On October 23, 2014, PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP), one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, signed an agreement with the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (Tsinghua SEM) and announced a US$3 million donation to Tsinghua SEM to support the establishment of the Chair Professorship program and a course on the Responsible Corporation.
CHEN Jining, President of Tsinghua University, Indra Nooyi, Tsinghua SEM Advisory Board member and PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, QIAN Yingyi, Dean of Tsinghua SEM, Sanjeev Chadha, CEO of PepsiCo Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), and Katty Lam, PepsiCo Greater China Region (GCR) Chairwoman, attended the signing ceremony. Dean QIAN Yingyi and Chairwoman Katty Lam signed the agreement.
PepsiCo-Tsinghua SEM “Chair Professorship” Program Signing Ceremony
In addition to its long-standing and proactive investment in China’s development, PepsiCo has supported higher education in China. By providing funds for the establishment of the “Course on the Responsible Corporation” at Tsinghua SEM, PepsiCo intends to work with this worldrenowned university to train future business leaders in the importance of aligning business objectives with society’s needs.
“Tsinghua is a world-renowned university, and its School of Economics and Management is the cradle of business leaders and captains of industries,” said Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo and Tsinghua SEM Advisory Board member. “PepsiCo is incredibly honored to strengthen our cooperation with Tsinghua through the establishment of a new course and joint research projects that will contribute to the development of future business leaders – for China and the world – who understand how to manage a corporation in a way that is both good for business and for society.”
The course on the Responsible Corporation will be open to undergraduate, Master’s, MBA and EMBA students of Tsinghua SEM, and the course will cover such themes as how to align corporate interests with public interests and engage with stakeholders effectively, how to balance and manage short-term business and profitability and set up long-term development strategies, how to establish the yardsticks and scorecards for sustainable development.
The Chair Professorship program will employ leading professors in the management field and follow a multi-disciplinary approach, inviting experts from government agencies, NGOs, and experts from other disciplines (law, public policy, etc.) to share their perspectives and experiences with the class. Senior executives from PepsiCo and its business partners will also be invited to give lectures or share experiences. In addition, PepsiCo and Tsinghua SEM will identify collaborative research projects of common interest in the areas including but not limited to such topics as supply chain food safety management and sustainable agro development, and organize seminars and forums on topics such as e-commerce and corporate social responsibility.
CHEN Jining, President of Tsinghua University, expressed his appreciation of PepsiCo’s care and support for the development of Tsinghua University. He remarked, “Tsinghua University and PepsiCo have forged an important partnership and shared common aspirations of values. Tsinghua University recently announced ’The 40 Articles on Comprehensively Deepening Reform of Education and Teaching’, in which one of the core initiatives is to establish a “three-in-one” educational model on value-building, capability-training and knowledge-impartment. PepsiCo and Tsinghua University signed an agreement today to work together on a course in Responsible Corporation, which helps to reinforce Tsinghua University’s education reform. I hope that we could jointly promote world progress in such fields as education, social responsibility and beyond. "
PepsiCo, which entered the Chinese market in 1981, is one of the first US-based companies to invest and develop in China. In the past 33 years, PepsiCo has established a highly successful food and beverage businesses in China, with a total investment exceeding RMB 15 billion. With its vigorous promotion of “Performance with Purpose” strategy in recent years, PepsiCo has scored tremendous achievements in human sustainability, environment sustainability and talent sustainability. From 2009 to 2013, PepsiCo is honored consecutively on the list of “World’s Top 50 Most Admired Companies” selected by Fortune Magazine. PepsiCo became Advisory Board unit of Tsinghua SEM in 2011.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2013, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth in shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
About Tsinghua SEM
Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (Tsinghua SEM) was founded in 1984. Former Chinese Premier ZHU Rongji is the Founding Dean. The School offers undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, MBA, EMBA and executive education programs, with a total enrollment of more than 4,500 students. Tsinghua SEM is committed to advancing knowledge and cultivating leaders for China and the world. The School strives to provide students with the highest quality education possible to help them reach their full potential.