University of Bath gets £1M endowment and gift for Academic Post in Education

The new academic post will be named ‘The Yew Chung Jeff Thompson Lectureship/Senior Lectureship’.

The University of Bath has received a £1 million endowed donation and £55,000 gift from the Yew Chung Education Foundation to fund an academic post in the University’s Department of Education.

Dr Betty Chan is Chairperson of the non-profit Yew Chung Education Foundation and its Higher Education arm, the Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education. It is given to honour Emeritus Professor Jeff Thompson CBE, in recognition of his and Dr Betty Chan Po-King’s long-standing shared interests and collaboration in International Education. It is intended to provide a permanent source of income to fund the post.

I look forward to strengthening endeavours in International Education, says Professor Jeff 

On receiving the fund, Jeff Thompson CBE said, “I am delighted with this wonderful award from the Yew Chung Education Foundation, which is a testament to the collaboration we – and colleagues from both our organisations – have shared for many years. I look forward to the continuing strengthening of our shared endeavours in International Education that this generous gift will help to support in future.”

Professor Ian White, the University of Bath’s Vice-Chancellor and President, said, “We are tremendously grateful for this transformational pledge of £1,055,000 to support this wonderful new post in honour of Professor Jeff Thompson and our relationship with the Yew Chung Education Foundation.

“It is testament to the quality of Professor Thompson’s research and to the enormous contribution he has made to the development of International Education over the years. We are delighted that this gift will continue to support this work and help foster Hong Kong and UK Relations," added Professor Ian White.

While speaking at the formal signing ceremony, Dr Chan said “Pioneering a new approach to education is never easy, as one inevitably challenges the existing paradigms, and it can be a lonely journey. I feel incredibly blessed to know Jeff as a dear colleague and friend – his world-class scholarship speaks for itself, but it is his deep passion and enduring commitment to promoting progressive International Education that has revolutionized the field, and given educators like myself a voice on the global stage, as well as a like-minded community."

"This gift simply reflects our wish to honour Jeff as a giant in the field of International Education and to ensure that his tremendous academic legacy at Bath remains ever-vibrant and essential. Needless to say, the naming of this new academic post is specifically intended to celebrate our multi-decade friendship, and long may it continue to flourish!," added Dr Chan.

 About Professor Jeff Thompson CBE, Dr Betty Chan

In 2014 Professor Thompson was awarded an honorary degree from Bath, to celebrate his contribution to both national and International Education which comprises the leadership and mentorship he has provided over many years to educators around the world and the development of the International Baccalaureate.

In 2015, Dr Chan was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Bath in recognition of her distinguished career developing and promoting Early Childhood Education and International Education.

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