A screensnap of Stephen Hawking's Weibo. (Photo/Sina Weibo)
(ECNS) -- In a post on his Twitter-like Weibo account Monday, famed physicist Stephen Hawking encouraged Chinese students taking the national university entrance exam to be fearless in the pursuit of their aspirations.
In the message posted at 8 a.m., Hawking said "This culmination of your hard work marks just the beginning of your very bright futures."
He noted that his parents placed high value on education and that he is grateful for the limitless opportunities provided by study.
"Whether you aim to be a doctor, teacher, scientist, musician, engineer or a writer — be fearless in the pursuit of your aspirations," he said.
The physicist ended his post by saying "You are the next generation of big thinkers and thought leaders that will shape the future for generations to come."
In less than 5 hours, Hawking's message was forwarded over 73,700 times, generating 25,440 comments and winning 162,700 likes.
A total of 9.4 million senior high school students will sit for the high-stakes Gaokao this year on June 7 and 8.
Hawking launched his Weibo account on April 12 and has so far published nine entries.
His team and social media company Stradella Road are jointly responsible for updating the account. All content signed with SH is said to be from the physicist himself.
