On September 29, 2018, Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (Tsinghua SEM) accepted a donation at a ceremony to its student exchange fund from the Zhongguancun Huaxia Economic Research and Development Foundation. The student exchange fund aims to provide financial support to Tsinghua SEM’s undergraduate students who cannot afford to study abroad on exchange programs in an effort to help broaden students’ international visions, enhance their abilities to communicate with international peers, and cultivate innovative talents with international competitiveness for China. The Zhongguancun Huaxia Economic Research and Development Foundation’s council members WANG Guangyu, YAO Yudong, NING Chen, DONG Keyong and TAN Xiaogang; BAI Chong-En, Dean of Tsinghua SEM and Mansfield Freeman Chair Professor; GAO Jian, Party Secretary of Tsinghua SEM CPC Committee; and ZHAO Dongqing, Deputy Party Secretary of Tsinghua SEM CPC Committee took part in the event emceed by WANG Yong, Assistant Dean of Tsinghua SEM and Director of the Resource Development Office.

DONG Keyong delivered a speech on behalf of the Zhongguancun Huaxia Economic Research and Development Foundation. He thanked Tsinghua SEM for giving them the opportunity to make the donation. He said that in the era of globalization, academic exchanges and communication of ideas would be indispensable for developing and innovating economic and financial theory in China and it becomes increasingly important for college students to have a wide scope of knowledge and a broad vision. DONG hoped that their donation to the fund would enable more students to study abroad and help them broaden their international visions, develop in a comprehensive way, and acquire the knowledge and skills for boosting the growth of China’s economy and financial sector.

DONG Keyong speaks at the ceremony.

BAI Chong-En thanked the foundation for their support. He said that Tsinghua SEM had signed student exchange agreements with more than 100 foreign higher education institutions. Theoretically, every undergraduate student of the school has an opportunity to apply for an exchange program. But not all of them can afford to study abroad because of their families’ financial status. BAI said he didn’t want such things to happen. The Zhongguancun Huaxia Economic Research and Development Foundation’s donation will enable more students to study abroad and help Tsinghua SEM to foster an international vision and innovative thinking in its students.

BAI Chong-En speaks at the ceremony.

GAO Jian signed a donation agreement with NING Chen, a representative of the donor. ZHAO Dongqing presented a donor appreciation plaque to WANG Guangyu, another representative of the donor.

All the participants in the ceremony

The Zhongguancun Huaxia Economic Research and Development Foundation was established in 2014 and has three public welfare platforms: the Small and Medium-Sized Bank Development Forum, the Direct Bank Alliance, and the Financial Street 88 Forum. The foundation considers “responsibility, professionalism, solidarity and innovation” as its culture and purses “objectivity, fairness, openness and inclusiveness”. It is aimed at facilitating innovation in economic and financial theory in China, supporting economic and cultural studies, and helping China build new distinctive think tanks.