The president of Peking University said on Monday that news of a former graduate working as a butcher was nothing to get excited about, reports China Youth Daily.

Lu Buxuan, who graduated from the Chinese-language department of Peking University in 1989, opened a small butcher shop in Shaanxi Province in 2000 after his former employer, a factory, went bankrupt, and subsequent business ventures failed.

The report of his plight as a graduate of one of China's best universities surprised readers throughout the country.

But Xu Zhihong, president of Peking University, said it was not that unusual that a former student should have such a "lowly" job, as not every graduate was expected to become a State leader.

He also called upon students to change their attitudes towards certain careers, as any job might herald the start of a bright future.

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