The University of British Columbia has established North America’s first Buddhism and Contemporary Society program thanks to a $4 million gift from The Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation.
Note to editors: Robert Ho , President of The Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation, will be available for media interviews today, February 2, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at C.K. Choi Building, 1855 West Mall, Room 120. Parking is available at Fraser Parkade, 6440 Memorial Road [map].
“We’re delighted by this generous gift, which will enable UBC to explore the application of Buddhist wisdom to today’s pressing global concerns through learning and research,” says UBC President Martha Piper.
UBC is a recognized leader in teaching and research on Asiawith programs that date back seven decades and a large number of internationally renowned scholars. In recent years, UBC’s connections with the Asia Pacific region have expanded dramatically to include research linkages, faculty and student exchanges and joint programs.
“ The Buddhism and Contemporary Society Program at UBC will offer a unique perspective that transcends cultural and religious boundaries,” says Robert Ho, the President of The Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation.
“Buddhism stresses the need for kindness at every level from person-to-person relations to global action ,’ adds Ho. “I believe this powerful practice fosters peace and change within ourselves and in the world.”
The Buddhism and Contemporary Society Program will pioneer new knowledge on how Buddhist tenets and practices affect urgent world issues in areas such as education, health care, human development and environmental protection.
The program will offer teaching, research, public lectures and symposia that will further knowledge among students, educators, business leaders, policy makers and non-government organizations. Students will probe the intersection between spirituality and public policy, how principles of peace, compassion and cross-cultural acceptance interact with secular decisions and action.
The program is located within the Institute of Asian Research at the Faculty of Graduate Studies and operated in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts’ Department of Asian Studies. It will support UBC’s aim to educate future citizens to think globally and to advance international scholarship and research.
Robert H.N. Ho – Biography
Robert Hung Ngai Ho, 73, is a generous supporter of Buddhist studies and academic university programs in Canada, Hong Kong and the U.S.
Ho was born and raised in Hong Kong. He graduated from Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, in 1956 with a BA and received his MSc from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University in 1958.
In 1994, Ho founded the Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society, and in 2004 The Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation was established. Ho serves as President for both the Society and Foundation. The Society’s Vancouver temple offers Buddhist rites, lectures, and seminars for Buddhist followers and the public at large.
Currently residing in West Vancouver, Ho is an investor whose family-run business is based in Hong Kong.
Ho and his family members share an illustrious history of philanthropy and support of public health and education. His grandfather Sir Robert Ho Tung was knighted for his services to the British crown. Born of a Chinese mother and European father, Sir Robert made his fortune from land purchase and development. He supported the 1911 Chinese Revolution, which saw the overthrow of the Qing dynasty.
Ho’s father was Kuomintang General Robert Ho Shai-Lai, fourth son of Sir Robert. General Ho defended China during the Japanese invasion. He served as Ambassador to Japan for the Republic of China from 1952 for four years before he served on a Nationalist China military delegation to the United Nations for 10 years.
Ho has a special interest in promoting academic excellence in the sciences, Asian and Buddhism studies. In 2000, Ho was instrumental in establishing the Centre of Buddhist Studies at The University of Hong Kong. UBC’s Buddhism and Contemporary Society Program will be collaborating with The University of Hong Kong to foster dialogue and exchange for greater understanding of Buddhist wisdom and practice.
In 2004, Mr. Robert H.N. Ho committed $25 million US to Colgate University to fund the design and construction of the Robert H. N. Ho Interdisciplinary Science Centre. This will be completed in 2008.
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