Dear alumni,

As the 60th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations approaches, Sciences Po Shanghai Alumni has initiated a call for donation to name a seat in Amphi Boutmy in honor of Ma Jianzhong(马建忠), the earliest known Chinese student at Sciences Po, who studied there in the 19th century.

© Marta Nascimento / Sciences Po

The Émile Boutmy lecture hall is Sciences Po’s historic lecture hall and is central to the institution, from the pursuit of knowledge of many young students to historical events, it has witnessed it all. This call for donation is an important part of Sciences Po Shanghai Alumni's activities on the occasion of the "60th Anniversary of Sino-French Diplomatic Relations" in 2024 it is also the first time that the history of the earliest Chinese alumni would leave its mark in Sciences Po campus through a seat inscription.

The Sciences Po Shanghai Alumni hopes to commemorate this history and pay tribute to Sciences Po's contributions to cultural and educational exchanges between China and France, and to further deepen the emotional bond between Chinese alumni, alumni in China and Sciences Po, while also promoting the possibilities for future educational and cultural exchanges between Sciences Po and China.

For the alumni who wish to participate in the donation, please follow below instructions:

1. About the donation: Name a seat in Sciences Po’s Boutmy lecture hall by Ma Jianzhong, known as the earliest Chinese student at Sciences Po and a diplomat renown both in China and the world.

-           Ma Jianzhong (马建忠，1845-1900): an important official of the Westernization movement (洋务运动) in the late Qing dynasty, a socialist thinker, diplomatist, and linguist. He came to France in 1876 and graduated from the Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques (the predecessor of Sciences Po) in 1879. His knowledge of international law learned in France made him highly valued by the Qing government and became an important official under Li Hongzhang. In addition, his book "Wen Tong(文通)" is the first comprehensive Chinese grammar book and is the foundation of Chinese grammar. In 1931, linguist Yang Shudong published "Ma Jianzhong's Wen Tong Magazine Correction(马氏文通刊误)" which was printed by the Commercial Press and completed and revised the work.

2. Target donation amount: 8,000 euros (Platinum: 8,000 euros per seat for ten years). 

Donation amount reference: Reserve – Boutmy (sciencespo.fr)

3. Donation period: September 13 —November 30, 2023.

4. Donation methods:

Official website: https://soutenir.sciencespo.fr/alumni-china 

Bank transfer: on request

5. Donation info inquiry: After successful donation, the donation department of Sciences Po will send an email to each donor for confirmation.

6. Tax deduction information: If you are a taxpayer in France, each donation can be subject to a tax deduction of 66% to 75% of the amount of your donation.

7. Handling of excess amount: Any excess amount will be used for the Boutmy Scholarship Fund, to support Chinese undergraduate and graduate students studying at Sciences Po in Paris.

If you encounter any problem during the donation process, please contact Ms. Zhou Hewei, President of Sciences Po Shanghai Alumni (hewei.zhouscpo@gmail.com) or Ms. Liu Huayin, Representative of Sciences Po in China (huayin.liu@sciencespo.fr).

We look forward to the participation and support of all alumni! 

Best regards！

Zhou Hewei, 

President of the Sciences Po Shanghai Alumni 

September 12th 2023