Tsinghua University and Nike Join Forces Again to Cultivate Leaders in Sustainability

On June 5, 2024, John Donahoe, President and CEO of Nike, visited Tsinghua University. LI Luming, President of Tsinghua University, met with the delegation in the West Hall of Gongzi Hall, where they discussed further deepening their cooperation.

LI Luming welcomed John Donahoe and his delegation, recalling the history of their collaboration. He emphasized Tsinghua University's long-standing sports tradition and vibrant athletic atmosphere, noting that sports culture is an integral part of Tsinghua's culture. Slogans like "Strive to work in good health for the motherland for at least fifty years" and "No sports, no Tsinghua" have inspired generations of Tsinghua students. Li expressed hope that their collaboration would continue to deepen, focusing on the jointly launched Sustainability Fellowship Program and sports talent development, taking university-corporate cooperation to new heights.

John Donahoe shared the development history and vision of Nike, expressing gratitude for Tsinghua University's support in their collaboration. He acknowledged Tsinghua as a renowned university with outstanding students and looked forward to further deepening their long-term partnership.

Angela Dong, Vice President of Nike Inc. and General Manager of Nike Greater China, attended the meeting. Representatives from Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (Tsinghua SEM), Department of Physical Education, and the International Office also participated.

A group photo of attendees

At Tsinghua SEM, John Donahoe engaged in a lively dialogue with Dean BAI Chong-En and interacted with over three hundred Tsinghua students discussing topics including leadership, the role of sports in today's world, the growing importance of innovation, and how collaboration can drive sustainable development.

Dialogue between BAI Chong-En and John Donahoe

“Sustainability is embedded in everything Nike does, but it is through community and collaboration that we will reach our goal of creating a better world," said Donahoe during his visit to Tsinghua University, "By coming together and working with partners across sectors and industries, we are able to drive greater impact and change. Tsinghua University is a world-class institution, and we are excited to be expanding our work together to empower young minds and help them to become tomorrow’s leaders and innovators in sustainability."

Bai Chong-En remarked, “Tsinghua SEM has undertaken numerous practical explorations to implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the areas of talent cultivation, scientific research, social service, cultural inheritance, and innovation. Relying on Tsinghua SEM and integrating Tsinghua University's high-quality educational resources in the fields of science and technology, humanities, social sciences, and the arts, the Tsinghua-Nike Sustainability Fellowship Program will focus on cultivating students' global competences, local insights, and systematic critical thinking, so that they can make sustainability a core value in their daily learning, thinking, and living. At the same time, through hands-on projects and innovative support, students will be able to acquire the ability to solve real-world problems, laying a solid foundation for their future as leaders in advancing sustainable development."

The dialogue and the Nike delegation visit were hosted by LI Jinliang, Professor at the School of Economics and Management, who leads the Tsinghua-Nike Sustainability Fellowship Program. He pointed out that students with innovative thinking and leadership potential will be selected from across the university to join the Sustainability Fellowship Program building a close-knit, open and inclusive community. The training mechanism will allow students to specialize in their respective areas of expertise while fostering sustainability mindset and leadership skills. The program will offer interdisciplinary cutting-edge courses, domestic and international study tours, industry practice opportunities, and a variety of community activities. These experiences will help students gain a comprehensive understanding of sustainability, global issues, and future challenges from diverse perspectives. Academic and industry mentors will jointly support students in research and innovation projects, helping them master innovative thinking methods and tools, and apply them in practical sustainability explorations.

LI Jinliang hosted the Nike delegation visit

ZHOU Kanglin, a PhD student from the School of Social Sciences, hopes to develop a real-time carbon emission monitoring, fine management, and trend prediction solution combining artificial intelligence technology to help enterprises achieve local deployment and security through project cultivation. Veldesen Yaputra, an undergraduate student from the Academy of Arts and Design, hopes to seek resources and technical support for his ongoing rural revitalization project in Indonesia through the program. WEI Zhenwei, a PhD student from the School of Vehicle and Mobility, hopes to collaborate with peers from different departments to study how to achieve self-protection and safe operation of new energy vehicle battery systems through bionics principles and materials science.

A group photo at the event

During his visit to Tsinghua University, John Donahoe also visited Tsinghua University to learn about the development of sports at Tsinghua University and interacted with Tsinghua student athletes at the century-old Tsinghua University West Gymnasium.

John Donahoe interacting with Tsinghua student athletes

The two sides also discussed carrying forward the Tsinghua-Nike Sustainability Fellowship Program, aiming to cultivate future leaders and advocates of sustainability and contribute to the achievement of the "dual carbon" goals. The program is set to launch officially in September 2024.