Hong Kong’s distinguished industrialist, a renowned philanthropist and a supporter of UIC’s education on Chinese culture and society, Mr Fung Sun Kwan, passed away on 2 October 2019. A memorial service dedicated to Mr Fung Sun Kwan was held in Hong Kong Universal Funeral Parlour on the evening of 4 November.
Mr Fung Sun Kwan
UIC President Prof Tang Tao honoured the memory of Mr Fung Sun Kwan, sharing that at the very beginning of UIC’s establishment, Mr Fung generously made donations to set up a special education fund and a scholarship for supporting UIC’s national education on Chinese culture and society as well as cultivating talents. In addition, despite his old age, Mr Fung always attended Teaching and Learning Symposiums on Chinese Culture and Society at UIC, which was a great encouragement to the younger generations.
UIC’s Vice President (Academic Affairs) Prof Chen Zhi attended the memorial service of Mr Fung Sun Kwan and paid his tribute. Prof Chen Zhi eulogised the support that Mr Fung gave to UIC and described him as a visionary. He explained how Mr Fung was concerned about the country and dedicated his life to promoting traditional Chinese culture and as a result, he accomplished great achievements.
Mr Fung with UIC students during his visit in 2006
Mr Fung Sun Kwan was born in Hong Kong in 1932. He served, among others, as the Managing Director of Kwong Yee Wo Shipyard Company Ltd., the Chairman of the Fung Sun Kwan Chinese Arts Foundation, an Honorary University Fellow of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). Throughout the years, he donated hundreds of millions of RMB to support the education industry, especially in promoting education and research in classical Chinese.
UIC aims to develop an international liberal arts education based on Chinese history, culture and traditions, and to cultivate talents who have global awareness as well as knowledge and passion for Chinese culture and society. For years, Mr Fung put his tireless efforts in promoting Chinese traditional cultural education. It was UIC’s luck to have received Mr Fung’s donation and to have had him joining us on our journey of innovating China's higher education.
After Mr Fung Sun Kwan’s visit to the first campus of UIC in 2006, Mr Fung donated 10 million Hong Kong dollars for the development of UIC in recognition of its educational philosophy and its focus on a liberal arts education. Mr Fung proposed that 7 million Hong Kong dollars would be used to set up a fund for education on Chinese culture and society, and the other 3 million Hong Kong dollars would be used to set up Mr Fung Sun Kwan Scholarship of Excellence, which would award 12 outstanding UIC students each year with 10,000 Hong Kong dollars each.
Mr Fung giving prizes to the awardees of the Scholarship in 2014
From 2006 to 2018, 134 UIC students received the Scholarship. Mr Fung once said at the award ceremony, that "carrying out the education of Chinese culture and society would help the students to have a full picture of the country, foster their patriotism, improve their humanistic and moral qualities, develop their creativity, increase their national pride and confidence so that they can be better inheritors of national culture and spirit."
With the education on Chinese culture and society funding, UIC held a series of events, including 23 Teaching and Learning Symposiums on Chinese Culture and Society, 14 Chinese Creative Culture Competitions, more than 40 lectures on national education on Chinese culture and society, and 12 study camps on Chinese culture. The fund has been pushing UIC’s traditional Chinese cultural education and liberal arts education.
Mr Fung at the 17th Teaching and Learning Symposium on Chinese Culture and Society at Jinfeng Road Campus, 2016
Mr Fung with the attendees of the 22nd Teaching and Learning Symposium on Chinese Culture and Society at Jintong Road Campus, 2018
To express gratitude towards Mr Fung’s generosity, UIC named the main lecture hall at the old campus ‘Fung Sun Kwan Lecture Hall’ and invited the Chairman of the UIC Council, Professor Xu Jialu, to inscribe the name of the hall. After moving to the new campus on Jintong road, lecture theatre T2-101 was again named after Mr Fung Sun Kwan. Several Chinese educational events took place in the hall.
Unveiling ceremony of the Fung Sun Kwan Lecture Hall at Jinfeng Road Campus, 2008
Mr Fung Sun Kwan with his wife in the front of the new Fung Sun Kwan Lecture Hall at Jintong Road campus
Mr Fung Sun Kwan and his wife visiting the Research Institute for Dissemination of Chinese Culture at Jintong Road campus
May we all always remember Mr Fung Sun Kwan’s support and expectations.
