Soros not afraid of Fudan either

While the left is attacking the Chinese Fudan University, the world’s most renowned political and financial leaders, scholars, and businessmen take the educational institution quite seriously. George Soros and the former Managing Director of the IMF held lectures there, and even Barack Obama, while president of the United States, answered student questions in a forum at the Shanghai university.

Christine Lagarde 2015 márciusában mondott beszédet a kínai egyetemen Fotó: Law Forrás: IMF

The left has opened fire on the Chinese Fudan University. They believe the campus planned for Budapest could seriously violate Hungary’s sovereignty. They talk of Chinese spies and communist doctrines. What they do not mention is that Fudan University is the 34th best institute of higher education in the world according to the QS World University Rankings and that the University has long been on an elite level. However, many others throughout the world are well aware of this – especially those who have visited the Shanghai institution to give lectures and presentations. These are not just world-famous scholars, but also people that the Hungarian opposition fully respect and consider unquestionable democrats.

For example, in June 2009, none other than George Soros held a lecture there.

Among other things, the American businessman of Hungarian descent told Fudan’s teachers and students in relation to the financial crisis, that China’s recovery will have an impact on both the world economy and capital markets.

„I believe China’s influence on the global economy is growing faster than many people think,” he said.

Barack Obama, while president of the US, traveled to China in November 2009. He visited Shanghai where he was received by Fudan’s leaders. He took part in a student forum attended by students from several higher education institutes, including Fudan University.

„It is a great honor for me to be here in Shanghai, and to have this opportunity to speak with all of you. I'd like to thank Fudan University's President Yang for his hospitality and his gracious welcome” said President Obama, greeting his audience. He called China a „majestic country”. In Shanghai, he noticed that their growth and development „captured the attention of the world,” also mentioning the significance of the city in the history of US-China relations. President Obama also brought attention to the fact that American and Chinese researchers are collaborating on new research and discoveries. The American President – who also answered questions from the students – expressed his hope that many of them would end up in the United States.

It is also worth mentioning the former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. Christine Lagarde held a lecture at Fudan University in March 2015. She called the institution one of China’s oldest and greatest institutions. Among other things, she also said that the world’s second-largest economy will play a key role in shaping a new kind of global cooperation.

Lagarde headed the IMF from 2011 to 2019 where Zhu Min, a Fudan alumni, was the Deputy Managing Director between 2011 and 2016.

It is no coincidence that Fudan University is taken so seriously throughout the world: established in 1905, it covers over 2.5 million square meters including laboratories and hospitals along with a library stocked with 5.5 million volumes and countless digital resources. The school also has over 4 thousand foreign students from many different countries among its ranks. Their public events feature presentations by industry and finance leaders, Chinese and foreign professors, as well as Nobel Prize winning scientists.

The institution has established exchanges with more than two hundred universities and research institutes in some 30 countries and regions, including Harvard, Yale, and Columbia. Fudan is also a member of the Universitas 21 association of the world’s leading universities.

The Chinese college students are welcomed in many parts of the world. It is telling that between 2000 and 2018, the number of Chinese students at US universities increased from 60 thousand to 360 thousand. This enriches the higher education of the overseas country by billions of dollars.