Groundbreaking of Harvard’s first Building named for a Chinese American, the Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Cen

China News Agency, Boston, April 24 (Reporter Li Yang) — Harvard Business School hosts the Groundbreaking Ceremony at its Boston campus for their new Executive Education Center – The Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Center

The Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Center is Harvard’s first-ever female named building and also the first building named for a Chinese American.” The establishment of this center can be attributed to the foundation of Chairman of Foremost Group, Dr. James S.C. Chao, and his donation of forty million U.S. dollars.

This gift in the name of Ruth Mulan Chu Chao is to represent, “the Chinese-American population through the outstanding achievements of this Family’s much beloved matriarch,” and commemorate her life and spiritual legacy to future generations.

Drew Faust, President of Harvard University, said a building dedicated to Ms. Ruth Mulan Chu Chao on Harvard’s campus is fitting. She said that when she imagines the activities that will be carried out in this Center, including the pioneering of new concepts and innovation, the transfer of knowledge and thinking, these are all the values that Ruth Mulan Chu Chao and her husband Dr. James S.C. Chao held very highly, and passed to all of their daughters.

The Chao family is the only family ever to send four daughters to Harvard Business School: Elaine Chao, May Chao, Dr. Grace Chao and Angela Chao. Among them, The Honorable Elaine L. Chao received her MBA in 1979; Angela Chao received her MBA in 2001, now Foremost Group Deputy Chair.

Dr. James S.C. Chao said he believes that the Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Center will reflect her spirit and become a vibrant gathering hub, so Harvard members from around the world can better understand each other to build a better world.

Elaine Chao said in her speech, her mother Ruth Chao believed in the transformative power of education. She hopes that the Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Mulan Center will help train outstanding future world leaders for the betterment of the entire world.

Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai also attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Center and delivered a speech. He gave warm congratulations for the Groundbreaking of the Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Center, and also to Dr. Chao for his positive contribution to the promotion of future Sino-US exchanges.

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senator Ed Markey, and Dean Nohria of Harvard Business School, also attended the ceremony.

The Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Center will be equipped with meeting rooms, offices, dining facilities and classrooms, and will become a hub on campus to study or participate in projects for thousands of executives from around the world who enter the gateway of Harvard Business School. The Center is scheduled for completion in June 2016.