BHP Billiton CEO, Chip Goodyear, today presented scholarships to 25 graduate students at the Graduate University of the China Academy of Science (GUCAS) in Beijing. The Scholarship Program is one element of a strategic alliance between the two organisations announced earlier this year.

BHP Billiton, the world’s largest diversified resources company, and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China’s premier agency for scientific research and education, announced a strategic alliance in January 2005 to enable joint research and development, education and technology commercialisation in scientific and technical areas related to the minerals and energy industries.

Presenting the scholarships, Mr. Goodyear said the scholarship program was a great opportunity for BHP Billiton to work with some of the best and brightest scientific minds in China while making a positive contribution to science education in the region.

“We hope that the scholarship program not only entices more young people to enter the sciences but provides BHP Billiton with an insight into innovative PhD level research in technical areas of relevance to the resources industry and to our business,” Mr. Goodyear said.

About the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Founded in 1978, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (GUCAS) was the first graduate school in China with the approval of the State Council.  GUCAS has now become a modern education institution in providing PhD and master graduate program. The excellent faculty of our school is composed of over 300 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and/or the Chinese Academy of Engineering, over 4,500 professors and research fellows devoting themselves to the education of students. There are 30000 graduate students enrolled and 51% of them are on their PhD program. For more information see www.gucas.ac.cn.