SCUT and UNSW alumni join forces to help change the course of COVID-19

When members of the South China University of Technology (SCUT) Australia Alumni Association learnt that UNSW was pioneering COVID-19 rapid response research, they generously donated $10,000.

In a bid to help tackle the impacts of COVID-19, the leaders of SCUT appealed to their members for donations, and were met with resounding generosity. Once the funding was secured, they sought out a recipient who could use the money they had raised in a meaningful way, and decided to direct the funding to support UNSW research.

“More than 100 members of the SCUT Australia Alumni Association donated to our appeal to help UNSW change the course of COVID-19,” says Ms Rosanny Zhao, President of the Association.

Many SCUT members are also UNSW graduates, and SCUT Treasurer Ms Hong Huang and member Ms Vicky Peng were compelled to mobilise the community to support the critical work of their alma mater. Ms Huang said she is a proud UNSW alumna with many of her immediate family members also UNSW graduates. Her daughter is a current student in the Actuarial Studies program and Ms Peng’s daughter is a fifth year Medicine student.

Using the funds they collected, the association purchased Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontline medical workers, 1,200 bio-masks for UNSW, and donated $10,000 to UNSW’s COVID-19 research projects.

“Our donations represent the wishes of our members to give back to society and their strong desire to support COVID-19 research,” says Ms Peng.

Ms Peng, Ms Zhao and Ms Huang met with Jon Paparsenos, Vice-President of UNSW Philanthropy at the UNSW Kensington campus to deliver the $10,000 donation in person.

“We thank you and the SCUT Alumni Australia Association for your generosity,” Mr Paparsenos said, upon receipt of the gift.“Donations such as this from the community, small or large, become a significant collective fund to enable us to do the research to fight COVID-19.”