Yu Minhong, founder of New Oriental Education and  Technology Group, is a model of China’s non-government funded education in the context of reform and opening-up.

Yu Minhong (File Photo: VCG)

The education entrepreneur, whose company is a beneficiary of the economic rebirth, has also been contributing to the national policy over the past 40 years.

This October, New Oriental unveiled a number of artificial intelligence initiatives aimed at improving teaching quality and students’ ability. It was Yu’s latest effort to promote education in China.

The entrepreneur said the online education services could enable New Oriental teachers from big cities in China, such as Beijing and Shanghai, to offer direct guidance to students from poverty-stricken areas.

Yu’s other startup is Hong Tai Fund Raises, which is dedicated to helping young people start their businesses. This June, New Oriental established the Oriental Coordinates Institute to cultivate elites in the education sector.

As of the end of August, New Oriental had 87 schools, 19 bookstores and 1,081 learning centers in 70 cities across the country. It trains about six million people per year.

Yu studied at Peking University in the 1980s. After graduating, he stayed as a teacher. He then opened learning centers which initially focused on TOEFL and GRE exam reviewers.

In 1993, Yu founded New Oriental. He expanded the company to provide services for various other exams and fields.

In 2006, New Oriental was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, becoming the first Chinese educational institution listed in the US. It set an example for non-government schools.

Just like a drop of water that flows in the big ocean of the country’s development, New Oriental will follow along the development of the country while making its own contributions.