On June 1, Shanghai Jiao Tong University announced that Shen Nanpeng, an outstanding alumnus from the university's inaugural educational reform pilot class of 1985 and the founding and managing partner of Sequoia Capital China, has generously donated 300 million yuan to establish the "Sequoia Academy Construction Fund" in honor of the university's 130th anniversary, aiming to support the advancement of its educational initiatives.

The university will leverage its Zhiyuan College to create a new platform for cultivating top-tier talent—Sequoia Academy. Shen Nanpeng has been appointed as the honorary dean, with President Ding Kuiling serving concurrently as the inaugural dean.

Sequoia Academy will concentrate on nurturing exceptional undergraduate students through the "Sequoia Scholars Program." This initiative targets young students with outstanding potential, innovative spirit, and ambitious aspirations, breaking through disciplinary boundaries to implement personalized "one student, one strategy" training plans.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Sequoia Capital China will pool high-quality resources from various sectors, inviting top scientists, academic leaders, industry pioneers, and corporate executives to form a "Sequoia Mentorship Group" to provide guidance throughout the program. The academy aims to build a development platform that connects academic frontiers, industry practice, and global perspectives, exploring AI-enabled educational models and a multi-dimensional evaluation system. Its goal is to cultivate innovative leaders capable of shaping the future, driving global change, and benefiting humanity.

Sequoia Academy is scheduled to begin selecting "Sequoia Scholars" from the incoming class of 2026 in early 2027.