Philanthropist and business leader honoured at celebration in Hong Kong

At a recent reception in Hong Kong, the philanthropic vision of business leader Sir Gordon Ying Sheung Wu was celebrated by representatives from the University of Manitoba.

David Barnard, president and vice-chancellor at the University of Manitoba, and John Kearsey, vice-president (external), brought greetings and thanked Sir Gordon Wu for his generosity and also his support of graduate students.

“There are few things more inspiring than finding new opportunities to support the dreams of our students,” said Barnard. “We are able to provide that support thanks to the vision and generosity of people like Sir Gordon Wu.”

Sir Gordon and Lady Wu  have generously contributed $1,000,000 to establish the Sir Gordon Wu Graduate Student Scholarships at the U of M. These premier scholarships are designed to attract the world’s best students to this university.

Sir Gordon was one of the first international students to travel to Canada from Hong Kong, and attended the University of Manitoba in 1953. In 2012, the University of Manitoba bestowed upon Sir Gordon an Honourary Doctor of Laws for his passionate commitment to higher education and his transformative impact on East Asia and the world.

The Sir Gordon Wu Graduate Student Scholarships will be awarded annually, in competition, to graduate students who have demonstrated exceptional intellectual ability and academic accomplishments. The renewable scholarships will assist graduate students entering the first year of a research-based doctoral program. Each scholarship will have a maximum value of $40,000.

At this gala event in Hong Kong, Barnard announced the names of the first five students who will directly benefit from Sir Gordon’s generosity.

These are:

• Khashayar Hamidzadeh, PhD Candidate in linguistics
• Warren Blunt, PhD Candidate in biosystems engineering
• Cassidy Erdelyan, PhD Candidate in biological sciences
• Steven Howell, PhD Candidate in electrical and computer engineering
• Andrew Denisuik, PhD Candidate in medical microbiology

As the primary component of a university’s research workforce, graduate students drive innovation. Sir Gordon Wu’s gift to the University of Manitoba supports new opportunities for these talented men and women in Canada, and helps the University of Manitoba continue to attract and retain the very brightest minds to the province of Manitoba.