10 Things You Didn’t Know about Yu Liu

Death is inevitable, but the legacy one leaves behind can determine if you will be quickly forgotten or you will forever be engrained in the minds of those left behind. A legacy does not have to be a fortune; people make a difference without much money, Mother Teresa being a perfect example. For Yu Liu, he is determined to be remembered as one who changed the world of internet-based language as we know it. If you have no idea who Yu Liu is, here is a little information that will help you get to know this Vassar College graduate who changed the world. 

1. He is a member of LocWorld’s Advisory Committee

Yu Liu has put his leadership skills to use in various ways among which is by being a member of LocWorld’s Advisory Committee. Localization World is a leading conference for international business, global website management, translation and localization. It is the ideal platform for business that wants to venture in the international market enabling networking and brainstorming to solve problems and learn new techniques.

2. He is a special advisor to Mobike

China is the world’s most populous country with over 1.3 billion people, and as such, you can imagine the congestion that is on the roads. However, one company, Mobike International, came up with the bike-sharing system to facilitate movement such that one can ride a bicycle from one dock to another for a fee. Yu Liu, being a bright man, became the special advisor of Mobike International although the company has been facing stiff competition from Ofo and is shutting down some of its operations as reported on VOA.

3. He is a fellow of Edmund Hillary Fellowship

Yu Liu joined Edmund Hillary Fellowship, an organization that impacts investors, entrepreneurs and startups to address some of the greatest humanity’s challenges. It is located in New Zealand, and Yu Liu is a fellow in cohort two believing that the relationship he wants to build between New Zealand and China will be mutually beneficial to both countries, according to Edmund Hillary Fellowship. Becoming part of the community requires one to apply, and currently, you can apply to be a fellow in Cohort 6 before the deadline on August 4, 2019.

4. He was a managing editor while in college

For most students, going to college means utilizing the newfound freedom which sometimes can get in the way and some skip classes to nurse hangovers. Yu Liu must have been focused as a student to not only excel in his studies but take on additional responsibilities. He became the managing editor of the college paper, Vassar Miscellany News. The paper is one of the oldest at the college; it distributes over 2,000 copies every week, and it has been publishing weekly since February 6, 1914. It still has quarterly, monthly and annually issues, meaning Yu Liu had his hands full with the position of a managing editor.

5. He went to Vassar College for his bachelor’s degree

Yu Liu attended Vassar College for his undergraduate studies and anyone who knows more about the college can be assured that Yu Liu is intelligent. Vassar College has an acceptance rate of 23.8% and graduation rate of 92% but getting into the institution requires a student to have at least a GPA of 3.8 on the 4.0 scale making Yu Liu an outstanding student. However, according to College Simply, the school does not accept students based on their high academic performance alone, it is very selective meaning that Yu Liu must have outdone himself in other areas for him to end up doing his bachelor’s degree there.

6. He built one of the earliest internet-based languages in China

In 2011, Yu Liu founded Zuodao, which was a worker community and job platform under One Cloud Technologies. Zuodao became one of the earliest and largest internet-based languages in China and the go-to destination for editors, proofreaders and translators, cementing his abilities as an entrepreneur destined for greater success.

7. He is the head of Alibaba’s Language Business unit

Yu Liu prides himself in being the founder of One Cloud Technologies, which helped to operate his other startup, Zuodao. However, in 2015, Alibaba acquired Zuodao, and with his experience, it was only natural that the company had him head the language business unit. For a long time, Yu Liu has concerned himself with the internet-based languages, and his mission for Alibaba is to be ready for a future where there will be no language barriers.

8. He was selected to be an Ashoka Changemaker in 2011

With his startup, Zuodao, Yu Liu landed the finalist position winning the Changemaker of The Year award by Ashoka Foundation. Ashoka is a global organization that seeks to identify and invest in top social entrepreneurs who are determined to make a positive social change through their practical and innovative ideas. The fact that he obtained the award by a worldwide organization was enough to give Yu Liu the motivation to keep doing what he had started.

9. He went to Shanghai High School

School has always been viewed as a rite of passage with parents sending their children to the best institutions in the hopes that they can make their future better by getting an education. Yu Liu was among those who managed to get to one of the top public schools in China. Shanghai High School is reputed as the first to provide an international Baccalaureate program and start an international division. The school boasts of having 15% of its graduates being admitted to world-recognized universities such as Harvard and Stanford.

10. He is in his early thirties

It is difficult to imagine that a man who has accomplished so much is barely 40, yet that is the age where life supposedly begins. Time and tide wait for no man, and Yu Liu seems to have embraced every opportunity that came his way to get to where he is today. He was born in Beijing, China in 1986 and since the exact month of his birth is not disclosed that puts his age to between 32 and 33.