(Yicai) Nov. 29 -- Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi's founder Lei Jun has donated CNY1.3 billion (USD183.7 million) to its alma mater Wuhan University on the 130th anniversary of its founding, the highest-ever donation a Chinese university has received from an individual contributor.

The funds will support basic research in the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry, literature, history, and philosophy, scientific and technological innovations in computing science, and the nurture of undergraduates, Lei said.

After graduating from Wuhan University's School of Computer Science and Technology in 1991, Lei joined Beijing Kingsoft Software. In 2010, he founded Xiaomi, which is now one of the world's top five smartphone makers.

Lei had donated a total of CNY130 million (USD18.4 million) since 1997 before the latest donation, contributing to scholarship, science and technology development, and anti-Covid-19 funds. The building for teaching and carrying out scientific research on artificial intelligence he donated was put into use in June.

Editor: Futura Costaglione