On March 19, 2020, IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research at Tsinghua held a ceremony in memory of Mr. McGovern.Professor Song-hai Shi,director of the institute, presented flowers at the memorial to commemorate Mr. McGovern for his generous donation and support for the research and development of neuroscience in China.

It is customary for representatives of faculty and students of the institute to attend a memorial service in memory of Mr. McGovern on March 19. In the severe situation of COVID-9, the students did not return to school  and the staff gathering was minimized this year. Professor Song-hai Shi, on behalf of all teachers and students of the institute, attended the activity and expressed everyone's heartfelt thanks and deep miss to Mr. McGovern.

Patrick J. McGovern (1937-2014), a member of the MIT Corporation since 1989, was the founder and chairman of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading technology publishing, research, and event management company. He began his publishing career while he was a student at MIT, and since graduating in 1959, he oversaw IDG's launch of more than 300 magazines and newspapers, including Computerworld, Macworld, and PC World. He was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a trustee of MIT and of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.

Lore Harp McGovern has founded or run companies in diverse fields including health care, educational publishing and high-tech, and is an investor in numerous start-up companies in Silicon Valley. She was a co-founder of Vector Graphic, one of the earliest PC companies, and was president and CEO of the educational publishing company Good Morning Teacher! She was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 1983 by Women Business Owners of New York and has been awarded the Distinguished Immigrant Award by the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco. She is Chair Emeritus of the Whitehead Institute's Board of Associates.

History

2014 The board meeting of the Tsinghua-IDG/McGovern Institute was held at Tsinghua on May 13th followed by a graduate student mini symposium and poster session. This was the first meeting without Mr. Patrick McGovern, who passed away on March 19 at the age of 76.

2013 The opening ceremony of the IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University was held at the new Zheng Yutong Medical Sciences Building on November 24th. The Institute found its home at the second floor of the new building.

2011 The International Data Group (IDG) signed an agreement with Tsinghua University to establish the IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University on April 22nd. The Institute was formally established.

2010 Patrick McGovern, founder and president of International Data Group (IDG) visited Tsinghua on July 6th.

2009 “The McGovern Institute Symposium on New Frontiers in Brain Research” was held in Tsinghua University's Main Building on February 24th and 25th.

2008 Tsinghua University's Institute of Biomedicine signed a collaboration agreement with the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT.

2006 General Director of IDG, Mr. Patrick J. McGovern and Mrs. Lore Harp McGovern visited Tsinghua for the first time on June 10th.

Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. McGovern's vision and generous support , Tsinghua IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research was founded in 2011 and has been growing into a leading neuroscience research institute in China.