an cannot live on technology
alone. If the Technion
connection (see preceding
article) is about the hard
sciences and technology,
the McGill connection is about the human
element of how we structure society and
interact with each other. And a large part
of the human experience comes from the
myths we choose to explain ourselves.
Shantou University (STU) is represented
on its crest by the phoenix – the ruler of
the birds, its various body parts made up
of the six celestial bodies – the sky, sun,
moon, wind, earth and the planets. Its
majesty, nobility and endurance are the
stuff of legend.
McGill is also represented by a mythical
bird: the martlet. The three martlets on
the crest have no feet – they are always
flying like the students and graduates of
the school. While a footless bird in Chinese
culture suggests a person without roots,
McGill is anything but rootless. With 193
years of history in Montreal, Canada, it
is steeped in a tradition of excellence – a
tradition shared by STU and valued by the
Li Ka Shing Foundation (LKSF).
The Li Ka Shing (Canada) Foundation
(LKSCF) was founded to support several
major projects encouraging cultural
diversity and community involvement. It has
supported a range of projects in Canadian
universities, mostly in healthcare and
medical research. From virology research in
Edmonton to children’s hospitals in Toronto,
the LKSCF has been a major supporter of
higher education in Canada.
Recently, LKSCF donated CAD6.635 million
(USD6.35 million) to promote McGill
University and STU academic exchange
through the creation of three important new
initiatives between the two institutions:
the Li Ka Shing Initiative for Innovation in
Legal Education, the Li Ka Shing Liberal
Arts Exchange Initiative and the Li Ka Shing
Program in International Business. These
programmes will benefit 400 students of
McGill University and STU in the next five
years.
mCgill – the martlet flying
high forever
McGill has a long tradition of preparing
future leaders in Canada and even some
in the Hutchison Whampoa Group. The
QS World University Ranking 2012, which
evaluates approximately 600 universities,
placed McGill in the 18th slot, ahead of all
other Canadian schools. It has been ranked
No 1 in Canada by Maclean’s Magazine for
the past nine years. Its success has not gone
unnoticed on the world stage – it attracts
students fromover 150 countries around the
M
PHiLANtHROPY FOCUS
Phoenix
&
Martlet
twO MYStiC BiRDS FOReVeRMORe
The myths people choose for themselves reveal their souls. The
phoenix and the martlet meet as LKSF enables exchange and
learning between McGill and Shantou University. Look for growth
in understanding in the legal, business and arts sectors between
China and Canada.
EDUCATION
SpHere
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2013
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