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Penn President Amy Gutmann on a presidents' tour at the Penn Wharton China Center, where last week she announced the first recipients of the Penn China Research and Engagement Fund awards. | Courtesy of Laura Cavender/University of Pennsylvania

Credit: Mingming YE

Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price announced on Thursday the first recipients of the Penn China Research and Engagement Fund awards. The announcement coincided with Gutmann’s first visit to the Penn Wharton China Center in Beijing, six months after its opening.

The awards, which were established in March, provide research grants to Penn faculty to encourage engagement in China. CREF plans to award up to $10 million over the next five years.

“Penn’s China Research and Engagement Fund builds on the deep connections between Penn and China forged over nearly two centuries,” Gutmann said in a press release. “Penn’s engagement in China via research, academic and student exchanges and broad partnerships with Chinese institutions benefits Penn’s campus and community and enhances global understanding and discovery by bringing the world to Penn and Penn to the world.”

The first round of grants total nearly $3.8 million and involve 16 projects from all 12 of Penn’s schools and six centers and institutes. The recipients will work with 35 Chinese institutional partners as well as over 10 organizations worldwide.

“Penn has a historic commitment to the integration of knowledge across disciplines,” Price said in a press release. “The complexity of global issues requires multidisciplinary solutions, especially for future challenges that are difficult to anticipate. These exciting projects demonstrate this breadth of expertise among our 12 schools, drawing their strength and innovation from perspectives that span diverse areas of inquiry.”

Projects focus on a wide range of issues, ranging from “Prenatal Ambient Air Pollution and Fetal and Child Development in South China” to “Improving the Productive and Health Efficiency of the Chinese Dairy Industry,”

The award also facilitates visits to China by over 100 students and faculty and encompasses more than just research proposals — there are three projects that focus on student programming in China and two short-term global seminars to be held in China.

The awards are the latest reflection of Penn’s global presence. Nearly 4,000 Penn alumni currently live in China and Hong Kong, with over 10,000 scattered throughout Asia. Penn also has 180 faculty members with over 275 projects in or relating to China.

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