One billionaire’s plan to build a women-only residential college at major Sydney university

3 months ago 18

A Hong Kong billionaire has donated $30 million to the University of NSW to build a women-only residential college – the largest philanthropic contribution ever made to the institution for student accommodation.

Venture capitalist Solina Chau’s donation will house science, technology, engineering and maths students on campus in a bid to foster leadership and community in fields typically dominated by men.

Billionaire Solina Chau said she remembered her time at the University of NSW fondly.

Chau began a bachelor of commerce degree at UNSW in the 1980s before co-founding Horizon Ventures, one of the earliest investors in Facebook, Spotify and Zoom. She has amassed an estimated fortune of $3.6 billion.

“Studying at UNSW was a pivotal moment in my life,” Chau said.

“I gained insights that guided my life, especially my quests and perspectives in business, for which I am profoundly grateful. I’m proud to be giving back to UNSW in this impactful way.”

The H.S. Chau College will occupy the top four storeys of a yet-to-be built Horizons tower on the university’s Kensington campus, with women to live in self-catered apartments from 2030.

UNSW engineering students Hayley Jiang (left) and Ruby Chang at the University of NSW.

Engineering and arts student Haley Jiang will not benefit from the additional housing, but can see the benefit of creating an instant community of women, who make up just 24 per cent of current engineering students at the university.

“In an engineering degree, the flat answer is that it is very male dominated,” she said.

As a student leader of the university’s Redback Racing team, which builds electronic vehicles from scratch, Jiang receives 400 applications a year to join but only 10 per cent are accepted, she said. While applicants reflect the gender split among engineering students, female students were less inclined to complete the crucial technical assessment.

“We interviewed a lot of female engineering students, and what we found … is that a lot of young, young girls in engineering have a lot of confidence issues,” she said.

Running workshops for women resulted in increased numbers of female students submitting the crucial technical assessment. She said a dedicated residential college could similarly help foster a community that would boost confidence.

Engineering and commerce student Ruby Chang went from an all-girls high school to the University of NSW. She was also immediately struck by the gender imbalance. She created a women in mechatronics department on campus.

“[It means] having a community already set up for you, and you don’t have to continuously search for them on campus,” she said.

“I think it makes a difference having that community even in your classes. If you feel you’re the only girl there, it’s nice to come out of class and be like, ‘Oh, I know this other person on campus.’ ”

Vice president societal impact, equity and engagement Verity Firth said environments where students felt comfortable were vital for education.

“The best learning comes when people have a sense of belonging and a sense of agency in the classroom, and, whether you like it or not, if you’re just one girl in a room full of boys or three girls in a room full of boys, it can feel pretty intimidating,” she said.

Billionaire Robin Khouda this year donated $100 million to the University of Sydney in a bid to lift the number of women in science and maths degrees.

In May, the Ainsworth family committed $50 million to establish the Ainsworth Endometriosis Research Institute at the University of NSW, the biggest known philanthropic donation to endometriosis research worldwide.

Financial reports show that Macquarie University last year brought in $19.3 million in donations and bequests, Sydney University’s totalled $81.1 million and the University of NSW raised $43 million.

University of NSW chief advancement officer Lindsay Robinson said Chau was not heavily involved in the design but wanted to create an ecosystem where women can thrive.

“She just really focused and homed in on how do we create an environment for women that really nurtures talent and stimulates ambition?” she said.

“It was definitely her idea. We had numerous meetings. We’re really, really invested in being curious and listening deeply and understanding what they want to achieve, and this was very much kind of in line with what she had been talking about.”

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