of 50,000 pounds ($71,100). Zhang Wanyu was one of them.

Zhang graduated from Peking University with a bachelor's degree in law, and is now working toward a bachelor's degree in philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford university.