“Happiness” is a word frequently mentioned during our interview with Jianfeng Wu.

Donating to Westlake University is like finding a bond with her homeland for this overseas Chinese who has lived in Canada for many years.

During the past decade in Ottawa, Wu has closely followed every major or minor event going on in China. On the day of the opening ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games, Wu and her family sat in front of the television, witnessing this historic moment together.

Five years ago, Wu heard about the establishment of Westlake University, the first research university in China supported by public and private funding. She has always believed that, through scientific progress, we better understand the world, and, in the progress of science and human development, Westlake University is conducting its own exploration. However, at that time, she did not yet know that, as an overseas compatriot, she could somehow be connected to this university.

Yigong Shi, the president of Westlake, reminded Wu of her children’s grandfather, a scientific researcher who studied abroad in the 1980s. He was one of the earliest Chinese students to study abroad after the beginning of reform and opening up. Having achieved success in his career, he donated his savings and patents back to China, establishing a laboratory to contribute to the country’s development. Witnessing this, Wu has always wished to do something for her homeland.

When Wu heard in one of Shi’s speeches this year that everyone, regardless of the amount, could donate to support the development of Westlake University, she immediately decided to make a donation. Like a long-cherished wish come true, she said, “To be able to participate in humanistic and scientific progress is already a great joy.”

She decided to sign a 30-year agreement with the Westlake Education Foundation to donate a fixed amount every year. This donation is a memorial to her elders and a gift to her children. She wants to tell her children, “Never forget your homeland.” She also hopes that in 30 years, her children will continue to fulfill this agreement and grow up to be capable of giving back to society.

There are many overseas Chinese like Wu. Although they have moved to and stayed in other countries, their hearts are still connected to China.

As early as 2018, a Chinese couple in Kansas, Yinggang Ruan and Qiongding Li, heard the news of the upcoming establishment of Westlake University and entrusted a check to Prof. Kai Lei to support the university.

Also in that year, Xuebing Zhou, an overseas Chinese living in French Guiana in South America, called on dozens of local Chinese to quietly make a donation to Westlake. Some of them were second-generation immigrants, and others came to French Guiana for business due to historical opportunities. Zhou said that patriotism and education have been fine traditions among overseas Chinese.

More overseas Chinese have joined in. Ms. Yang, a Chinese woman living in the US for over 50 years who has always cared about China’s scientific and educational undertakings, decided to donate her estate to the Westlake Education Foundation. “I have no children, and all I think about is my homeland. I want to donate all my money back to China,” said Yang.

Xiaozhang Dai, an international trader in Rome for more than 20 years, has long been concerned about the development of education in China. When he decided to support Westlake University, he said, “Thank you for doing what we cannot do.”

On China’s opening up and development path, overseas Chinese have exerted their power at critical points and in key fields, contributing their valuable knowledge and wealth to their homeland. Today, donating to support education has become a strong tradition for overseas Chinese.

On the fifth anniversary of the establishment of Westlake University, the Westlake Education Foundation initiated the Overseas Chinese Contribution Fund, inviting representatives of overseas Westlake community members to come home and visit Westlake University. Bingfang Wu, deputy director of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, and Junming Yao, deputy chairman of the Zhejiang Federation of Overseas Chinese, attended the event.

Establishing the Overseas Chinese Contribution Fund extends Westlake’s gratitude to overseas Chinese who have always cared about the university in the past. It is also a starting point for a new journey. Westlake welcomes every patriotic overseas Chinese to participate in the development and construction of the university, witnessing the growth of this new research-oriented institution.

Westlake will name a bridge on its Yungu Campus the Lianxin Bridge after the fund. The names of the donors will be engraved on this bridge, which will be a testament to happiness and a symbol of the special bond between overseas Chinese and China.

Trees

By Ai Qing

One tree, another tree,

Each standing alone and erect

The wind and air

Reveal their distance apart

But beneath the cover of earth

Their roots reach out

And at depths that cannot be seen

The roots of the trees intertwine

Overseas Chinese Contribution Fund

In unity, we move forward together despite the distance between us. To achieve the sustainable development of Westlake University, the Westlake Education Foundation has established the Overseas Chinese Contribution Fund, which aims to unite the minds, strengths, and wisdom of overseas Chinese to support Westlake’s embrace of the world, bridging the East and the West, and promoting cultural exchanges between China and the world.

Overseas Chinese are our bridge to connect with the world. The Overseas Chinese Contribution Fund aims to engage overseas Chinese who have always been devoted to China’s educational reform and scientific innovation in the construction of Westlake University. With the sincere dedication and positive influence of overseas Chinese in international interactions, we work together to strengthen our country through science and technology.

Donations are not limited in amount. Individuals who have donated a cumulative amount of $10,000 or more (or equivalent in other currencies such as RMB or HKD) will receive an exclusive honorary inscription on the Lianxin Bridge.

Contact us at:

Tel: 0086-0571-85092901

Email: donation@wefoundation.org.cn