UBC Reports | Vol. 46 | No. 16 | Oct. 19, 2000

Benefactor committed to educational bridges

Award-winning building bears his name

Cheung-Kok Choi died recently at age 90. An industrialist, businessperson and philanthropist in China, Hong Kong and Canada, Choi dedicated himself to building bridges for the international exchange of information and ideas.

The C.K. Choi Building for the Institute of Asian Research at the university was made possible through his vision, dedication and generous support.

The building, which opened in 1996, has won awards as a model for sustainable design and construction. The institute -- a cornerstone of UBC's international activities -- comprises five research centres which focus on China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and India and South Asia.

"Although I have not had the benefit of a higher education and do not consider myself an intellectual, I have always had a tremendous desire for the pursuit of knowledge," said Choi. Three principles guided his life: that the traditional virtues of Confucianism provide a prescription for human behaviour; that educational institutions help to achieve greater academic excellence through the exchange of the cultures of the East and West; and that education plays an important role in increasing knowledge and understanding.

At UBC, he established numerous fellowships and prizes, including the C.K. Choi Fellowship in Business Administration and the C.K. Choi Scholarship in Engineering. He is survived by his wife, seven children -- five of whom who graduated from UBC -- and eight grandchildren.