by <Oriental Outlook> Han Zhonglin Edited by Jin Mingda
On June 28, Wang Zelin, a professor at Henan Agricultural University, donated all of his personal bonus of 3 million yuan to the university; in early 2020, Wang Zelin donated 82.08 million yuan to the university for the transformation of scientific research results.
Wang Zelin looks through the photos of teachers and students who worked together at home (photo by Zhou Hongfei)
According to HAU, on the occasion of the university's 120th anniversary, on June 28, 2022, Wang Zelin, a professor at the university, donated 3 million yuan as prize money to the university to support the university's talent training and research and innovation efforts.
This is not Wang Zelin's first donation. In early 2020, he donated 82.08 million yuan to Henan Agricultural University; in 2019, he donated 12 consecutive years of patent usage share money from two enterprises; in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, he donated 200,000 yuan; in 2005, Wang Zelin donated 2.3 million yuan; in the 1990s, he funded two laboratory buildings for the school ......
Who is Wang Zelin? Why is he such a "donor"?
Keep donating for years
Wang joined HAU in 1984 and once was the director of the Avian Disease Research Institute of Henan Agricultural University. In early 2020, Wang Zelin donated 82.08 million yuan to the university to build high level biosafety protection level 3 laboratories (P3 laboratories). In 2020, Wang Zelin was awarded the Henan Province Award for Outstanding Contribution to Science and Technology, receiving a prize of 3 million yuan, and has since indicated several times that he would donate the money to the university.
In 2019, he donated 12 consecutive years of patent usage share money from two enterprises, for the establishment of the Faculty Research Innovation Fund.
When the Wenchuan earthquake occurred in 2008, he happened to be on a business trip. Upon his return to Zhengzhou, he immediately rushed to the school and donated all the only 2,000 yuan cash he had, and then took out another 200,000 yuan and entrusted the school to donate to the disaster area.
In 2005, he received 3.45 million yuan from the transfer of new drugs, and he gave 2.3 million yuan to the university's Institute of Avian Diseases for laboratory construction, and later donated all the remaining money, of which 1 million yuan was donated to the Avian Diseases Branch of the Chinese Society of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine to establish an innovation fund.
In the 1990s, he gradually accumulated more than 4 million yuan through classes, poultry disease treatment, laboratory tests, services for rural farmers, etc., to build two laboratory buildings for the school, the purchase of high-speed centrifuges, ultracentrifuges and other advanced instruments and equipment for production, scientific research and teaching use.
Scientific research results
Wang Zelin is in his eighties and has been retired for many years. He and his partner have been living in an old house with used furniture and appliances.
"I have 12 certificates for new veterinary drugs; all my money is mainly for the transformation of scientific research results." Wang Zelin introduced.
"We engaged in scientific research, research results can be transformed, to contribute to society, is a happy thing." Wang Zelin's scientific research results follow the needs of society, and have been produced on a large scale in more than 20 biologics factories across the country, which, in the words of his peers, "gives Chinese chicken chicks a domestic umbrella".
"I didn't expect that it would be so financially beneficial."The money was hardly ever used by Wang Zelin. Over time, the account balance grew.
Back in 2016, Wang Zelin's research conversion balance had reached about 80 million yuan. How to spend tens of millions of yuan? Wang Zelin was once very "distressed". Later, after discussing with his partner Wang Wumei, he decided to use the money to do something "big" - to donate it to the university.
So, at the beginning of 2019, Wang Zelin, who had already retired, approached Zhang Changping, then president of Henan Agricultural University back then, and expressed his idea. A year later, he put his idea into action and donated 82.08 million yuan to Henan Agricultural University.
The "stingy" professor
Although Wang Zelin is "generous" in his donations, he is very "stingy" with himself and his family.
"A little bit of money will do, why do you need so much?" Wang Zelin and his partner's pensions add up to about 15,000 yuan a month, and the couple feels that this is more than enough.
Today, Wang Zelin's main way of travel is walking and riding an electric car. This is Wang's principle of choosing the least expensive means of transportation, and he says that he does so to "save money".
In the eyes of outsiders, Wang Zelin was somewhat "harsh" to his children. When he decided to donate more than 82 million yuan to the school, he did not discuss it with his children, and did not even consider leaving some for them. Knowing that his father donated again, his daughter sent a WeChat: "Saw the news and will learn from dad."
"Professor Wang lives a particularly frugal life, sometimes even a little unkempt." Fuchun Jian, who worked as Wang Zelin's assistant, recalled that the cuffs of Wang Zelin's autumn coat were frayed at the edges and the collar was loose, but he still didn't bother to buy new clothes.
"He was too frugal with himself." Yang Huaiwu, former vice president of Henan Agricultural University, recalled that in 2019, he saw Wang Zelin use an electric car to take a table and transport it to the school's new campus 15 kilometers away.
On the eve of the National Day in 2019, Wang Zelin was awarded a commemorative medal to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China for his great contribution to the cause of poultry disease prevention in China. At the symposium, Wang Zelin hardly mentioned his contribution, but talked most about his gratitude to the country, to the university and to others. Regarding the donation, Wang Zelin explained, "I am already old, but the research career must be succeeded by someone, and the money will be valuable only if it is used where it is needed more."
Translated By Yang Yichen
Edited by Chen Xi
Authorized by Deng Zhenying, Zhou Hongfei
