Fudan Alumni's 100 Million Yuan Gift Empowers Students

Alumni couple Chen Xiaoming and He Peixin, who made headlines in 2019 for donating 100 million yuan ($13.64 million) to their alma mater, Fudan University, while choosing to take the subway to the school, returned to the university on January 3, 2025. They received a collection of 590 letters of gratitude totaling 400,000 words from student beneficiaries.

Chen and He, both from rural areas of Guizhou and Jilin provinces, expressed their gratitude to Fudan University for the opportunities it provided them. "Thanks to the support of our alma mater, we were able to pursue postgraduate studies and study abroad. We want more children from poor backgrounds to enjoy the same opportunity to access high level of education," the couple said.

Their 100 million yuan donation in December 2019 established a fund for financially disadvantaged students. During their visit, the couple met with students who benefited from the fund, including Huangfu Botao from Yunnan province and He Ruiaoxue, a freshman from the College of Foreign Languages and Literature.

The students expressed their gratitude and shared their stories of growth in the letters. One letter reads, "Teaching in rural areas and communicating with children who harbor dreams similar to mine has strengthened my determination to pass on love and warmth to others." Another reads, "Despite the challenges and setbacks, I believe that efforts can transform lives. As your story has shown, hard work would bring rewards."

Chen and He began their studies in the Chemistry Department of Fudan University in 1973 and finished graduate studies at the university under professor Deng Jiaqi. In 1994, they set up a company in Memphis, USA, specializing in the research and development, production, and sale of electrochemical measuring instruments.

Over the past five years, the fund they established has provided support to over 4,000 undergraduates and 5,000 postgraduates through programs including scholarships, healthcare subsidies, emergency aid, academic development, and exchanges at home and overseas.