HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES

Whitney (left) and Desmond Shum

Shum has been associated with China Vest, an American venture capital firm set up in China in 1983, a company that now manages $300 million. He is the former CEO of CNWireless Consulting. In February 2001, Shum participated in the Harvard Asia Business Conference as a panelist on information and technology, where he discussed "The Future of Wireless in China."

Two fellowships will be awarded each year for the next three years. Preference in awarding the fellowships will be given to students in the fields of government, public policy, public administration, economics, law, and sociology, according to the terms of the gift.

At a ceremony this past November, Fairbank Center Director Wilt Idema met with Shum and, on behalf of the Fairbank Center, thanked him for his generous gift. Idema said that all opportunities for graduate students to obtain funding for their research are welcome. "The Fairbank Center is pleased to be able to organize this competition and to know that these funds will be available for Harvard graduate students," Idema said.

These fellowships are open to all Harvard Ph.D. candidates from any school within the University specializing in a field of the social sciences. Applicants should submit a brief letter setting out the title of their project, the institution in China where they will be affiliated, and their planned dates of travel. Applicants should also provide a project description not exceeding two pages in length, a letter of support from their thesis supervisor, and if available, a letter of acceptance from the Chinese institution. The application deadline is March 15.