The MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing has received substantial support for its striking latest headquarters on Vassar Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A serious gift from Sebastian Man ’79, SM ’80 will probably be recognized with the naming of a key space within the constructing, enriching the tutorial and research activities of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and MIT.
Man, the primary major donor to support the constructing since Stephen A. Schwarzman’s foundational gift established the Schwarzman College of Computing, is the chair and CEO of Chung Mei International Holdings Ltd., a manufacturer of domestic kitchen electrics and air treatment products for major international brands. Particularly supportive of education, he’s a council member of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, serves on the Board of the Morningside College of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and was a member of the court of the University of Hong Kong and the chair of the Harvard Business School Association of Hong Kong. His community activities include serving as a council member of The Higher Hong Kong Foundation and executive committee member of the International Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong China Business Council, in addition to of many other civic and business organizations. Man can also be a part of the MIT parent community, as his son, Brandon Man, is a graduate student within the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Man’s gift to the school was recognized at a ceremony and luncheon in Hong Kong, where he resides, on Jan. 10. MIT Chancellor for Academic Advancement W. Eric L. Grimson PhD ’80, who hosted the event, noted that along with his financial generosity to the Institute, Man has played many essential volunteer roles at MIT. “His service includes advancing MIT near and much as a member of the Corporation Development Committee, sharing his expertise through his recent selection as a brand new member of the Mechanical Engineering Visiting Committee, and, most recently, his acceptance of an invite to hitch the Schwarzman College of Computing Dean’s Advisory Council,” he said.
“This latest constructing is a house for the MIT community and a house for the people who find themselves helping shape the long run of computing and AI,” said MIT Schwarzman College of Computing Dean Daniel Huttenlocher SM ’84, PhD ’88 in a video greeting to Man and his family. “Because of your gift, the school is healthier positioned to realize its mission of making a positive impact on society, and for that we’re deeply grateful.”
The state-of-the-art MIT Schwarzman College of Computing headquarters was designed to reflect the mission of meeting rapidly changing needs in computing through latest approaches to research, education, and real-world engagement. The space provides MIT’s campus with a house base for computing research groups, latest classrooms, and convening and event spaces.
Those on the Hong Kong event also enjoyed a video message from Stephen A. Schwarzman, chair, CEO, and co-founder of Blackstone and the school’s founding donor. “Once we first announced the brand new college at MIT,” he said, “MIT said it was reshaping itself for the long run. That future has come even faster than all of us thought. Today, AI is an element of the each day vernacular, and MIT’s ability to affect its development together with your support is more tangible than ever.”
Sebastian Man spoke fondly of his years on the Institute. “The place really opened my eyes … and sharpened my intellect. It offered me a complete brave, latest world. Every thing was interesting and the whole lot was exciting!
“I come from a family where my father taught us that one should all the time be grateful to those people and places which have helped you to turn into who you might be today,” Man continued. “MIT instilled in me unending mental curiosity and the love for the unknown, and I’m honored and privileged to be related to the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing.”
