On May 11, Philip Sohmen, Vice Chairman of the YK Pao Education Foundation, Deputy Director of the YK Pao School, and Member of the International Advisory Board of Antai College of Economics and Management（ACEM）, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), visited the University’s Xuhui Campus, accompanied by guests and university representatives from home and abroad. The visit further strengthens the profound partnership between the Pao family and SJTU, a valued friendship dating back to the 1980s.

Hu Weiwei, Deputy Party Secretary of SJTU, Wang Yushen, Director of the Development and Liaison Office and Secretary-General of the SJTU Education Development Foundation, and Jiang Wenning, Party Secretary of Antai College, received the delegation.

Two Landmark Buildings Embody a Legacy of Education and Patriotism

The delegation visited the Pao Siu Loong Library on the Xuhui Campus and paid tribute to the bronze statue of Pao Siu Loong. The visit reflected the Pao family’s long-standing dedication to advancing education and national development through industrial prosperity.

In 1981, Sir Yue-kong Pao, widely known as the “World Shipping King”, donated USD 10 million to fund the construction of a modern library at SJTU, driven by his devotion to education and national development. Named after his father Pao Siu Loong, the library’s inscription was handwritten by Marshal Ye Jianying, marking the first large-scale overseas donation for university infrastructure in the early years of the People’s Republic of China.

Completed in 1985, the 26,160-square-metre Pao Siu Loong Library was the largest and most well-equipped university library across China at that time. It set multiple national benchmarks, including the first open-shelf reading system, the first computer-based library management system, and an innovative integrated library and information science model, pioneering the modernization of university library development in China.

With the residual funds from the donation, SJTU completed and opened the 14,000-square-metre Pao Yue-kong Library on its Minhang Campus in 1992. Standing on two campuses and echoing one another in cultural heritage, the two iconic libraries have served as core venues for SJTU students to pursue knowledge and academic excellence for decades.

Three Generations of Commitment to Nurturing Future Talents

For decades, three generations of the Pao family have upheld the philosophy of prioritizing education and consistently supported talent cultivation and campus development at SJTU.

Anna Pao Sohmen, eldest daughter of Sir Yue-kong Pao, has long been dedicated to educational philanthropy. In 2014, she funded the construction of a fitness trail on the Minhang Campus, which was officially put into operation in 2015. Expanded in multiple phases, the trail now stretches 4 kilometres. Serving as a multifunctional space for sports, leisure and cultural education, it integrates the family’s spirit of diligence and perseverance into daily campus culture.

In 2018, marking the centenary of Sir Yue-kong Pao’s birth, Pauline Pao and Philip Sohmen jointly donated to establish the Yue-Kong Pao Social Practice Fund. The fund encourages students to integrate classroom knowledge with social practice, supports holistic education, and helps students enhance practical capabilities and cultivate personal integrity.

As the third-generation inheritor of the family’s philanthropic legacy, Philip Sohmen has maintained long-term, in-depth engagement with the development of SJTU and Antai College. He witnessed the inauguration of the Pao Yue-kong Library in 1992 and has continuously participated in university cooperation and commemorative initiatives over the years. Appointed as a member of Antai’s International Advisory Board in 2021, he has offered professional guidance on discipline development, talent cultivation and college internationalization. In 2024, he attended the SJTU Development Appreciation Event in Hong Kong to support the University’s long-term development. Evolving from an observer and participant to a key strategic contributor, he continuously renews the time-honored partnership between the Pao family and SJTU.

Hu Weiwei extended a warm welcome to the delegation and sincere gratitude to the Pao family for their enduring support. She also conveyed greetings from SJTU’s senior leadership to Professor Anna Pao Sohmen. She noted that over the past 45 years, the Pao family has supported the University through constructing landmark buildings, upgrading campus facilities, and establishing a series of educational funds. The family’s commitment to empowering higher education with industrial achievements sets an exemplary model for overseas Chinese compatriots dedicated to serving the motherland through education.

Jiang Wenning updated the guests on Antai College’s latest achievements in discipline development, talent cultivation and global exchanges. He expressed heartfelt thanks for the Pao family’s long-standing support, and looked forward to deeper cooperation under the framework of the International Advisory Board, to further elevate the College’s international development and high-quality growth.

Philip Sohmen reflected on the decades-long partnership between the Pao family and SJTU. He stated that the family will continue to uphold the tradition of valuing education, further deepen collaborative ties with SJTU, Antai College and the Yue-Kong Pao School, and expand cooperation in talent cultivation and international education exchanges. The family will keep working to cultivate outstanding talents for the new era and contribute to the high-quality development of higher education.