Tsinghua University, Gates Foundation to set up institute on drug discovery

At a meeting in Davos, Switzerland, last Friday, Qiu Yong, president of Tsinghua University, and Bill Gates, co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), agreed to co-found the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute (GHDDI) in Beijing, China, and signed a memorandum of understanding.

The Institute will be the first research and development center of its kind in China, and will tackle major diseases faced by many developing countries, including China. No indication of funding for the project was disclosed.

As co-founding partners of GHDDI, BMGF will provide financial support as well as assistance on institutional development, whereas Tsinghua University will invest various resources to support the institute, including talents and scientists, programs, facilities, as well as operation and management.