Five alumni of the University of Michigan – Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) have been awarded the Outstanding Alumni Award for the 2022-2023 academic year by SJTU. The recipients are Zongchang Liu, a Class of 2012 alumnus, and four Class of 2011 alumni including Di Wu, Xian Huang, Zheng Huang, and Jinwei Gu. They were recognized for their exceptional contributions to state prosperity, national rejuvenation, school development, and talent cultivation.
Zongchang Liu, an Electrical and Computer Engineering major at JI, played a key role in establishing the JI Alumni Association in 2016 and was subsequently elected as its president. In November 2022, Liu, vice president and chief data officer of Foxconn Industrial Internet, donated funds to establish the SJTU Everflow Fund and support the JI Student Leadership Program, which aims to cultivate talented leaders in China with a strong sense of social responsibility and a global vision.
Di Wu, Xian Huang, and Jinwei Gu all studied Mechanical Engineering at JI as an undergraduate student, while Zheng Huang majored in Electrical and Computer Engineering and also earned his master’s degree in Electronic Science and Technology from JI. In 2014, the four alumni co-founded Mega Phase, a fast-growing high-tech enterprise that was recognized by Forbes magazine as one of China’s most influential startup companies in 2022. In December 2022, the alumni team donated funds to establish the Mega Phase Fund, which supports the cultivation of innovative talents at JI who are expected to become leaders in science and technology.
