Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft |
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates proposed a joint project with Korea to support vaccine research and development when he met President Lee Myung-bak in Switzerland last Friday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, an aide to Lee said Tuesday.
They discussed ways of jointly supporting the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), the aide said.
Under the initiative of the United Nations Development Program, the IVI was established on the grounds of Seoul National University for R&D and production of vaccines against infections that are found in poor countries.
Gates, who currently heads the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has so far donated more than $100 million to the IVI, including $11.9 million offered during his trip to Korea in 2008, according to the institute.
jckim@koreatimes.co.kr
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