Chinese real estate tycoon couple reject criticism of Harvard University donation
Husband-and-wife founders of Soho China say their US$15 million scholarship will help only Chinese students from poor families secure a place at prestigious United States university
The Chinese real estate tycoon couple who founded Soho China have brushed aside criticism of their donation to Harvard University by saying that it would be helping to fund only students from poor Chinese families.
Zhang Xin, chief executive of Soho China and her husband Pan Shiyi, the chairman, were caught up in controversy after they signed an agreement with the prestigious United States university to donate US$15 million (about HK$116 million) to set up a “Soho China Scholarship” to help Chinese students study at Harvard.
Some internet users questioned why the couple, who set up the prime office development company in 1995, did not donate the money to Chinese universities and accused them of “forgetting their roots”.
Zhang responded on her official Sina Weibo webpage, saying that the couple’s intention was to help more impoverished Chinese students go to top universities in the US.
“If Harvard has accepted you, being poor will no longer be a barrier,” Zhang said on Weibo yesterday.
She also said she had been angry to see so many critical comments online, but later had “laughed them off”.
Pan also posted a response to the criticisms on his Weibo webpage on Wednesday, saying that the fund would help only those students from poor Chinese families.
