To help develop Chinese mathematics, Yau started by educating students from China. He then began establishing mathematics research institutes and centers, organizing conferences at all levels, initiating out-reach programs, and raising private funds for these purposes. John Coates has commented on Yau's success as a fundraiser. The first of Yau's initiatives is The Institute of Mathematical Sciences at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1993. The goal is to "organize activities related to a broad variety of fields including both pure and Applied mathematics, scientific computation, image processing, mathematical physics and statistics. The emphasis is on interaction and linkages with the physical sciences, engineering, industry and commerce."