On June 10, President Jianhua Lin of Peking University and Vice President Jie Wang warmly welcomed Robert Conn, President of the Kavli Foundation, and Miyoung Chun, Executive Vice President of Science Programs of the Kavli Foundation, at the President Office building. The group openly exchanged views on the development of the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University (KIAA). They were pleased with KIAA’s current progress and achievements, and reached full agreement on continuing support for KIAA’s further development. President Lin received a commemorative medal from Robert Conn for his contributions to KIAA’s development.

On June 8, Robert Conn visited Ya Deng, Secretary General of Peking University Education Foundation (PKUEF). Dr. Conn expressed his appreciation for PKUEF’s long-term support and discussed future collaboration between the Kavli Foundation and PKUEF. PKUEF has been in charge of the management of the Kavli Foundation’s donation since 2007.

On June 6, Jie Wang, Vice President of Peking University, met Miyoung Chun and Christopher Martin, Science Programs Officer of The Kavli Foundation, to talk about the establishment of the KIAA governing board.

KIAA Director Luis C. Ho and Associate Director Xuebing Wu were in attendance. KIAA was launched in June 2006 and started operations in 2007. Its mission is to establish an international center of excellence in astronomy and astrophysics in China and Asia. KIAA is jointly supported by Peking University and an endowment made possible by a generous gift from the Kavli Foundation.

As of 2015, the Kavli Foundation has established 17 research institutes at first-rate international institutions, in the fields of astrophysics, theoretical physics, nanoscience, and neuroscience, in order to advance fundamental research worldwide.