Founding President of ShanghaiTech Uni Steps Aside For ‘Younger Generation’
Listen to the full version

Jiang Mianheng, the first president of ShanghaiTech University (STU), has stepped down from the role after starting the school “from scratch” around a decade ago and leading it to become the youngest institution added to China’s World-Class Universities Project list in 2022.
Jiang, 73, has assumed the role of University Governing Board chair at STU, while the presidency has been handed to Feng Donglai, a recognized physicist and professor from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), according to a statement released by the university Wednesday.

Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.
Subscribe to both Caixin Global and The Wall Street Journal — for the price of one.
- DIGEST HUB
- Jiang Mianheng has stepped down as president of ShanghaiTech University (STU), assuming the role of University Governing Board chair, with Feng Donglai succeeding him as president.
- STU, founded in 2013, has grown to 6,000 students and was included in China’s World-Class Universities Project list in 2022.
- Jiang's career includes roles at Hewlett-Packard, the Shanghai Institute of Metallurgy, and key positions in China's space projects.
- Hewlett-Packard Company
- Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly known as HP, is an American IT giant. Jiang Mianheng worked there after earning his doctoral degree in electrical engineering from Drexel University. HP is known for its development and manufacturing of computing, data storage, and networking hardware, as well as designing software and delivering services.
- Sinopec Group
- Sinopec Group, referenced in the article, denotes the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, a major state-owned petroleum and petrochemical enterprise. One of the STU University Governing Board members, Fu Chengyu, is noted as a former chairman of Sinopec. The company is known for its extensive operations in exploration, production, refining, and marketing of oil and gas, contributing notably to China's energy sector.
- 2013:
- ShanghaiTech University (STU) was founded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Shanghai government.
- By 2022:
- The school's materials science and engineering discipline was included in the second-round list of China’s World-Class Universities Project.
- 2022:
- ShanghaiTech University (STU) became the youngest institution added to China’s World-Class Universities Project list.
- June 5, 2024:
- Jiang Mianheng stepped down as the president of ShanghaiTech University and assumed the role of University Governing Board chair.
- June 5, 2024:
- Feng Donglai was appointed as the new president of ShanghaiTech University.
- June 5, 2024:
- An open letter was published by the university where Jiang Mianheng mentioned his preparations for the transition.
- PODCAST
- MOST POPULAR