Tony Chen's goal as a leader of the Shanghai Oxford and Cambridge Society is to connect, share, and contribute to alumni through social, philanthropical, and intellectual platforms. Over the past three years, the committee of the Shanghai Society has put together over 30 events, all with different themes tailored to their diverse audience making sure that they have something for everyone: Casual gatherings at the local bar, teaching migrant workers’ children English (Oxbridge Impact Initiative), insightful lectures on Antibody pharmaceutics (just to name a few). The latter event is exemplary of how they differentiate themselves from others by matching academia with industry as many of the attendees were directly involved or working on projects within the field.

Volunteering requires an adequate amount of passion, dedication, and sacrifice. As a group, the Shanghai Society have spent numerous hours after work and on weekends discussing event details and coordinating logistics so they can create a memorable experience each time around. As a volunteer/organiser, there is no feeling more satisfying than being approached by other alumni with praise and thanks for creating value. After all, that is what counts most.

Written by Tony Chen, Vice-President, Shanghai Oxford and Cambridge Society