After receiving his master's degree in mathematics, with recommendations from Professor Ding Shisun, the President of Peking University, and Professor Deng Donggao, Chair of the university's Math Department, Zhang was granted a full scholarship at Purdue University.
Setelah mendapatkan gelar master-nya dalam bidang matematika, dengan rekomendasi dari Profesor Ding Shisun, President Universitas Peking, dan Profesor Deng Donggao, Ketua Departemen Matematika di universitas tersebut, Zhang mendapatkan beasiswa penuh dari Universitas Purdue di Amerika.