This morning, Mr. Li Ka-Shing announced that he would be stepping down as honorary chairman of Shantou University and his son Richard Li and the colleagues of LKSF will continue his mission and work.

Photo by Fang Ganming

We would like to express our greatest gratitude to Mr.Li Ka-Shing for his enormous contributions to GTIIT.

It is Mr. Li Ka-Shing who makes GTIIT possible, thanks to his efforts of promoting the establishment of GTIIT, with the greatest support from Guangdong Party Committee, Guangdong Government, Shantou Party Committee and Shantou Government.

In 2013, Li Ka Shing Foundation donated 130 million USD to Technion, an internationally renowned university boasting 4 Nobel laureates, as a catalyst for encouraging Technion to establish GTIIT in Shantou.

On Sept. 28th, 2013, Mr. Li Ka-Shing, the 85-year-old philanthropist, visited Israel for the first time after 12-hour flight. The next day, he attended the signing ceremony of establishing GTIIT.

On the ceremony, Mr. Li Ka-Shing said: "The fast changing, fascinating, and transforming power of technology sometime does seem to wave like a magic wand. But we all know the magic wand is only as powerful as the wizard who uses it. The magic comes from the genius within, not from some 'Deus Ex Machina'. Our responsibility is to invest in reforms in education that unlock that genius and enable the continuing realisation of human potential, building a knowledge rich society and securing a sustainable quality of life for all.”

IF I HAD A MAGIC WAND

SIGNING OF MOU TO ESTABLISH GTIIT

29 September 2013

Recently my seven-year-old grandson asked what spell I would cast if I had a real magic wand. He knew exactly what his spell would be: he would turn himself into the commander of dragons — like a true Dragon Lord!

My own ambitions are definitely more modest, a reflection of Tagore's wise observation that:

"Age considers. Youth ventures."

Yet, for all the consideration that comes with experience, a great blessing in my life has been to witness first-hand and on many occasions the transformation of what once was thought impossible into everyday reality. Imagining the impossible is the necessary and game-changing condition precedent to shaping and making "solution revolutions" into reality.

In this new world of fluid boundaries, the fast changing, fascinating, and transforming power of technology sometime does seem to wave like a magic wand, bringing new models and opportunities to many frontiers and generating new solutions to entrenched problems at a pace that is often hard to keep up with.

But we all know the magic wand is only as powerful as the wizard who uses it. The magic comes from the genius within, not from some "Deus Ex Machina". Our responsibility is to invest in reforms in education that unlock that genius and enable the continuing realisation of human potential, building a knowledge rich society and securing a sustainable quality of life for all. Failing to do so amounts to a crime against the future.

One of my mentors and a very dear Jewish friend once shared with me the meaning of the Hebrew words "Tzedakah" and "tikun olam". These beautiful words encompass both the idea of commitment to charity and the idea of commitment to making the world a better place.

So if I could wave a magic wand, this would be my considered wish:

I would wave it to enable change-makers to maximise their effectiveness; I would bring them together in great institutes like Technion and new Technion Campus soon be built in Shantou with the support of the Guangdong government and in particular Governor Zhu. I would watch with satisfaction as the grace of education unlocked the confluence of their genius and potential… enabling the finest young minds from Israel and China to create a continuing series of "solutions revolutions" addressing the biggest challenges facing mankind in the 21st Century.

Ladies and gentlemen, science has yet to explain the seemingly magic twists of fate we call serendipity. But we are surely experiencing one here today. Who would have known on the same day that kickstarted the collaboration with Technion, our Foundation made an investment in Waze, which was our first participation in the Israel Venture scene.

Waze's mission of "out smarting traffic together" is itself a fine example of how united in effort and leveraging the combined power of disruptive technologies, we will be able to pursue breakthroughs and achieve developments that will create the most profound improvements in people's lives everywhere. I am proud to play my part in bringing this vision to reality.

Thank you.

GTIIT Cornerstone Laying Ceremony on Dec. 16th, 2015. Mr. Hu Chunhua, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and former Secretary of CPC Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, Mr. Shimon Peres, former President of Israel, and Mr. Li Ka-Shing, Chairman of Li Ka-Shing Foundation and Honorary Chairman of Shantou University Council together closed the time capsule.

GTIIT INAUGURATION CEREMONY

16 December 2015

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning, welcome to Shantou!

We just bore witness to a historical moment. I am most certain, everyone who has laboured for five years to make this vision into reality must be as thrilled and exuberant as I am.

When I am weary and feeling worn, when I am gloomy and feeling torn, I think of Shantou University, herein lies my heart-forever sealed and cast in its halls of learning.

This barren land has turned into a field of dreams. Today 30 plus years later, 40,000 graduates from our university are pursuing their dreams and missions, each in their own way and our medical graduates serve 70% of the patients in Chaoshan area.

Driving reforms in education through a dense forest of ideology could be a most harrowing and lonesome venture-toiling through thick and thin. But out of difficulties grew miracles-and this is an awesome one.

Since 2001, Shantou University has successfully pioneered a series of constructive reforms in higher education. Together with Technion Institute, I am so excited at the prospect of even greater transformative changes for the individual and for our country.

In this day and age, no one has an iota of doubt that technological innovation underpins a country's ability to create collective wealth, and is the key impetus to individual success. Creativity is the defining centrepiece of our time-powering us into the future. Talent, imagination, meta-thinking and qualitative intelligence could neither be moulded, controlled nor channeled. Establishing a creative paradigm is not easy to set right, only through education and the rule of law can we build a free and fair, fun and fruitful future for all.

One of the founders of Technion Albert Einstein said, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

These are words that resonate deeply in me. No one can afford to sit and wait for miracles-miracles don't just happen! You make them happen. I am 87 years old, my unchanging promise is that I will never stop pushing forward for a more hopeful future.

We witness today the miracle of tomorrow in GTIIT.  To all levels of the Chinese government who supported our quest and walked a thousand miles with unyielding determination, words alone cannot express my deepest gratitude to you all-especially Governor Zhu. And to all my friends in Technion, thank you for pioneering the future of humanity. To the State of Israel, thank you for sharing your greatest treasure with us.

GTIIT will be the home for the wise and innovators. With the profound impact it will bring to mankind and my beloved homeland, I envision a wonderful world for everyone-for generations to thrive with dignity, freedom and happiness.

Thank you!

June 2017 – Mr. Li Ka-Shing visited the newly-built living area of GTIIT North Campus with Chancellor Li Jiange.

GTIIT Inauguration Ceremony on Dec. 18th, 2017.

Mr. Li Ka-Shing encouraged the students today: "I am still determined to don a new set of armour everyday, to think, feel and act, to keep searching for variables of value helping others to achieve a full life." "Empathy and generosity cannot be taught, it is a choice. Stay logical, stay ethical, stay honest. Helping others to achieve a full life furthers one's own humanity. It will also aspire to a world of openness and change. That's your winning game."

Photo by Fang Ganming

Text/Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs