Shandong University Holds the Award Ceremony for the "Ji Defa Scholarship"
2021-10-25
▲ Ji Defa, an alumnus (sixth from the left), poses for a photo with some of the winners.
On October 14, in Jinan—the “Spring City”—at the Qianfo Mountain Campus of Shandong University, in the De Fa Hall, the award ceremony for the Ji De Fa Scholarship of Shandong University was held with great solemnity. Ji De Fa, founder of STEP and chairman of the STEP Academy, presented award certificates to 28 doctoral, master’s, and undergraduate recipients.
▲ Gao Rui (first from the left), Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Control at Shandong University, and Chang Falang (fourth from the left), Executive Deputy Dean, welcome Ji Defa, an alumnus (third from the left), on his visit to the School of Control.
The award ceremony was chaired by Professor Chang Falang, Executive Deputy Dean of the School of Control at Shandong University. He welcomed alumnus Ji Defa back to his alma mater during the 120th anniversary celebration of Shandong University. To express gratitude for alumnus Ji Defa’s generous contributions to the development of his alma mater, the conference room in the School of Control—where Ji Defa once studied—has been named “Defa Hall.” Gao Rui, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Control at Shandong University, introduced the recent developments of Shandong University and the School of Control, as well as provided information on the recipients of the Ji Defa Scholarship.
In his speech, Ji Defa, founder of STEP and chairman of the STEP Academy Board of Directors, expressed his delight at returning to the Control College where he once studied. He was thrilled to see his alma mater thriving and growing vigorously. Moving forward, STEP will intensify its collaboration with the university through various initiatives, including opening up internship bases, launching in-service graduate programs, and providing employment opportunities. These efforts aim to enhance the university’s talent development capabilities and bolster the R&D capacity of enterprises, thereby putting into practice the national strategy of integrating industry and education.
During his time at Shandong University, Ji Defa, founder of STEP and chairman of the STEP Academy, was also invited to attend the 120th-anniversary celebration of Shandong University.
▲ Professor Wang Qilong, Executive Vice President of Shandong University, meets with alumnus Ji Defa.
▲ Jidefa alumni receive a live interview from Shandong TV at the 120th Anniversary Celebration of Shandong University.
▲ Jidefa alumni attended the donation ceremony marking the 120th anniversary of Shandong University’s founding.
Short Biographies of Characters
Ji Defa, a 1986 master’s student at the School of Control Science and Engineering at Shandong University, holds an EMBA from Peking University. He is a senior engineer, the founder of Shanghai STEP Electric Co., Ltd., Chairman of the STEP Academy, and Honorary President of the Shandong University Shanghai Alumni Association. He started his own business in 1995, and the company went public in 2010. Today, STEP has become the global隐形 champion in elevator control systems, a leading Chinese enterprise in intelligent manufacturing, and China’s No. 1 robot brand in terms of installed base. Mr. Ji Defa has been honored with titles including “Shanghai City’s Leading Figure in Science and Technology,” “Outstanding Builder of the Socialist Cause with Chinese Characteristics,” “One of China’s 100 Outstanding Economic Figures,” and “China’s Outstanding Private Sector Entrepreneur in Science and Technology.”
Shandong University is a place that alumnus Ji Defa will always cherish and be deeply grateful for. As Ji Defa often says, it was his university education that truly opened his eyes to the world. Even years after leaving his alma mater, Ji Defa never forgets his time studying at Shandong University. In the STEP Expert Building, there’s a clear spring bubbling away—this is none other than the Baotu Spring, which Ji Defa has always held dear in his heart. In 2012, STEP virtually swept the master’s and doctoral graduates from the College of Control Engineering that year. In 2013, STEP partnered with the College of Control Engineering to establish an in-service graduate program. Today, among STEP’s staff, more than 50 alumni from Shandong University can be found—and these alumni affectionately refer to him as “Senior Brother.”
“Drinking water, we remember its source; holding deep affection for our alma mater.” Alumnus Ji Defa has made numerous generous donations to Shandong University, selflessly supporting the university’s development. In 2019, to mark Shandong University’s 120th anniversary, Ji Defa once again donated 10 million yuan to the university and established the “Shandong University Ji Defa Scholarship” at the School of Control Science and Engineering. President Fan Liming of Shandong University commented that alumnus Ji Defa is not only an entrepreneur endowed with humanistic concern and a spirit of innovation, but also an outstanding representative of the 600,000 Shandong University alumni. In him, we see the Shandong University ethos of “pursuing truth and embracing innovation” as well as the profound sentiment of “devotion to family, country, and the world.”
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