Peking University, November 25, 2022: The Signing Ceremony for the Second Term of the China-Italy Philanthropy Forum (2022-2025) was held at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse during the 2022 Beijing Forum promoted by Peking University on 18 November 2022. The ceremony was held simultaneously in Beijing and Rome. PKU President Gong Qihuang attended the ceremony. The three participating parties were the China Development Research Foundation, the TOChina Hub at the University of Turin and the National School of Development at Peking University (NSD).

The Memorandum of Understanding for the First Term (2019-2021) of the China-Italy Philanthropy Forum (CIPF) had been signed in Rome in 2019 during President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Italy. The MoU marked a new high in the philanthropic exchanges between the two countries.

The Signing Ceremony for the Second Term of the MoU was officiated by Wang Bo, PKU Vice-President, and Andrea Silvestri, Director General of the University of Turin. During the ceremony, the composition of the CIPF Steering Committee for the new term was also announced. Justin Yifu Lin, Dean of the PKU Institute of New Structural Economics and Yao Yang, Dean of the National School of Development at Peking University will represent PKU in the Steering Committee. Other committee members include Anna Caffarena and Francesco Rattalino (TOChina Hub). Giovanni B. Andornino (TOChina Hub) and Fang Jin (CDRF) will respectively serve as General Secretary and Co-General Secretary of the Forum for the new term. Honorary Co-Chairs of the CIPF are President Romano Prodi and Lu Mai.

The China-Italy Philanthropy Forum is a non-governmental platform promoting meaningful and sustainable dialogue and outcome-oriented cooperation between key players from the philanthropy sector of China and Italy, including family foundations, public foundations, and corporations committed to the highest standards of corporate social responsibility. During its first term (2019-2021), the Forum promoted multiple innovative examples of cooperation in philanthropy, facilitating result-oriented interactions between China and Italy in the fields of humanitarian assistance and human development.

In his Keynote Speech, CIPF Honorary Co-Chair Romano Prodi announced a twin fundraising initiative to mark the launch of the second term of the Forum. Such initiative aims to support the "China REACH" (Rural Education And Child Health) project promoted by CDRF in Hebei, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces of China, and the efforts of Rome's Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù in continuing the treatment of children requiring humanitarian oncological assistance from countries around the world, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Ukraine and Yemen. 

The Heads of State of China and Italy, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian President Sergio Mattarella, commended and encouraged the work of the Forum in two personal letters addressed to CIPF Honorary Co-Chair Romano Prodi on the occasion of the Signing Ceremony for the Second Term of the China-Italy Philanthropy Forum.

The China-Italy Philanthropy Forum will be appointing a new International Board of Advisors, which will be tasked to supporting the Forum in developing mutually beneficial relations with international peers and especially European philanthropic institutions. CIPF will continue to work on issues of common interest to China, Italy and Europe with the aim to write a new chapter in philanthropy cooperation between the East and the West.

Written by: Vissly Chan
Edited by: Rose Li
Source: PKU News (Chinese)