University of Science and Technology of China Initiative Foundation (USTCIF)

 About the Foundation

Founded in December 2006, University of Science and Technology of China Initiative Foundation (USTCIF) is a non-profit university alumni organization. The mission of the Foundation is to solicit, receive, and administer gifts to support the distinctive excellence of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in teaching, learning, scholarship, creativity and service to others; to provide alumni a worldwide network that fosters a life-long relationship between the University and alumni; to pioneer in the revolutionary change in the management of Chinese universities.

USTCIF is a pioneer alumni foundation in China. By encouraging alumni to participate in the University affairs, and support the University financially and intellectually, USTCIF wants to stand as an example that alumni can play a bigger role in the University’s management. Our vision is to provide alumni a worldwide network and to promote the University as a world-class university; to increase public awareness of the University and promote broad public participation in its educational, cultural and community activities; to participate and furthermore to lead a potential revolution of the Chinese education system.

Ever since the date USTCIF was founded, we are committed to carry out our mission. The Foundation facilitates programs that not only attract excellent prospective students, but also recruit renowned professors; not only appraise outstanding students, but also honor hard-working teaching staff. Our services strengthen the ties of goodwill and communication between the University, her alumni, and her students.

Projects

Goodwill Scholarship: Every year, hundreds of USTC students face the financial challenge to start/continue their study. In November 2007, USTCIF began its help to these students. This scholarship, 3,000RMB per year, brings great relief to the families of these financially challenged students. The supports would continue until their financial conditions improve.

• Guo Moruo Scholarship: In honor of Mr. Guo Moruo, the first President of the University, Guo Moruo Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship in the Univesity. Guo Moruo Scholarship is also the first award established in a university in Mainland China. Since 2007, USTCIF has become the only outsider sponsor besides the University and Guo’s family and increased the award from 2,000RMB to 10,000RMB, the highest amount of any undergraduate scholarships in the University.

• Prospective Students Fund: To attract excellent high school graduates to attend the University, USTCIF set up the “Prospective Students Fund” in 2007. We provide financial support to the recruiting teams; inspire outstanding fresh USTC graduates and Ph.D. candidates to volunteer in the recruiting teams; participate directly in the recruiting events; invite renowned alumni to hold seminars in high schools throughout the nation. All these measures contribute greatly to the success of attracting high-quality prospective students.

• Teaching Excellence Award: In 2006, Dr. Yadong Liu set up an annual Teaching Excellence Award to honor professors who demonstrate outstanding dedication, creativity and innovation in undergraduate classroom and laboratory teaching. Every year, over 20 professors are honored with “life-time achievement in teaching” award, “outstanding teaching” award, and “excellent teaching” award. In 2009, USTCIF started to administer this teaching award and provide part of the financial need.

USTCIF Chair Professorship: To help the University recruit first-class teaching staff, in March 2008, USTCIF set up Chair Professorship Fund to attract worldwide renowned professors and scholars to join the University. Candidates are nominated by distinguished scholars in close related field. Their credentials and related documents are submitted to and reviewed by a special evaluation board. Till today, we already have two renowned professors joining USTC: Professor Jianwei Pan in Modern Physics and Professor Guoqiang Bi, Shouhong Guang in Biology.

Oral History of USTC: USTC will celebrate her 52 birthday in September. In the past half century, the University has witnessed and shared the hardships and glories of the nation. After the pioneering stage (1958-1970), USTC rapidly ranked itself among the national key universities. Since 1978, recovering from the Cultural Revolution, the University has made remarkable development: initiated the resumption of the National College Entrance Examinations; set up the first Class for the Gifted Young to foster the gifted young nationwide; set up the first graduate school in Mainland China. The main part of the project is to retrospect a number of major events in the 80s of last century, by interviewing several alumni as important witnesses of that decade. We have interviewed Professor Fang, a vice president of the University in the 1980s, a key witness to that rapid changing decade. We also interviewed Mr. Lifeng Wang, as a witness to the founding and development of the Class for the Gifted Young.

Services:

Alumni e-Newsletter: This monthly email newsletter updates alumni with events in USTC and activities of alumni all over the world, providing a channel for communications between the alumni and the University. USTCIF also presents additional edition e-Newsletter for special occasions, such as the anniversary of USTC.

Burning Tail Feast: Originated in the Tang Dynasty, the feast was to honor those who achieved high scores in the imperial examinations. The feast copies the format of Dinner with Twelve Strangers, which is popular in North American university alumni associations. The aim of this program is to welcome the fresh graduates from college or graduate schools, encouraging them to talk to senior alumni and peers for suggestions on various topics.

• Distinguished Alumni Seminar: Since 2007, USTCIF has invited dozens of distinguished alumni back to campus, to give talks on their research, their enterprises, and their life experience, encouraging and motivating young students.

President’s Club: Members of the President's Club participate in the life of the University in countless important ways by helping to build a strong financial foundation. USTC and USTCIF are honored to recognize the leadership, dedication and extraordinary philanthropy of those individuals and organizations who are the University's most generous benefactors through the President's Club. The President's Club offers a variety of benefits, including recognition in University publications and exclusive invitations to events.

Our Team:

Our founding committee is composed of elite alumni from various aspects of the new Chinese economy. There are pioneer of the internet industry in Mainland China, father of the wireless technology, renowned professors, successful venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. Together they strived towards the same goal that by financial and intellectual support they would help further the tradition of excellence of the University in teaching and research. Three years has passed since the founding, witnessing more and more brilliant alumni joining in, whose contributions are of great help to promote the mission and vision of the Foundation.

A Board of Directors governs the Foundation. The six members of current Executive Board are:

Yi ZUO (CEO of Pansino Ltd.)

Yuanlin GUO, CFO (Vice Chairman of Tsinghua Unigroup, Ltd.)

Lemin FU (Chairman of Bewinner Communications, Ltd. )

Jasmine ZHANG, Chair (Chairman of Genesis Capital, Ltd.)

Runchang MU ( CEO of China International Futures co., Ltd.)

Jiahua ZHANG (Chairman of Goodfamily Group)

Contact Us:

Web: //www.ustcif.org.cn/
    Tel: 94538-4162
    Email: :
    Address: 4147 Stanley Ave, Fremont, CA

Privacy Statement:

The USTCIF is committed to preserving the privacy of alumni. The information we gather will not be used for any commercial or philanthropic purpose; nor will copies be made; nor will the information be given, lent, or sold to any other individual or organization.

2015-05-13