A Ding

    adinglily@hotmail.com

    OVER 60 people attended a public lecture offered by CGPI, China’s first international public welfare institute, at Sannuo Smart Building in Nanshan District yesterday.

    Charles E. Morrison, president of the East-West Center, and Ma Weihua, the former president of China Merchants Bank who serves as the institute’s first chairman of the board, attended the event.

    “The most important factor for philanthropy is people. And we are trying to cultivate elite professionals for the philanthropy cause,” Ma told attendants who packed the whole room.

    CGPI, based in Shenzhen, was initiated by major figures including Bill Gates, chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Ray Dalio, chief investment officer of the Bridgewater Associates. The launch ceremony of CGPI was held at Beijing Diaoyutai State Guest House on Nov. 12, 2015.

    According to Liu Binghua, the board secretary and executive director of CGPI, CGPI’s curriculum system covers executive management of philanthropy (EMP) for enrolled students and free courses for the general public.

    She said: “We aim to help people engage in philanthropy more efficiently.”

    Public lectures covering how to help the disabled, U.S.-China relations and philanthropic cooperation were given Sunday and yesterday.

    Morrison, a Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) who specializes in Asian international relations, gave a lecture last night.

    According to him, philanthropy plays a large role in U.S.-China relations and philanthropists not only give money, but also shape the views of our society.

    By working together, philanthropists as well as governments in China and the United States can strengthen bilateral relations, Morrison said.