According to a recent report published by CUAA (China University Alumni Association), Wuhan University has been endowed with a total of 1.641 billion yuan from its alumni in single and collective donations for the fiscal year 2017—the highest record in its history. Wuhan University occupies third place on the list where Tsinghua University (2.529 billion) ranks first, Peking University (2.144 billion) second, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (1.573 billion) fourth, and Fudan University (1.145 billion) fifth. Wuhan University is also a proud member of the elite “One Billion Club” which consists of these five most-recognized universities, each with above one billion in terms of alumni donations.
Wuhan University ranked also third in total alumni donations in the year 2016 with a mind-boggling 1231 million yuan, only behind Peking University (2.109 billion) and Tsinghua University (1.955 billion) and followed by Fudan University (1.013 billion), Renmin University (781 million) and Zhejiang University (693 million) among others. Universities received a total of more than 23 billion yuan in alumni donation that year. The numbers speak volumes about the alumni’s willingness to give back to their alma mater.
With these figures, Wuhan University has set a new benchmark for donation from successful graduates. Wuhan University is also the third in national ranking as one of China’s top universities with 6 star ratings. According to the statistics, more than 360 alumni donated amounts exceeding 10 million and the total number of alumni surpassed 1300. Wuhan University occupies a significant proportion in both aspects.
These figures might seem small in comparison to Ivy League and Oxbridge where alumni donation accounts for a large portion of the school’s revenue, covering most of the operational costs. The alumni present their alma mater with philanthropic bequests and capital gifts at annual reunions and fundraisers. It’s too soon to predict the alumni donation trend in China but the donations could be a significant addition to the university’s annual budget apart from government funding and research revenues. Zhao Deguo, director of the research institute, mentioned in his report that Tsinghua University, Peking University and Wuhan University alumni are leading the Chinese university alumni donation trend in their own unique way.
Support arrives from our alumni in diverse forms in addition to generous donations. They help WHUers navigate the job-hunting process, support their researches and budding startups with crowdfunding and angel investments, fund scholarships for deserving and underprivileged students, and conduct educational discussions for WHUers so that they can explore career opportunities beyond academic horizons.
Alumni donation is a core indicator of world-class comprehensive teaching quality, the effectiveness of the students’ cohesion, dynamic curriculum optimization, moral education, advanced campus culture and innovative entrepreneurship of the students. The fact that they have generated a lot of wealth is not the sole driving force behind such spontaneous rise in alumni donation rates. Social awareness, social influence, and a sense of shared ownership have encouraged both affluent and not-so-affluent alumni to return and contribute to their alma mater.
WHU has a strong alumni base in both China and overseas where the alumni are leading and influencing China's and global development and progress. It is noteworthy that more and more alumni are reaching out to mentor young WHU graduates within the alumni network. The network is an extended family of WHU friends—a protective bubble within which students can grow and develop after their graduation without fearing the competitive world outside that much. WHU has seen a rise in its reputation through such an unfaltering commitment from its graduates and alumni, and it doesn’t come as a surprise for a university which has touched the lives of these successful millennials so deeply with its ethical bedrocks.
The index shows that our students have become more financially-assured, innovative, charitable and pioneers in varied fields, and WHU couldn’t have been prouder. But these monetary donations cannot and should not undermine the value of non-monetary contributions and the support of other alumni who have dedicated their time and effort to this great university.
These distinguished benefactors sets an example for more and more of the future generations of WHU graduates by giving back to the university that has shaped and nurtured them in any possible way.
Edited by Liu Li, Edmund Wai Man Lai & Hu Sijia
