Shao Jianyin, honorary president of Philippines Alumni Association of Xiamen University, 1943 alumnus from Department of Electrical Engineering is a famous overseas Chinese businessman and educator who continuously supports the construction and development of the alma mater. As one of the advocates, he initiated the donation and the establishment of "Sa Bendong Education and Scientific Research Foundation." In 1999, he donated four million Yuan to build Sa Bendong MEMS Research Center and named that building "Yixuan Building" as the platform for micro-nano technology research. He also set up "Xie Yuming Scholarship" and "Zhu Jiaxin Scholarships" in the same year. In 2011, during the 90 anniversary of the alma mater, he invested 800,000 Yuan in repairing the Seven Danan Building and named it "Huaixian Building". Recently, at the approach of the 96 anniversary of the alma mater, he donated 1.2 million Yuan again, plus the previous donation of 800,000 Yuan, a total of two million Yuan as "Huaixian Fund" dedicated to equipment purchase, renovation, expansion, hiring and organizing activities for the centennial anniversary of the alma mater.
In the foundation laying ceremony of "Yixuan Building" in October 1999, Shao Jianyin said that he donated that building in order to commemorate president Sa’s great achievement in science and education and also to encourage young people to learn from him. He hoped that the unique spirit of members of Xiamen University of being pragmatic and hardworking and the Changting spirit of being courageous could flourish from one generation to another. Students of Xiamen University are grateful for the cultivation of the alma mater and love the alma mater. In recent years, during the anniversary of school, Shao always flew a long distance from Philippines back to Xiamen to attend the ceremony and also to do the tomb sweeping for his parents.
The collection of the works of Shao Jianyin "Floating Clouds and Flowing Water" was published in May of 2012. This 420,000-word book includes Shao’s reports, research papers, speeches, and inscriptions in the recent ten years. It sets up one chapter named "University Feeling" in memory of Shao’s teachers and classmates and to express his whishes and expectations of Xiamen University. As president Zhu Chongshi writes in the preface of this book, Shao Jianyin has unusual connections with Xiamen University. His father has contributed to the start-up of Xiamen University and Shao Jianyin has experienced the most difficult and the most memorable period of Xiamen University. He will keep loving his alma mater wherever he is. Shao studied hard in Xiamen University and always feels grateful for the education he receives there. We are moved by his generous returns to our school.
