April 5, 2006 Source: :
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/060405-2185.asp Canada's leading university launches a new phase in its longstanding ties with Hong Kong Chancellor, President lead senior delegation in honouring Hong Kong graduates, announcing gifts and aiding Hong Kong students with financial need
Apr 5/06
by Jenny Hall (about) (email) The University of Toronto, Canada’s leading university, is "coming to Hong Kong" April 7 to 11 to build on its longstanding relationship with the region. A senior delegation of U of T leaders, including President David Naylor and Chancellor Vivienne Poy, a native of Hong Kong who recently received an honorary degree from Hong Kong University in recognition of her efforts to build bridges between the two countries, will preside over a graduation ceremony for more than 100 students from across Asia. They will also announce gifts of more than $7 million Cdn ($45 million HK), including a donation to establish the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library. The delegation will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the University of Toronto (Hong Kong) Foundation, which provides scholarships for Hong Kong students with financial need. "U of T may be located far away, geographically," says Patrick Yuk Bun Fung, chairman and chief executive of Wing Hang Bank Ltd., chair of the University of Toronto (Hong Kong) Foundation and a U of T graduate, "but it has long been an important part of the Hong Kong community. Many business leaders in Hong Kong and China either studied there, or sent their children to study there. For years, Canada and China have benefited greatly from these ties. The ties between U of T and Hong Kong have contributed enormously to the close relationship that China and Canada enjoy." "The strong connections between Canada and China have great relevance for trade, culture and higher education in Canada," says Poy. "Understanding China has been key to understanding Canada’s multicultural community and our 70,000-plus students have reaped the benefits of the close relationship our campus enjoys with Hong Kong, Shanghai and other cities in Asia." "The university’s future rests, in part, on being able to attract students from the most creative, vibrant communities in the world," says Naylor. "Welcoming a contingent of students from Hong Kong and China to campus every year benefits our campus community, the students themselves and the home countries they return to after graduation." A graduation ceremony for Hong Kong students The centrepiece of the visit will be a graduation ceremony for 90 students from Hong Kong. These students will be joined by 25 others, including 16 from other parts of Asia. The ceremony will give the students being honoured a chance to share their achievements with family and friends. Media are invited to attend the ceremony Sunday, April 9 at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Hotel. $7 million CDN ($45 million HK) in new gifts to strengthen ties between Hong Kong and Canada Also during the visit, U of T’s delegation will announce $7 million Cdn ($45 million HK) in gifts to the university, highlighting the growing importance of Asian studies at U of T, and underscoring the longstanding ties between Canada’s leading university and scholars and leaders in the Hong Kong community. These gifts include will include: -$3 million Cdn from an anonymous donor to establish the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library, which will allow U of T students and faculty to access the largest collection of Hong Kong related resources outside of Hong Kong as well as a rich collection on Canadians of Chinese heritage. The gift, which Poy helped secure, honours her father, who was one of the most accomplished leaders in Hong Kong’s history. - $4 million Cdn for a Buddhist Studies initiative at the University of Toronto at Scarborough (UTSC) from Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Tung Lin Kok Yuen a Hong Kong-based non-profit Buddhist organization chaired by Robert Ho. The gift, the largest in UTSC’s history, will establish an endowed visiting professorship and create a series of ongoing conferences and public lectures, says Professor Kwong-loi Shun, principal of the University of Toronto Scarborough. - $550,000 Cdn from Fung to the Fung Yiu King Memorial Scholarship, which was initially endowed by Fung in 1999, to assist Hong Kong students with strong financial need attending the commerce program at U of T. Renewed effort for Hong Kong students with financial need The senior delegation’s visit will also mark the beginning of a new phase for the University of Toronto (Hong Kong) Foundation scholarship program, which, since its inception in 1996, has helped 42 students with financial need from the region attend U of T. The University of Toronto (Hong Kong) Foundation is a registered charity, led by a dedicated group of University of Toronto alumni and friends who share a commitment to giving Hong Kong students with financial need the opportunity to study at Canada’s leading research university. The foundation awarded its first scholarship to Tsang Fung Yi in April, 1996. Fung Yi now resides in Hong Kong. Now celebrating its tenth year, the foundation continues to open doors for some of Hong Kong’s brightest minds. Together with the independent Dr. Lee Shau-Kee University of Toronto Scholarship program, the foundation offers seven substantial awards for exceptional undergraduate students each year, representing a total maximum of $800,000 HK in scholarships annually. With tuition costs rising across Canada’s universities, the foundation has announced its goal of raising $10 million HK in its tenth anniversary year to raise the value of its flagship scholarship and continue to bring a University of Toronto education to Hong Kong students with financial need. "We have spent more than two decades building partnerships with Hong Kong," says Naylor. "The tenth anniversary of the University of Toronto (Hong Kong) Foundation provides an opportunity for us to look back and celebrate the strong relationship we enjoy. This is a relationship we’re committed to broadening and we look forward to reaching out to even more alumni and friends in the coming years." Contact: Jeremy Woodall, U of T Hong Kong Office, (011-852) 2375-8258: e-mail: jeremy.woodall@utoronto.com.hk
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