Page 15 - Sphere No.14 (Jul 2005)

Despite more than two decades as a journalist – or perhaps
because of those two decades – I am touched by the kindness
of a powerful man. I am also a student of emotions, remain-
ing cynical enough to question even the best behaviour to
determine its motive.
Though the answer began to unfold the first morning I met
Mr Li, it was confirmed many months later, on that rainy
afternoon in China.
Li Ka-shing and I had left Hong Kong for Shantou.
Somewhere in the South China Sea a typhoon was gathering.
I was taken aback as we walked through the airport, that Mr
Li carried his own suitcase. His personality was buoyant in the
early hour, and on more than one occasion a cleaner, upon
recognising Mr Li, stopped mid activity to watch him pass.
Each time he smiled and acknowledged the cleaner. Energetic
and moving with purpose, he still took time to recognise peo-
ple he did not know and would never see again.
The storm, still a day or two off, did not deter the
Chairman, nor did it dampen the spirits of 3,000 students
who were graduating from Shantou University, a campus Li
Ka-shing had envisaged and built in the green hills of
Guangdong Province. Since its inception, some 30,000 stu-
dents have graduated from Shantou University. More than
US$250 million has been donated to the University since its
beginning in 1981. And some 1,500 new students are
enrolled each year.
The philanthropist was scheduled to speak to the graduating
class, and as our bus rolled onto campus I was surprised to see
the lane leading to the administration building lined with stu-
dents – cheering, pressing forward. Mr Li’s expression was the
definition of joy, his smile broad as he waved out the window
and stepped from the bus to a blizzard of flashing cameras.
Authorities wanted to move Li Ka-shing inside the build-
ing. The growing crowd made them nervous. But he would
not move. His desire was to be with the students. Several
brought him flowers. Others reached to shake hands and
even embrace. He focused on each one and posed for photo-
graphs, and I watched the authorities grow increasingly anx-
ious as the mass swelled into an uncontrollable crowd – a
riot of goodwill. Still Mr Li would not leave. A member of
the school administration leaned toward me and said,
“There are thousands more who wanted to be here. We had
to limit the number.”
The campus is clean and modern, 1.26 square kilometres
designed with the eye of an artist. In its short but impressive
history, it has established colleges in arts, sciences, engineer-
ing, design, medicine, law and business. It has 38 graduate
programmes and four post-graduate programmes. All made
possible by Li Ka-shing.
It is clear that Mr Li is no absentee benefactor. Rather, he is
involved personally, enthusiastically, offering guidance and
motivation to those on the front lines. With excitement he
shows me artist renderings for the library that will soon be
SPHERE 13
Above from left to right: one of the many medical
facilities supported by Mr Li in China;
Mr Li receives the Legion of Honour from French
President Jacques Chirac at the Elysee Palace;
Shantou University in Guangdong, China.