"In the 1980s, YK Pao established the Pao Siu-Loong and Pao Yue-Kong Scholarship for Chinese Students Studying Abroad due to his firm belief that education is the key to strengthening the country. By 2022, the scholarship had sent nearly 480 students overseas, who have since returned to China. We are very proud to see that many have become academics and leaders in their respective fields and have accomplished many outstanding achievements.”
—— Philip Sohmen
Executive Deputy Chairman
On 16th June, Zhejiang University held a ceremony in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Pao Siu-Loong and Pao Yue-Kong Scholarship for Chinese Students Studying Abroad and the 19th anniversary of the Pao Yue-Kong International Foundation. Professor Anna Sohmen Pao, Chairman of Pao School, and Mr. Philip Sohmen, Executive Deputy Chairman, attended the event. In addition, several other key figures attended, including Du Jiangfeng, President of Zhejiang University; Pan Yunhe of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and former President of Zhejiang University; Feng Peien, Former Vice President of Zhejiang University and Former Deputy Vice President of Zhejiang Provincial Political Consultative Conference Chairman; Yang Shufeng and Ye Zhizhen of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Yan Jianhua and Zhang Hongjian, Vice-Chairmen of the Development Committee of Zhejiang University.
Furthermore, several attendees joined online, including Yang Wei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and former president of Zhejiang University; Lin Jianhua, former president of Zhejiang University; and, Duan Shumin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Presided over by He Lianzhen, vice president of Zhejiang University, nearly 100 people attended the event including previous Pao Scholarship recipients. In addition, the audience included academics who had undertaken professorships through the fund and other representatives of Zhejiang University.
During the event, Philip Sohmen, Executive Deputy Chairman of Pao School, and Du Jiangfeng, President of Zhejiang University, each gave a speech. Later on in the day, a ceremony took place to recognise the Pao family for their donations to the Zhejiang University Education Foundation. Finally, Pan Yunhe, on behalf of the Pao Foundation Council, kindly donated copies of "YK Pao: My Father" to the Hangzhou National Library, which were received with thanks by Wu Xueyong, Secretary of the Party Committee and library director.
Executive Deputy Chairman Philip Sohmen signed a donation agreement with Zhejiang University Education Foundation Secretary General Shen Liyong. Du Jiangfeng, Pan Yunhe, Feng Peien and He Lianzhen witnessed the signing
YK Pao always believed that education is the foundation of a strong country. For this reason, he strongly supported educational development in China, making successive donations to build resources such as schools, libraries, and swimming pools throughout in lifetime. Alongside this, YK Pao’s global vision inspired him to promote a more innovative measure of talent development - the establishment of a study abroad fund. As such, over the past 40 years, the Pao family has funded and participated in countless scholarship programmes, including the Pao Scholarship and the Pao Yue-Kong International Foundation, which are managed by Zhejiang University; the Sino-British Friendship Scholarship Programme, which aims to promote cooperation between China and the UK; and Jiao Tong University’s YK Pao Student Social Practice Fund.
In January 1983, YK Pao donated US$1 million to the Education Bureau in Beijing to set up a scholarship fund in memory of his father Pao Siu Loong. The Pao Siu Loong Scholarship was the first scholarship donated by a private individual to the Chinese government, allowing 21 gifted students to study overseas. Then, in October 1985, YK Pao visited Zhejiang University once again, which inspired him to donate another US$1 million to the cause and hand over the fund to Zhejiang University for management. Since then, the fund has been renamed Pao Siu-Loong and Pao Yue-Kong Scholarship for Chinese Students Studying Abroad, and is known also as the Pao Scholarship.
When the Pao Scholarship was established, Sir. YK Pao hoped that this fund would not only benefit those at Zhejiang University. As such, a part of the fund was also allocated to support the teachers and students at other universities in Zhejiang, including Ningbo University, to study abroad. For this reason, Zhejiang University established the Pao Scholarship Fund Council. The Council, which was chaired by Han Zhenxiang, then President of Zhejiang University, was to be responsible for the selection and management of scholarship recipients. In YK Pao’s proposal for the fund, the policies of the Pao Scholarship followed principles such as open access for all, fair competition, merit-based admission, and funding as required. Today, under the joint efforts of the Pao family and Zhejiang University, the Pao Scholarship is a part of the Zhejiang University Education Foundation.
In October 2004, Professor Anna Sohmen Pao honoured her father’s principles by donating US$1 million to establish the YK Pao International Fund on the 21st anniversary of the Pao Scholarship. For the fund, Zhejiang University has established a number of visiting chair professorships in order to recruit internationally leading academic leaders overseas. In 2008, Professor Anna Sohmen Pao donated a further 10 million RMB to Ningbo University for the establishment of a special fund for visiting chair professors.
YK Pao International Foundation Donation Ceremony in October 2004
In January 2016, Zhejiang University President Wu Zhaohui met with Professor Anna Sohmen Pao and Philip Sohmen
2022 Pao Foundation Council Annual Meeting
