In the fall of 1988, when Zhou Haibing first took the train alone to study in the north of China, he passed through Langfang, where endless red sorghum fields lay on both sides, and the sky was deep blue and very clear. 28 years later, when he attended a brief but grand donation ceremony as a donor, he, the Chairman of the Board of Qian Tong Technology Industry Co., Ltd, could still clearly recall the scene: “Everything was so enthusiastic and pure at that time, just like the years I spent at Nankai.”

The donation ceremony was held in the First Classroom of the School of Mathematical Sciences, where Zhou Haibing often studied in 1988. On the occasion of Nankai University's 97th anniversary, the former Nankai student presented his alma mater with a birthday gift of 100 million RMB, the highest single alumni donation made since the university was founded.

In Zhou Haibing's mind, this donation was not only something he should do, but also something he had wanted to do for a long time. He could never forget the help he received from his teachers and the days spent at Nankai University, where he met the most important mentors, brothers, and those partners who started the business along with him in his life, and began his exploration of life from ignorance to awakening.

Zhou was attracted to Nankai because of the pilot class in mathematics. But he wanted to change his major in his junior year of college. “I was not talented enough to learn pure mathematics, especially compared to the super-geniuses in my class, which changed my interest.”

Zhou feels that Nankai University was particularly tolerant of his choice at that time. “In the past, the Department of Finance didn't accept dual degree students from outside the department, but the change started from me; the Department of Mathematics didn't allow students to study for a dual degree outside the Department of Mathematics, and the change also started from me.”

Many years later, Zhou Haibing returned to Nankai University to study under Professor Xian Guoming at the Institute of International Economics, where he received his Ph.D. in Economics in 2005. Zhou proclaims that Professor Xian Guoming was the mentor who directly influenced and helped him the most. “Prof. Xian has a broad perspective and an exceptionally solid academic foundation. He introduced me to economics and taught me to think in a scientific manner.”

At the end of 2012, after twists and turns in his career and life, with encouragement from his mentor, Prof. Xian, Zhou Haibing decided to leave the past behind and start over and embark on a second start in business. He once returned to Nankai campus, walked around the Xinkai Lake, and stood in front of the main building and thought, “Let's start again from here.” Looking up at the statue of Premier Zhou Enlai and the blue sky, Zhou Haibing secretly held a relaunch ceremony for himself in his mind.

“We are excellent. But we should pursue goals beyond excellence! When a company can be outstanding instead of the most excellent, it can choose to transform; all of us at Nankai should pursue excellence and get back our dignity and glory!”

When Nankai University was founded, almost all of the buildings on campus were built with donations, including Xiushan Hall, Siyuan Hall, and the Muzhai Library. In accordance with this tradition, Zhou Haibing's 100 million RMB donation was used for the construction of a building to preserve and display Nankai's history and culture, as well as to establish the Nankai University Wisdom and Virtue Fund to support the university's development and construction in terms of student scholarships, faculty introductions, academic exchanges and so on. As President Gong Ke said in his speech, the growth of students is closely related to the development of the university. As the supply side of education, the university should strive for education and teaching reform, faculty construction, improvement of school running conditions, international exchange and cooperation, etc., in order to provide a good development platform for students' growth and allow them to enjoy their time at Nankai to the fullest.