Ahmatjan, 36, from the Uygur ethnic group, is an engineer with the Addax Project Department of Sinopec Research Institute for Petroleum Exploration and Development. In 2000, he enrolled into China University of Petroleum in Beijing. After acquiring a master's degree, he left to Germany for a doctoral program. "After settling in Beijing, my wife came from Xinjiang to join me, and now she operates a restaurant offering Xinjiang cuisine in Beijing. My goal this year is to become a senior engineer."