A Tribute in Millions: Ye Shenghua Education Fund Established

On June 7, a group of former students of Professor Ye Shenghua, a 91-year-old academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and long-time professor at Tianjin University, jointly donated RMB 10 million to establish the “Ye Shenghua Education Fund.” The donation reflects their deep respect and gratitude for their mentor’s lifelong dedication to education and scientific advancement.

At the donation ceremony, Ye represented his students in announcing the donation, which also included an additional RMB 2 million contribution to strengthen the existing “Ye Shenghua Scholarship.”

This moment of tribute echoed a decade-old act of generosity. In 2014, Ye, then 80, donated RMB 2 million, including prize money from the Tianjin Science and Technology Achievement Award, to found the scholarship. “As a teacher, I’ve spent my life nurturing students,” he said at that time. “Now that I’m older and can do less, I want to support young scholars with whatever I have.”

The Ye Shenghua Scholarship is awarded annually to ten outstanding graduate students in instrumentation science and technology across China. It is now regarded as the highest honor in the field, having recognized 101 recipients from 29 universities over ten years.

Born in June 1934 in Shashi, Hubei Province, Ye is a renowned expert in measurement technology. In the 1970s, he pioneered the application of laser technology to precision metrology in China. Over nearly six decades of teaching, he has mentored 87 doctoral and 91 master’s students, many of whom are now leading figures in academia, national research institutes, and industry.

His teachings- valuing integrity, perseverance, and innovation - have shaped generations. As one tribute read, “Do meaningful research, do new research”, a belief Ye has instilled in his students throughout his life. In 2023, his academic team was recognized as a “National Huang Danian-style Teaching Team,” led by his student, Professor Zhu Jigui, director of the State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments.

Tianjin University’s precision instrumentation program, established in 1952, has cultivated more than 27,000 highly skilled professionals.

By: Qin Mian