A big donation from Hong Kong, S.A.R., China, which is believed would be helping develop the project of the Healthy Aging Research at UBC and making it possible for human beings to enjoy a longer and healthier life.

This generous gift of 1.5 billion HKD is donated by a very public-spirited HK philanthropist and UBC alumnus Dr. Edwin S.H. Leong. This donation is also the largest gift that UBC's medical school has ever received from an individual. Recently, UBC hosted a signing ceremony and an alumni dinner party to celebrate this donation, at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, S.A.R., China.

Dr. Edwin S.H. Leong said his wish was for everybody to live long, with mental and physical health, and enjoy life at old age.  Therefore, his wish is that this donation would help UBC to bring together the brightest people from all around the world, to explore a better future for human beings, in both preventive medicine and healthy aging.  He has great confident in UBC and high expectation at this project.

The donation is coming from Tai Hung Fai Charitable Foundation founded by Dr. Edwin S.H. Leong. UBC will establish the Edwin S.H. Leong Healthy Aging Program, and is planning to recruit a Chair and a Professor for this project. UBC will start the recruitment shortly, of an internationally recognized researcher to fill the Edwin S.H. Leong UBC Chair in Healthy Aging, and lead the whole project.

UBC President Santa J. Ono became friends with Dr. Leong because of this cooperation. He said he was inspired by Dr. Leong's contribution of a world in which people can age in better health with greater mental and physical agility. In return to Dr. Leong's friendship and generous support to UBC, he and the university is honoured to partner with Dr. Leong and his foundation to build a successful healthy aging research program that addresses this critical societal need.

Dr. Dermot Kelleher, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, is also very excited about this transformative donation. He believed that this visionary donation would not only provide new power for the Medicine school, but also enable UBC to devise innovative strategies from across disciplines for extending longevity and improving quality of life, which have far-reaching impacts on people around the world.

In fact, Dr. Leong has always been a very active philanthropist, especially in supporting the research of healthy aging and geriatric medicine. In the recent years, Dr. Leong has supported different social welfare agencies, charities, universities and scholars, through the Tai Hung Fai Charitable Foundation. The total amount of donation contributed by him and his foundation is more than 3 billion HKD now. Dr. Leong once said, giving donation was just like making investment. He expected that every penny that he donated would bring best rewards to those who need them, and in turn, benefit the whole society.

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