Nvidia’s Huang joins Tsinghua University board chaired by Apple’s Cook

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to Join Beijing’s Tsinghua University Advisory Board

Jensen Huang, the chief executive of Nvidia, has agreed to join the advisory board of Beijing’s Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, according to reporting by the Financial Times on Wednesday. The board is chaired by Apple CEO Tim Cook, who has held the position since 2019.ft

The move comes as Huang navigates an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape between the United States and China, balancing Nvidia’s commercial interests in the world’s second-largest economy with Washington’s restrictions on advanced chip exports.

Taiwan as ‘Epicentre of AI Revolution’

On the same day as the Tsinghua report, Huang was in Taipei celebrating the launch of Nvidia’s new headquarters project, where he described Taiwan as the “epicentre of the AI revolution”. Speaking at a company event at Beitou Shilin Technology Park, Huang said Nvidia would increase its investment in Taiwan to $150 billion a year, noting that chips, advanced packaging systems, and AI supercomputers are manufactured there.malaymail

“Taiwan is booming,” Huang told employees, adding that Nvidia’s investment will “fuel an incredible ecosystem here”. Construction of the Taiwan headquarters is scheduled to begin at the end of 2026, with completion expected in 2030.focustaiwan

Balancing Beijing and Washington

Huang’s acceptance of the Tsinghua advisory role follows his participation in President Donald Trump’s recent trip to China. The Tsinghua SEM advisory board has long served as a bridge between global business leaders and Chinese officials — in October 2025, board members including Tim Cook met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, China’s leading trade negotiator.yahoo

Nvidia has faced persistent tension over U.S. export controls targeting advanced AI chips bound for China. Earlier this month, Huang told reporters that China would open its market to U.S. AI chips. Yet the relationship remains fraught — during Huang’s visit to China last week, Beijing banned one of Nvidia’s gaming chips.straitstimes

The dual gestures toward Taiwan and mainland China underscore the tightrope Nvidia must walk as the dominant supplier of AI computing hardware in a fractured global market.