USTC breaks ground on new building funded by Yang Yuanqing

The University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei, Anhui province, broke ground on a new building on Saturday, funded by a donation from the entrepreneur and alum Yang Yuanqing.

A graduate of the university's computer science department, Yang is the chairman and CEO of Lenovo Group and a USTC board member. Yang established the Yang Yuanqing Education Fund at USTC in 2017 and further donated to support the university's public health research initiatives in 2020.

In 2023, Yang made a record-breaking donation of 200 million yuan ($29.86 million) to support the construction of a new building for the university's School of the Gifted Young, marking the largest single alum donation in USTC's history, according to the university.

Yang hoped the new building would create better growth conditions for the students by encouraging curiosity-driven research, fostering interdisciplinary integration, and supporting them in finding their true long-term commitments.

The new building is named in honor of Zhou Guangzhao, one of China's most distinguished scientists, who served as the president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the honorary president of USTC. He passed away in 2024 at the age of 95.

During the naming ceremony on Sept 20, 2024, Yang explained that naming the building after Zhou was a tribute to his legacy. "As a world-renowned physicist, Zhou made tremendous contributions to scientific progress in China and globally," Yang said during the ceremony. "His rigorous, realistic, and innovative scientific spirit is truly admirable."

Planning said the new building would integrate functions such as teaching, academic exchange, and research experiments. It will serve the faculty and students from the School of the Gifted Young, providing better space and conditions for the cultivation of foundational and interdisciplinary talents.