New gift will help emerging leaders shape the future of technology and society

Kevin Xu, a biotech entrepreneur and philanthropist, has made a generous philanthropic gift to grow the Rhodes Forum on Technology & Society. The Forum, a collaboration between the Rhodes Trust and Equitech Futures, brings together interdisciplinary innovators from the Rhodes, Equitech, and allied networks to understand emerging opportunities at the intersection of technology and society, globally.

The gift was announced at the fifth edition of the Forum on 7 November at Rhodes House in Oxford. It extends to 2030 a partnership that Xu began with the Trust in 2022.

"Understanding how technology affects society is the contemporary challenge of our times," said the Honourable Chrystia Freeland PC, Warden and CEO of the Rhodes Trust. "And I am very excited that the Rhodes Trust will continue to play a role in building a platform. I am grateful to Kevin Xu and Abhilash Mishra for their foresight in launching this Forum and excited to support as the Forum grows in the coming years."

Held each year at Rhodes House, the Forum convenes scientists, technology leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers. Dr Abhilash Mishra, a Rhodes Scholar (India & Merton 2008) and the Founder and Chief Science Officer of Equitech Futures, conceived the gathering and developed it with Rhodes Trust leadership. Kevin Xu funded its launch.

"The Rhodes Scholarship was a transformative experience for me because of the network of leaders across disciplines that I met during my time at Oxford and the friends and mentors I have found in the network," Dr Mishra said. "At Equitech Futures, we want to build a similar model for emerging technology leaders from around the world, who can build technologies and policies that advance human dignity and flourishing."

The new commitment will expand the Forum's roster of speakers and strengthen the Kevin Xu Innovation Challenge with increased awards and mentorship for emerging entrepreneurs. It will also introduce smaller gatherings beyond Oxford for leaders working at the intersection of technology and society, bringing new voices and perspectives into these conversations under Freeland's leadership.

"The Rhodes Trust and Equitech Futures support some of the most impactful young leaders around the world," Xu said. "I am honoured to support the Rhodes Forum on Technology and Society and the Kevin Xu Innovation Challenge. This has become the premier platform for emerging leaders working on responsible technology, and I want to support its growth during this crucial time in our history."

Xu is president of MEBO, the pharmaceutical company founded by his father, and serves on the board of Equitech Futures. His philanthropy has also supported the University of Chicago, the Obama Foundation, the Clinton Foundation, Caltech, Harvard Medical School, and California State University, Los Angeles.

Highlights from previous Forums

• 2026: Human by Design: Technology, Agency, and the Futures We Choose
• 2025: Reimagining Abundance on a Global Scale
• 2024: A Multitude of Reasons to Be Optimistic About the Future
• 2023: Purpose-Driven Technologies in the 21st Century
• 2022: The Realignment Problem: Aligning Technology with Our Values

About the Rhodes Trust

The Rhodes Trust is an educational charity based at Rhodes House in Oxford. It administers the Rhodes Scholarship, established in 1902 and the world's oldest international graduate scholarship. The Scholarship brings exceptional young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford and joins them to a lifelong global fellowship.

About Equitech Futures

Equitech Futures is an innovation lab and global technology fellowship supporting emerging leaders working on tech for the public interest. Based in Chicago, it has supported more than 500 innovators across more than 70 countries, in partnership with the Rhodes Trust at Oxford and the University of Chicago.