Entrepreneur and philanthropist honored for major contributions

Charles Chen Yidan, an internet entrepreneur and philanthropist, received an honorary doctorate of literature (education) earlier this week from the University College London in the United Kingdom for his work supporting educational research and practice.

Chen gained recognition as a core founder and chief administrative officer of Tencent, an internet and technology conglomerate headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. In 2007, Chen launched the Tencent Charity Foundation, leading to the founding of the Tencent Charity Platform, which facilitated donations of over 23 million yuan ($3.2 million) to relief efforts for the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.

Since leaving Tencent in 2013, Chen has been increasingly involved in philanthropic activities, including founding Wuhan College and investing 2 billion yuan in developing the new campus. In March 2016, he donated $1 million to set up a scholarship to fund Chinese and international students eligible to study at Stanford Law School in the United States. In addition, he donated Tencent shares with a market value of over HK$4 billion ($512 million) to set up the Chen Yidan Foundation, which strives to diversify the education ecosystem and make concerted contributions to achieving sustainable development.

Chen expressed his gratitude for receiving the honor: "Education should be celebrated globally, findings of pedagogical research should be promoted, and achievements in educational practice should be honored."