Dr Yingjian Andy Xu, former postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemistry, and his chemical materials company GoldenKeys, have made this significant investment to support doctoral research at Oxford Chemistry. Doctoral students in receipt of these studentships will also have the opportunity to travel and gain industry experience at the GoldenKeys headquarters in Guizhou, China.
Dr Xu said: 'This fund aims to support PhD training for the next decade, enabling ground-breaking work and serving for humanity. Just as I benefited from departmental and industry support nearly twenty years ago, I want others to have the same opportunities. It will train talents for academic excellence and prepare them for impactful careers in industry, bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world applications.'
Professor Stephen Faulkner, Head of Department, said: 'Fundraising for graduate scholarships is a high priority for the department, ensuring that exceptional students are able to come to Oxford and undertake graduate research in chemistry. We are enormously grateful to Dr Xu for his generous contribution, which will help ensure this for graduate students in the years to come.'
Dr Xu was a postdoctoral research fellow at Oxford Chemistry in John Brown’s research group from 2005–2008, when he conducted research into homogeneous precious metal catalysts and organometallic cluster materials. Today, he leads GoldenKeys High-Tech Materials Co. Ltd., which has developed several hundred commercial products including heterogeneous catalysts and solid functional materials serving for a number of industrial sectors.
Of his time at Oxford Chemistry, Dr Xu says: 'This experience highlighted the crucial role of external backing in scientific progress, and the importance of solid research foundations, driving my commitment to ensure future researchers receive the support they need to succeed.'