Lu Yonggen,

a rice geneticist and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has decided to donate all his savings of 8.8 million yuan ($1.33 million) to South China Agricultural University (SCAU), as his medical condition worsens because of cancer.

The university will use the donation to set up a foundation to help impoverished students and reward teachers for outstanding achievements. As a member of the Communist Party of China, Lu’s selfless spirit not only moves society, but also inspires others.

Lu was born in Hong Kong in 1930. After graduating from SCAU in 1953, Lu worked as a lecturer and then a professor at the university. He held the position of president of the university from 1983 to 1995. He became a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1993.

Lu has devoted his lifetime to rice genetics research and teaching. In the past five years, Lu’s research team has nurtured 33 new types of rice.