美伊州大学宣布设立纪念中国学者基金 University of Illinois sets up fund to honor late Chinese scholar

The University of Illinois has set up a fund(基金 jījīn) in honor of Zhang Yingying(章莹颖), a visiting Chinese scholar(学者 xuézhě) at the university who was kidnapped(绑架 bǎngjià) and murdered(谋杀 móushā) in 2017.

On the web page established for the fund, the university said the goal(目的 mùdì) is to support(支持 zhīchí) international students in moments of crisis(危机 wéijī). The fund was set up with the support of Zhang's family.

The website for the fund set up by the University of Illinois in memory of Zhang Yingying. [Photo: China Plus]

People can donate(捐赠 juānzèng) funds online. As of today, more than 31,000 U.S. dollars have been raised.

A public announcement about the fund was due to take place today at the university's Urbana-Champaign campus, but it is postponed(推迟 tuīchí) at the request of Zhang's family.

A new date and time for the event(活动 huódòng) are yet to be chosen, according to the university's website.

Zhang Yingying. [File Photo: IC]

Zhang Yingying came to the University of Illinois from China in 2017 as a visiting scholar. She was kidnapped and murdered by Brendt Christensen, a former doctoral student, on June 9, 2017. Christensen was convicted last month and sentenced(判决 pànjué) to life in prison(终身监禁 zhōngshēn jiānjìn).

Zhang Yingying's body has never been found, and Christensen has refused(拒绝 jùjué) to cooperate by providing details(细节 xìjié) of how he disposed(处置 chǔzhì) of her body.

重点词汇Key word:

设立 establish; set up

• Zhè shì xīn shèlì de yīgè yánjiù jīgòu.
  这是新设立的一个研究机构。
  This is a newly-established research institute.

• Zhè jiù xūyào shèlì zìjǐ de mùbiāo bìng wéi zhī nǔlì.
  这就需要设立自己的目标并为之努力。
  It's a matter of setting your own goals and following them.