The China Foundation Center recently launched the China Philanthropy Big Data Research Institute (CPBDRI), in Beijing, to extend its work from the foundation sector alone to wider social organizations. It aims to develop the institute into a think tank in which the combination of modern philanthropy with economic and social development can be explored. The goal of the research institute is to apply natural science and modern scientific means such as information technology, mathematics, etc. to the philanthropic world.

Those who attended the launch ceremony and participated in the discussion included top scholars from Tsinghua University, Peking University, China Global Philanthropy Institute, representatives from the Gates Foundation and Xinjian Hongshi foundation.

Professor Wang Ming from Tsinghua University said that one critical value of Big Data is integrating the past and the present to reveal the future, and hopes that in the future, the institute continues to improve the related technology and promote the China philanthropy through interdisciplinary big data research.

Professor Huang Haoming from CGPI considered that philanthropic big data can highlight the philanthropy’s social value, improve the professionalism of philanthropy, and promote productivity of the sector. He pointed out that today’s philanthropy information is fragmented, isolated, which needs further systemization and innovation to get value added.