Forging new collaborations
Our Veterinary School has been gifted £1m by alumnus Mr Tong Fatt Cheng (BVMS 1957).
The generous gift will be used to establish the McIntyre International Research Fellowships which will foster international collaboration in research on farm animal diseases. The fellowships will provide funding for a British veterinary graduate to work overseas for two years and for an overseas veterinary graduate to come to our Veterinary School for two years.
By establishing the McIntyre International Research Fellowships, Mr Cheng is paying tribute to Professor Ian McIntyre, the University’s first Professor of Veterinary Medicine. Professor McIntyre was an inspirational and innovative teacher, and a strong advocate for international collaboration in veterinary education and research. He was a leading member of the Glasgow team which developed the first antiparasitic vaccine for cattle (Dictol).
In his later career, Professor McIntyre was seconded to the University of East Africa In Nairobi and went on to make further contributions to veterinary medicine In Africa. Mr Cheng said: “I am delighted to commemorate Professor McIntyre’s name in perpetuity through the creation of these international fellowships. Professor McIntyre was an inspiring teacher when I was a student at the University of Glasgow Veterinary School and I have always admired his achievements both in Glasgow and internationally. I hope that these fellowships will strengthen the links between the Glasgow Veterinary School and veterinary institutions overseas and benefit global animal health.”
Mr Tong Fatt Cheng served in the state veterinary service in Singapore and then joined the diplomatic service in 1989 as Singapore Ambassador to Japan then to the People’s Republic of China and as Ambassador-at-Large until his retirement in 2004.