To Westerners who see China's math students regularly ranking near the top in international comparisons and Chinese mathematicians populating the math faculties at the finest overseas universities, Yau's crusade seems like overkill.

FORBES: Plugging a Math Gap

They see China's students scoring higher in international comparisons and Chinese professors populating the math faculties at the best U.S. universities.

FORBES: Plugging A Math Gap

But a big attraction is the 57-year-old Yau himself: He's the leading Chinese mathematician and ranks among the top ten in the world, says Phillip Griffiths, a math professor and a former president of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

FORBES: Plugging A Math Gap