Mourning Dr. Yang Xiangbo, Patron of Harmonia College

Dr. Yang Xiangbo, the patron of Harmonia College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, former CPPCC member, and Founder & Executive Chairman of Shirble Holdings, passed away on 2 June 2020.

Dr. Yang Xiangbo was a patriotic entrepreneur who always remained concerned about the country and gave back to society in every way he could. In March 2018, he donated to the establishment of Harmonia College, the fourth college of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. This generous act of kindness has not only facilitated the collaboration between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, but also contributed to the long-term development of education for our country.

At the inauguration ceremony, he said, "Harmonia College is the most meaningful of all the charitable causes I have donated to.”

In appreciation of his contribution, Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Wang Weizhong, Secretary of the Shenzhen Municipal CPC Committee, Dr. Norman LEUNG, the Chairman of the Council of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prof. Lawrence J. LAU, the Chairman of the Board of Shenzhen Finance Institute, CUHK-Shenzhen, Professor Sir James A. Mirrlees, Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, and Professor Yangsheng Xu, President of CUHK-Shenzhen, among all other guests from various sectors of the community, were all present at the founding ceremony.

Dr. Yang was the Chairman of Shirble Holdings, Director of Shirble Department Store Holdings (China) Limited, and Director of Shirble Department Store Investment Limited. He was a member of the 8th, 9th, 10th and 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and was awarded the titles of "Honorary Citizen of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province", "Honorary Citizen of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province" and "Honorary Citizen of Shanwei, Guangdong Province".

The death of Dr. Yang Xiangbo is not only a great loss for CUHK-Shenzhen Harmonia College, but also for China's philanthropy and business community. However, his patriotic spirit and passion for education and charity will always be something to be admired.

Biography

The death of Dr. Yang Xiangbo is not only a great loss for CUHK-Shenzhen Harmonia College, but also for China's philanthropy and business community. However, his patriotic spirit and passion for education and charity will always be something to be admired.

In the 1980s, Dr. Yang Xiangbo founded Shirble Holdings Limited and served as the Executive Chairman of Shirble Holdings, Director of Shirble Department Store Holdings (China) Limited, and Director of Shirble Department Store Investment Limited. The Group, with a history of over 30 years, has now evolved into a diversified conglomerate that spans regions and industries.

Dr. Yang Xiangbo was a member of the 8th, 9th, 10th and 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and was awarded the titles of "Honorary Citizen of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province", "Honorary Citizen of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province" and "Honorary Citizen of Shanwei, Guangdong Province". He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Harbin Shirble Thermoelectric Co., Director of China Merchants Bank, Director of China Minsheng Banking Corp.Ltd, and received an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology.

Dr. Yang Xiangbo was a visionary of education and an advocate of shaping world-renowned education institutions in China which integrated internationally advanced teaching and learning concepts. One of his endeavors relates to the successful introduction of Thomas Jefferson High School in Shenzhen, China. He has been actively involved in charitable activities throughout his life, donating hundreds of millions of dollars for various causes such as Peking Opera, education, disaster relief, and poverty alleviation. In 2014, Dr. Yang donated to the Shenzhen Pingshan District Harmony Foreign Language School through the Shenzhen Harmony Foundation as a way to foster the educational advancement of the New District. In early 2018, The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) received a donation of HK$10 million from Dr. Yang Xiangbo, a gift to fund the construction of the University's new academic building. In March of the same year, Dr. Yang endowed the establishment of CUHK-Shenzhen Harmonia College with a view to further contributing to the long-term development of Chinese education.