The Singapore-based Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation donated 50 million yuan (about $ 7.19 million) to the Spring Breeze Fund of the Tsinghua University Education Foundation on March 5 to support the university’s COVID-19 related scientific research.
The research includes testing technology related to the novel coronavirus pneumonia, antibodies and vaccines, epidemiology, and psychological rehabilitation.
In addition, the donation will help enhance China's research and capabilities in the fields of biosecurity, public health and emergency response.
Coordinated by Tsinghua University, the Spring Breeze Fund was founded by its education foundation on March 4 in a drive to better respond to the instructions made by Chinese President Xi Jinping on scientific COVID-19 research during an inspection tour on March 2. The fund aims to promote Tsinghua’s research capabilities in the prevention and control of COVID-19, and improve the country's abilities to cope with major emergencies.
The latest donation will provide scientific workers at Tsinghua with strong support in their research and development of vaccines and medicines, and add to Tsinghua’s efforts in the construction of an emergency response system in China and the international community.
The Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation has always supported talent cultivation and scientific research at Tsinghua. As an old friend of the university, Robert Ng, chairman of the foundation and the Sino Group, has made several donations to the university over the past few years.
On March 10, Gaorong Capital donated 1 million dollars to the fund in support of Tsinghua's research in public health and emergency systems and related fields. This was the fund’s first donation from an alumnus. Founding Partner of Gaorong Capital Zhang Zhen, a graduate of Tsinghua, has always been concerned about supporting the development of his alma mater.
Chinese researchers have been working around the clock to develop anti-virus vaccines, medicines, testing kits and equipment since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, capital city of Central China's Hubei Province, in late January.
