Ren Jiyu, a noted Chinese philosopher and historian, has been elected chairman of the academic board of the fund responsible for selecting projects to be financed. Ren presided over the first meeting of the board Monday.
The board is formed by experts from Peking University, Qinghua University and the foundation, as well as officials from relevant government departments. It will study and select more than 100 themes gathered from local research institutions and groups concerned.
China's human rights issue has caught worldwide attention as the country has been progressing in the field over the past two decades.
The China Human Rights Development Foundation announced Monday the establishment of a human rights research fund to support academic studies on the subject.