In 2009 twelve thousand college graduates joined the People’s Liberation Army. For the first time large numbers of college graduates are enlisting to become military officers. A professor at the National Defense University expressed that in the history of the PLA, large numbers of intellectuals or students joining the PLA has always brought about a quantum leap in military talent.
source: Xinhua, January 25, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2010-01/25/content_12869220.htm