Building the Future: Shaw Foundation’s Impact on Education Across mainland China

Over the past four decades, the Shaw Foundation has become synonymous with educational and medical philanthropy across mainland China, with Shaw educational buildings standing as enduring symbols of its legacy. Recognising the substantial progress in infrastructure development nationwide, the Foundation has in recent years shifted its funding strategy towards advancing higher education and academic excellence.

The Early Years: Systematic Support for Nationwide Educational Development

The Foundation’s educational contribution to mainland China began in 1986, pioneering systematic donations that have since reached all 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions. At a time when public educational funding was scarce on the mainland, the Foundation became one of the earliest philanthropic organisations to formalise a partnership with China’s Ministry of Education, aiming for nationwide improvements in school infrastructure.

In the past, the Ministry of Education proposed detailed funding plans covering a diverse range of institutions annually—including primary schools, secondary schools, vocational schools, and teacher training establishments—as well as key facilities such as libraries, teaching buildings, laboratories, academic exchange centres, and sports halls. The Foundation worked closely with the Ministry to review and select suitable proposals, ensuring alignment with local priorities and development goals. Once approved, the Foundation and the Ministry jointly funded the selected projects, with the Ministry coordinating implementation at the regional level. This co-funding model enabled a highly targeted approach, ensuring that resources were directed where they were most needed across the country.

Amplifying Change through Strategic Partnerships

This inclusive and sustained funding approach continued steadily until around 2014. Over the years, the Foundation has funded over 6,000 projects nationwide, including 407 projects for universities, 1,789 projects for secondary schools, 3,797 projects for primary schools, 60 libraries, 306 laboratories and 14 gymnasiums. “Shaw Buildings” are ubiquitous across mainland’s educational campuses, including prominent institutions such as Tsinghua University, Peking University and Zhejiang University.

Given the vast scope of donations, the Ministry of Education introduced specific project management protocols tailored to the Shaw Foundation-funded projects. These stipulated standardised guidelines on funding amounts, construction quality, and oversight of recipient institutions to maintain rigorous standards. Additionally, local governments and education administrative units were encouraged, and often required, to provide matching funds, fostering joint commitment and maximising the impact of the Foundation’s contributions. This approach encouraged administrative departments to increase their investment in educational infrastructure, facilitating collaborative development.

Charting New Directions: From Building Blocks to Academic Excellence

Over the past decade, with mainland China’s basic education infrastructure substantially improved, the Foundation has recalibrated its philanthropic strategy. Moving away from a broad, volume-based model of dispersed funding, the focus shifted to high-impact initiatives emphasising on higher education, scientific research, and innovation. Most recently, the Foundation launched the pioneering “Shaw Future Education Programme”, which aims to cultivate a new generation of innovative educators and leaders with global vision to drive educational modernisation in China. This programme already sent approximately 250 school teachers and principals from central and western regions abroad for specialised teaching skills trainings. To ensure lasting impact, a three-year follow-up period is in place to support the application of their new skills back in their schools.

From grassroots schools to elite universities, the Shaw Foundation has profoundly shaped China’s educational landscape over the long term. Its enduring legacy—manifested through more than 6,000 buildings and a progressive shift towards strategic, high-impact philanthropy—continues to support and respond to China's evolving educational needs.