The entrepreneur is giving his money, energy and time to address the need for an education system geared towards the future
“My grandmother is the inspiration for my lifelong dedication to education philanthropy,” says Charles Chen Yidan, one of the co-founders of Tencent and creator of the Yidan Prize Foundation. Although she was unable to read or write, Charles’ grandmother’s strongly-held belief in the power of education saw her encourage Charles’ father to attend university and transform his life. This, in turn, had a profound effect on Charles, as did his grandmother’s trust in “the importance of kindness and of giving by setting an example.”
Charles studied applied chemistry at Shenzhen University as an undergraduate before earning a master’s in economic law in Nanjing. His association with institutions of higher learning would not end there. In 2009, Charles founded Wuhan College, a private university in China that focuses on “whole-person development”—it’s one of the many ways he’s helped address the need for an education system geared towards the future.
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Shaking things up
When Charles left university, he became one of the core founders, along with his high school classmates, of Tencent. The company, which was established in 1998, is one of China’s leading technology corporations, and in his role as Tencent’s chief administration officer, he was tasked with ensuring the company was optimised for growth and diversification. In 2007, he established the Tencent Foundation to invest a portion of the company’s profits in charitable initiatives. It was a pioneering move for a Chinese technology company and set an example in corporate philanthropy.
The following year, the Wenchuan earthquake struck in Sichuan province and marked a turning point in Tencent’s philanthropic efforts. The Foundation donated RMB20 million to the affected areas, and also used its technology platform to connect NGOs, foundations and individuals. Tencent facilitated digital donations totalling more than RMB23 million towards relief efforts.
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