On June 1st, according to a release from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Neil Shen, an outstanding alumnus from the university's inaugural 1985 teaching reform pilot class and the founding and managing partner of Sequoia Capital China, donated 300 million yuan to establish the "Sequoia Academy Construction Fund," aiming to support the development of his alma mater's educational initiatives.
It is reported that Shanghai Jiao Tong University will establish a new platform for cultivating top-tier talent—Sequoia Academy—based on its Zhiyuan College. Neil Shen will serve as the honorary dean, while University President Ding Kuiling will concurrently serve as the inaugural dean.
Sequoia Academy will focus on cultivating outstanding undergraduate students. It will establish the "Sequoia Scholars Program," targeting young students with exceptional potential, innovative spirit, and ambitious aspirations. The program will break through disciplinary boundaries and implement personalized "one plan per student" training, aiming to cultivate innovative leaders capable of shaping the future, changing the world, and benefiting humanity. Sequoia Academy is scheduled to begin selecting "Sequoia Scholars" from the SJTU freshman class of 2026 in early 2027.
Public information shows that Neil Shen is the founding and managing partner of Sequoia Capital China, a co-founder of Trip.com Group Limited (TCOM) and Home Inns & Hotels Management, and holds an MBA from Yale University and a bachelor's degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
The Sequoia Capital China he leads is a private equity investment firm focusing on technology, healthcare, and consumer sectors. Since its founding in 2005, it has invested in over 1,600 companies globally. To date, more than 160 of Sequoia China's portfolio companies have successfully gone public, and over 140 non-listed companies have grown into unicorns. The firm manages assets exceeding $55 billion.
As a leading figure in the global investment community, Neil Shen has consistently emphasized the value of technological advancement and business innovation. He has also been a long-time supporter of his alma mater, having previously initiated the establishment of the "Zhiyuan Outstanding Student Scholarship," a student summer study program at Yale University, the "Sequoia-Xia'an" Endowed Chair Professorship, and a medical research fund. During the 2018 SJTU anniversary celebrations, Sequoia Capital China Fund donated to establish the "Sequoia-SJTU ACM Class Education Fund Scholarship" to encourage and support outstanding students in the university's ACM class.
This year marks the 130th anniversary of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and several prominent alumni have initiated donations exceeding 100 million yuan.
On April 6th, Yang Yuanqing, Chairman and CEO of LENOVO GROUP (00992), a university council member, and a 1981 computer science alumnus, announced a personal donation of 200 million yuan to his alma mater. The funds will support the renovation of Building No. 3 on the Xuhui campus, which will be used for AI research, innovation, and talent development post-renovation.
Concurrently, LENOVO GROUP and SJTU announced an upgrade to their strategic partnership. LENOVO GROUP will commit an additional 300 million yuan over five years, focusing on three key areas: research collaboration, talent development, and investment incubation, to achieve a new level of university-enterprise collaboration.
On March 31st, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co.,Ltd. (CATL) (300750) disclosed that its controlling shareholder, Xiamen Ruiting Investment Co., Ltd., had notified the company of signing a donation agreement with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Education Development Foundation. Xiamen Ruiting intends to donate 5 million of its unrestricted A-shares in CATL to the foundation. All proceeds and funds generated from the donated shares will be injected into the "Zeng Yuqun Education Development Fund" to support SJTU's educational development.
Based on the share price on March 31st, this donation corresponded to a market value exceeding 20 billion yuan for CATL shares, setting a new record for donations to Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The ultimate controller of Xiamen Ruiting is Zeng Yuqun, Chairman of CATL and a 1989 undergraduate alumnus of SJTU's Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering program.
On March 17th, Jing Xiandong, a 1994 undergraduate alumnus of SJTU and Chairman of Ant Group, along with his wife, donated cash and Ant Group shares worth 130 million yuan to their alma mater. The donation supports the "AI Future Cornerstone Fund" to aid the university's research innovation and talent cultivation.
On February 27th, Cheng Minghe, an SJTU council member, co-founder of Mindray Medical, and a 1985 undergraduate and 1988 master's alumnus in biomedical engineering, donated 100 million yuan to Shanghai Jiao Tong University to support talent development and technological innovation.
On February 26th, Qi Shi, the actual controller of East Money Information Co.,Ltd. (300059), donated 20 million unrestricted shares valued at 450 million yuan to establish the "Truth-Seeking Innovation and Development Education Fund," supporting talent cultivation and technological innovation.
Also on February 26th, Ji Qi, founder of H World Group (HTHT) and a 1989 undergraduate alumnus in engineering mechanics and a 1992 master's alumnus in mechanical engineering from SJTU, donated 100 million yuan to establish the "Huazhu Humanities Development Fund."
On January 16th, Chen Guangming, a 1996 undergraduate and 1999 master's alumnus of SJTU, a university council member, and founder of Ruiyuan Fund, donated 130 million yuan to his alma mater as a gift for its 130th anniversary. According to SJTU, since 2015, Chen Guangming has cumulatively donated nearly 200 million yuan to the university.
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