The university began to donate money and goods to the primary school in 2010. In 2014, they started to send students and teachers there as volunteer teachers for the annual two-week summer camp. This year, they chose the 24 students from more than 50 applicants. They donated over 10,000 yuan ($1,465), including 5,000 yuan from one student, to renovate classrooms, buy basketball, exercise equipment, study tools and dictionaries, Chen Shutian, the counselor, says.

Du Rui, 25, a master student set to graduate next year, even gave up an internship to attend the program.

He says through the summer camp, he had gained a better understanding of the urgency of the poverty alleviation strategy put forward by the central government in recent years.

"The village now has access to water, electricity and roads, but so much more still needs to be done," he says. "People in poor areas should also enjoy the achievements of reform and opening-up. As college students, our future should be connected with that of the country."

Wang Xi, a teacher from the School of Materials Sciences and Engineering at the same university, says many of the college students are too preoccupied by academic pursuits, and have lost sight of their ideals.

"Many of them think that only high salaries can reflect their worth as people from such an educated background," she says. "That's why we bring them to the rural areas, to inspire them to think more about the outside world instead of individual gain, and to learn the meaning of making a contribution to the country."

Chen Lin, a doctoral student, says many of her classmates who had attended the program have kept in touch with the children by mobile phone or mail.