The Institute of Philanthropy (IoP) and the China Philanthropy Research Institute (CPRI) at Beijing Normal University are launching a three-year research initiative to better understand philanthropic innovations and identify opportunities for social service cooperation in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).The research is supported by the Beijing Normal University Education Foundation (BNUEF) and will promote resource sharing, policy innovation and social governance capacity improvement in the region.
Funded by a RMB 9.1 million donation from IoP, this research will ultimately inform the integration of social resources to enhance the effectiveness of services across the GBA, including Hong Kong, Macao and nine cities in Guangdong Province. The study will include analysis of the current philanthropic landscape in the GBA, while combining joint research, multi-stakeholder engagement and policy dialogue to explore effective mechanisms for cooperation in key areas such as elderly care, child development, health, emergency response and sustainable development.
Professor Wang Zhenyao, Founding Dean of CPRI, will lead the research team, supported by a multidisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners.
The research team will conduct an in-depth analysis of the GBA — one of China’s most economically dynamic regions — examining its diverse legal systems, funding channels and regulatory frameworks. Drawing on lessons from different philanthropic models, the initiative seeks to lay a solid foundation for high-quality, coordinated development of philanthropy and policy innovation in the region.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to building knowledge and capacity for philanthropy in one of Asia’s most vibrant regions,” said Lester Huang, Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy. “As the GBA continues to grow in strategic importance, it is essential to understand how collaborative philanthropy can contribute to shared social progress. This research will help unlock new models of cooperation and strengthen the region’s leading role in shaping the future of philanthropy.”
Professor Wang Zhenyao, Founding Dean of the China Philanthropy Research Institute (CPRI) and Professor Xu Xiaoxin, the current Dean, will jointly lead the research team, supported by a multidisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners. “The Greater Bay Area is a laboratory for collaborative actions,” said Professor Wang. “Through this cooperation, we hope to refine the effective mechanisms, partnerships and policy innovations that can help philanthropy play a more effective role in regional development.”
The collaboration builds on IoP’s broader strategy to commission action-oriented research with leading Chinese Mainland institutions to advance thought leadership in philanthropy.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) and the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), a “think-fund-do” tank established by The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust, today announced a US$4.68 million (HK$36.49 million) partnership to accelerate the adoption of next-generation, near point-of-care tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics in high-burden countries.
TB remains the world’s leading infectious disease killer, claiming more than one million lives every year despite being preventable and curable. Recent advances in TB vaccine and counter-measure development offer initial promise, whereas closing the diagnostic gap remains a critical missing link for controlling TB: current diagnostic methods do not only take time but also require multiple visits which delay diagnoses and hence sustain community transmission.
Dr. Gabriel Leung, Director of the Institute of Philanthropy (left), and Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund (right), formalised a US$4.68 million (HK$36 million)
To address this gap, the announced initiative focuses on capacity building to accelerate the uptake of a major diagnostic breakthrough: near point-of-care molecular tests recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for TB in March 2026. These tests utilise easy-to-collect swab samples, deliver results in under an hour, and provide a highly cost-effective tool designed for deployment in primary healthcare settings such as frontline clinics.
“Transformative health innovations only deliver their full potential when countries can access them and have the support they need to put them into practice,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “This partnership with the Institute of Philanthropy will help countries accelerate the adoption of new TB diagnostic technologies and bring high-quality testing closer to the communities that need it most.”
By bringing rapid testing closer to where people live, the technology enables patients to receive an accurate diagnosis and potentially begin treatment during a single clinic visit—thereby reducing diagnostic delays, preventing patients from being lost to follow-up, and curbing further transmission. This marks a significant shift in TB diagnosis: moving away from reliance on century-old sputum smear microscopy toward rapid molecular testing designed around the needs of patients rather than distant laboratories.
“Philanthropy can play a catalytic role in helping proven health innovations reach people faster. Particularly when Asia stands at a pivotal moment in the fight against TB, with a significant opportunity to accelerate access to life-saving diagnosis through innovation,” said Dr. Gabriel Leung, Director of the Institute of Philanthropy. “Through this partnership, we also see significant potential for innovative diagnostic technologies to strengthen epidemic preparedness across Asia by helping health systems detect and respond to infectious disease threats more effectively.”
Building upon the Global Fund’s existing implementation efforts in 13 early adopter countries, this initiative will provide complementary technical assistance and operational support to enable effective, sustainable deployment across at least four Asian priority countries. Specifically, the initiative will:
1. Provide nationally embedded technical assistance in Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. This will focus on strengthening day-to-day planning and implementation of near point-of-care diagnostics, enhancing data collection and logistics systems, facilitating the integration into national diagnostic algorithms and laboratory networks, as well as delivering structured training for implementing partners and local health facilities.
2. Develop evidence and generate demand in early adopter countries. The initiative will systematically document implementation experiences across early adopter countries, including identifying key barriers related to procurement planning, human resources, operational workflows, and service delivery models.
3. Facilitate regional peer-to-peer learning and provide ad-hoc, demand-driven support. In close collaboration with WHO country and regional offices, the initiative will facilitate regional learning among early adopters and other interested countries through convening annual regional workshops and disseminating best practices and guidance.
Anchored in the East for the world, IoP was established in 2023 in Hong Kong, a city with a distinguished history in the fight against TB which pioneered an effective short-course treatment regimen back in the 1960s. This initiative reflects IoP’s aligned vision with its partners to accelerate the uptake of health innovation in Asia while addressing last-mile adoption challenges in strengthening preparedness for future health emergencies.
