Dear Jenna,

I acknowledge receipt of your email received by this office on 20th August 2020.

Your request will now be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and has been allocated reference FOI20-277 which should be quoted in all correspondence. We will respond to your request within 20 working days starting the next working day after receipt, therefore you can expect to receive a response no later than 18th September 2020.

Please note that in order to fulfil your request we need to liaise with other teams across the University. Due to the current Coronavirus pandemic most staff are now working remotely, and it is likely that there will be a delay in responding to your request. Staff may not be able to assist as they may need to prioritise other work, cover for colleagues who are ill or be away from work themselves due to illness. However, we will do our best to meet this deadline and keep you informed should we be unable to do so.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and, if that is the case, we will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you, and you will be required to pay before we will proceed to deal with your request.

Yours sincerely

Assurance Services
Strategic Planning & Governance

Gwasanaethau Sicrwydd
Adran Gynllunio Strategol a Llywodraethu
Cardiff University

Prifysgol Caerdydd
2nd Floor, Friary House

Llawr 2, Friary House
Greyfriars Road
Cardiff

Heol y Brodyr Llwydion
Caerdydd
CF10 3AE

CF10 3AE

E-mail: [email address]

We welcome correspondence in Welsh or English. Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to any delay.

E-bost: [email address]

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth trwy’r Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg. Ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhyw oedi.

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Dear Jenna

Further to our email below, unfortunately we will not be in a position to
issue a response to your requested by the 18/09/20. It is anticipated that
a further 10 working days are required. Therefore you may expect to
receive a response by 02/10/20. Please accept our apologies for any
inconvenience this may cause.

Regards

University Secretary’s Office   Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol
Cardiff University   Prifysgol Caerdydd
Friary House   Friary House
Greyfriars Road   Heol y Brodyr Llwydion

Cardiff Caerdydd
CF10 3AE   CF10 3AE
     
E-mail: [1][email address]   E-bost:
[2][email address]
 
 
We welcome correspondence in Welsh
or English. Corresponding in Welsh Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth trwy’r
will not lead to any delay. Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg. Ni fydd
gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhyw
oedi.

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Dear Jenna

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request dated
19/08/20.

For ease of reference, I have reproduced your questions below and set out
our corresponding responses.

(1) For the financial years 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 and information
available for 2020/21, I would like to be provided with details on
accepted donations (worth over £10,000), gifts (worth over £10,000),
grants (worth over £10,000) and research funding (worth over £10,000) that
have come from Chinese individuals, Chinese companies, Chinese charities,
Chinese government departments/agencies, and other Chinese organisations.

For each donation, gift, grant and research funding, I would like the
following information:

- Provide the name of the Chinese individual/company/charity/government
department/agency/organisation that gave the donation/gift/grant/research
funding

- The date the university accepted such donation, gift, grant and research
funding

- The sum and description of the accepted donation, gift, grant and
research funding

- A description of what the donation, gift, grant and research funding was
used for

Please see the attached spreadsheet for grants and research funding.
Information about donations is given below.

Gift Date Donor Donation Destination Cause
Jun 2017 Organisation £113,000.00 School of Medicine Cancer Research
Aug  2017 Organisation £165,000.00 School of Medicine Cancer Research
School of Computer Video Scene Analysis
£50,000.00 Science and for Virtual &
Jun 2018 Organisation Informatics Augmented Reality

In line with other requests we do not supply names which is justified
through the below statement:

As regards the individual or company names of donors, the University does
hold this information. However, the information is exempt by virtue of
Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act entitled Personal
Information. As this information would constitute the individual's
personal data as defined under Data Protection legislation, to release the
information would breach the Data Protection Principles concerning
fairness.

The University holds the information regarding donations from
organisations. This information is exempt by virtue of Section 43(2) of
the Freedom of Information Act entitled Commercial Interests. Information
is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be
likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the
public authority holding it).  Whilst information on the University’s
donors (including Cylch Caerdydd, Friends & Organisations and Volunteers &
Fundraisers) is available on the ‘Donor Roll’ page of our public website,
disclosing specific sums against donors into the public domain would give
an insight into the activities of a third party organisation. The
University could be disadvantaged by revealing this information which
could give advantage to competitors and philanthropic fundraising
competitors. The University’s Donor roll that is available at
[1]https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/donate/thank-you

In order to apply, the exemption requires that a public interest be
considered and this is documented below:

Public Interest Test

Factors in favour of disclosure

Openness and Transparency - It is in the public interest that
Universities, as public authorities, are as open and transparent as
possible in the way that they operate and the way in which decisions are
made.

Factors in favour of non-disclosure

Commercial Interests - It is not in the public interest to disclose
information that would undermine the ability of the University to
undertake its commercial functions and to differentiate itself from
competitors.

Efficiency and effectiveness – It is not in the public interest to
disclose information that would erode the efficiency and effectiveness of
the organisation by eroding its opportunities to develop income streams
and undermine its ability to use that income for reinvestment in its
public task.  

Given the above, it is considered that it is in the greater public
interest to withhold the information from disclosure at this time.

(2) Also, for the financial years 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 and
information available for 2020/21, I would like to be provided with
details on donations (worth over £10,000), gifts (worth over £10,000),
grants (worth over £10,000) and research funding (worth over £10,000) that
have come from Chinese individuals, Chinese companies, Chinese charities,
Chinese government departments/agencies, and other Chinese organisations
which have been rejected by the university.

For each rejected donation, gift, grant and research funding, please
provide the following information:

- Provide the name of the Chinese individual/company/charity/government
department/agency/organisation that gave the donation/gift/grant/research
funding

- The date the university rejected such donation, gift, grant and research
funding

- The sum and description of the rejected donation, gift, grant and
research funding

- The reasons why the donation, gift, grant and research funding was
rejected

The University has not rejected any funds relevant to your question.

I trust this information satisfies your enquiry.  The University has a
Freedom of Information Complaints Procedure should you feel dissatisfied
with this response or the way in which your request was handled.
Complaints must be made in writing and must set out why you believe the
University has not met its obligations under the Freedom of Information
Act.  You may email your complaint to [2][email address] where
it will be forwarded to the Head of Assurance Services who will be
responsible for overseeing the review.

If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome of your complaint, you
have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for
consideration.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at the
following address: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Cardiff University. If you require further assistance please feel free to
contact me.

Yours sincerely

University Secretary’s Office   Swyddfa Ysgrifenydd y Brifysgol
Cardiff University   Prifysgol Caerdydd
Friary House   Friary House
Greyfriars Road   Heol y Brodyr Llwydion

Cardiff Caerdydd
CF10 3AE   CF10 3AE
     
E-mail: [3][email address]   E-bost:
[4][email address]
 
 
We welcome correspondence in Welsh
or English. Corresponding in Welsh Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth trwy’r
will not lead to any delay. Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg. Ni fydd
gohebu yn Gymraeg yn creu unrhyw
oedi.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/donate/thank-you
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[email address]