Xu Jiankang, chairman of Powerlong, a Fujian-based real estate development company, has donated 500 million yuan (US$73.9 million) to Fudan University to support its efforts to develop an international medical center.

At the Powerlong Museum, a charity foundation was set up in the name of Xu, 68, on Saturday with capital from the Xu family.

At the establishment ceremony, the foundation made the donation to the Fudan University Education Development Foundation via the China Society for Promotion of the Guangcai Program to support the university in building up world-class medical organizations and to develop an international medical center.

Fudan University is attracting world-class medical resources to promote multiple development and international cooperation.

Based at the university, its medical college and affiliated hospitals, it will integrate its scientific research platforms in clinical medicine, basic medicine, pharmacy and life science to build up a comprehensive platform for medical services, education, research and related industry.

It also aims at meeting increasing demand for high-end medical services in the Yangtze River Delta region and support Shanghai’s efforts in building itself into a global center for scientific and technological innovation and an Asian center for medicine.

It is not the first donation made to Fudan by Xu, who is also a member of the university’s board of trustee and a member of the standing committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Five years ago, he donated 50 million yuan to support the university in building a medical library. Three years ago and last year, he also donated money to support Fudan in organizing a Sino-America library forum and set up a scholarship to encourage students from Fujian to apply for Fudan’s medical college. Earlier this year, he donated to the university’s foundation for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.