Order of The British Empire’s citation to Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing

Moving Hearts and Minds

Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing has been recognised for being a creative genius, an entrepreneur, a master of communications, an inspirational mentor, and an educationist par excellence.

And most recently, Forbes Asia named him as one of the 48 Heroes of Philanthropy.

In its citation, Forbes wrote that Tan Sri Lim has been named one of only 48 persons in the Asia-Pacific region to receive this accolade because he “has contributed and organized fundraising for everything from fighting AIDS to fighting Apartheid.”

His mission is to “create learning pathways for needy individuals to fully develop their talent and skills so they can contribute to nation-building.” He provides scholarships, disabled-student services and has given $22,000 last year to the “Plight of Palestinians: From Grim to Bleak” fundraising event.

While it’s understandably focused only on a few issues, the reality is that the sum of Dr. Lim’s philanthropic activities span 30 years, 3 continents and has touched thousands of lives.

What is also true is that very early on in his career, almost every business project he was involved in, turned out to have a philanthropic twist.

Whether by design or by providence, he soon became renowned as a tireless campaigner and fundraiser for charity organizations and events.

All this he did, whilst building his business empire in advertising.

Even as he became hugely successful in his own right as a media mogul, he was always interested in novel ways of conducting business and every project must have some kind of social benefit.

In advertising he built recognition for local talent, in education he created respect for creative professionals.

The mid-80s and early 90s saw him begin a new era as a strategic communicator, becoming one of Asia’s best. Even now, he continues to use the wealth of his experience, knowledge, creativity and skills to move people, change mindsets, influence the hearts of not just Malaysians but others around the world.

He built his campaigns on meaningful messages, strategically communicated; skilfully using the right media mix. Companies, governments and humanitarian causes found it useful to use his services. In one man they sourced a strategist, one who was highly creative and most able to put ideas into action.
In the last 10 years, however, Dr Lim has taken philanthropy to a whole new level.

His focus has been on lifting up people from some of the poorest parts of the world using education was in place long before social entrepreneurship became a buzzword.

Education for the World

For Dr Lim, salvation from poverty is best engineered through the empowerment of young people.

In 1991 - the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology has been sensitive to market demands because it felt a strong responsibility to produce graduates who are able to make a smooth transition from classroom to workplace.

The Limkokwing Institute of Creative Technology (as it was known then) was established to play an active role enabling much needed technology transfer in the area of creative education.

For the next 10 years the Institute set the pace for the education community. The philosophy was simply to empower the individual. And in doing so the Institute grew. It expanded. It upgraded. It reviewed. It revamped.

Industry requirements and global trends were its yardsticks as the Institute introduced new studies that were relevant to the times and also in anticipation to the future needs of the nation.

Design itself was a major expansion – Graphic, Electronic, Product, Industrial, Interior, Multimedia, Information, Communication, and Animation.

Two years into the new millennium the Institute became the first private college to be recognized as a University College. In 2003 the University College had moved into its new campus based in Cyberjaya and by 2007 it had become a full-fledged University.

The new campus signalled expansion of a kind never thought possible by a Malaysian institution of higher education.

The opening of the campus came with a renewed drive to go global with his unique brand of education for the developing world.

He knew there was no time to waste as this is the biggest generation of youth in the history of the world, and empowering the poorest will enrich the whole world in more ways than just money.

He was convinced that fundamental to a more equitable and just world is to make world-class education accessible to people in poor and developing countries so that the young generations from continents like Africa and Asia compete on a more level playing field with young people from developed countries in Europe, the US and Australia.

In 2006 the University that began taking in foreign students reversing the process by taking education to foreign shores.

In 2006 it received endorsement from the Government of Botswana in Africa to set up a campus in its capital city of Gaborone which it did in May 2007, with no less than the Former President of Botswana, the Hon. Festus Mogae officiating its establishment.

This was unprecedented, as it clearly indicated the high regards that this diamond – exporting country had for Malaysia and for this University.

Inside Africa

Over the last three years much of his efforts have focused on Africa.

He set up three campuses in Botswana, one in Lesotho, one in Cambodia and will open another in Swaziland in early 2010.

He fast-tracks the setting up of branch campuses of Limkokwing University in these countries by working with their governments through the Smart Partnerships model.

At the same time he seeks to make them independent in operating the campuses using their own people. By doing so he is creating employment and his ultimate aim is to build entrepreneurial abilities that will encourage young people to become owners of their businesses in the creative industries.

For those governments unable to strategise the way forward, he has put in place initiatives that map the route to creating new sectors for economic diversification.

Acknowledged by World Bank and UNESCO

Dr Lim’s revolutionary approach to education has caught the attention of governments and world agencies.

Limkokwing University has been cited by the World Bank and UNESCO for innovation in education. The World Bank has shown interest in the Limkokwing formula for education in the developing world and Dr Lim was invited to make a presentation in Washington and Islamabad, Pakistan.

UNESCO meanwhile, has singled the University out for its modern infrastructure.

The University has received over 100 awards from 4 continents, and have been hailed as a New Vision University and a pioneer in New Model University for Developing Countries.

From across Europe to the United States, the University is being seen as the world's leading new generation university whose ideas about how the world's next generation should be educated is gaining ground.

In cyberspace we are, perhaps, the most popular university website which it gets five to six million hits a month. People from 190 countries constantly visit the campus website and to date we have had more than 60 million hits.

Ambassador of Peace

Dr Lim has received the Ambassador for Peace Award from the Universal Peace Federation and Inter-religious and International Federation for World Peace and the Malaysian Peace Ambassador Award from the Sun Yat Sen Centre for Peace and Education (SEA), as well as being named the President of the World Peace Academy.

In 2003, he was named the Chairman of Malaysian World Peace Foundation.

In 2006, he was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year. He was then inducted into the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Academy in Monte Carlo, Monaco which is an exclusive organization.

He was honoured at the Summit for his work in improving international humanitarian relations, building human capability and enhancing cross-cultural understanding for the world. He was recognized as an extraordinary entrepreneur who has balanced his business success with social consciousness.

Visionary Educationist

Dr Lim has also received numerous European and international awards and accolades for his visionary leadership in education.

In 2006, the University of East London bestowed on him the Doctor of Education Honoris Causa to celebrate his lifetime achievement in moving education forward using innovation to blaze new directions that inspire those within the field as well as graduating students in their future lives

That same year, he received the Asia’s Most Creative Thinker award from the Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Westminster. The award recognized his unique ability in bringing creativity into tertiary education that has changed the way the world looks at education in Asia.

In Barcelona, he was presented with two awards – Professor Emeritus for Innovation Management and Doctor of Civil Law Honoris Causa by the Board of Trustees of the European University in Barcelona, Spain. The awards were for his efforts in promoting innovative education through tireless efforts, his global initiatives and committed leadership as well as his generous spirit and unequalled positive attitude.

Below are some highlights of some landmark humanitarian and peace communication campaigns developed by Dr Lim:

Ceasefire ‘89

In 1989 he produced a video entitled “Ceasefire’89” which depicted the horror of a nuclear war. In that film, a globe made out of matchsticks, was featured with green match-heads for continents and blue for the ocean. A match is lit and then placed against the globe which erupts into flames as a voice says the following message:

“We appeal to all world leaders to consider our right to life. To end the nuclear arms race before it ends mankind. Support Ceasefire’89, support the right to life.”

“Ceasefire ‘89” was highly acclaimed and won the joint first prize in a competition organised by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

It was one of Dr Lim’s early forays into the promotion of world peace, but it was not his last.

Voter education exercise for South Africa’s first democratically held elections

In 1994 Dr Lim was invited to help the African National Congress (ANC) in the run-up to the first ever democratically-held multi-racial elections in South Africa.

Dr Lim and his team in Malaysia – with the support and the direction of Nelson Mandela and the ANC - developed a strategic, but highly effective voter education exercise themed A Better Life For All – a message of reconciliation, hope and change that was disseminated throughout the country

It was so well received that it won praise from Mr Mandela, who in a letter to Dr Lim said:

 “It is with great pleasure and deep gratitude that I write to thank you and your team for the tremendous contribution you have given to our election campaign. Your untiring efforts on our behalf have touched the hearts of us all and you have shown true friendship and solidarity with the people of South Africa into a free, just and democratic country. The size and magnitude of your contribution will have a very meaningful impact on the outcome of the election and, on behalf of the people of South Africa, I thank you.”

Dr Lim’s efforts in South Africa also helped to strengthen ties between Malaysia and the country, and he subsequently led high level business delegations to the country to cement Malaysian-South African business and trade links.

Honouring Nelson Mandela

Dr Lim’s friendship with Nelson Mandela came full circle in 2008 when Limkokwing University honoured the Nobel Peace Laureate with an Honorary Doctorate of Humanity from the University.

By doing so, the University became the first Asian university to honour Nelson Mandela who has been a close friend of Malaysia for many years.

Though he did not know it then, the months that Dr Lim spent in South Africa cemented his lifelong love for the continent and had triggered his passion to set up university campuses in 3 countries there.

Global Humanitarian Appeal for Bosnia Herzegovina

In 1996, Dr Lim was asked by then Prime Minister Dato Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamed to help in creating awareness of the plight faced by the people in war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

In response, Dr Lim put together a worldwide awareness and fundraising campaign was widely acknowledged as a masterful execution involving a publication, exhibition and website to raise funds to rebuild the country.

An exhibition and a book entitled Bosnia: Beyond Words, Beyond Tears, was launched by Dr Mahathir and the campaign was publicized worldwide.

Dr Lim’s efforts were recognised by the Bosnian Government; Dr Haris Silajdzic - then the Co-Chairman of the Council of Ministers in thanking Dr Lim for these contributions said:

“On behalf of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and my own behalf, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support to Bosnia and Herzegovina and its people. Your noble endeavours in promoting the Global Humanitarian Appeal for Bosnia and Herzegovina represent an important contribution to the process of strengthening the peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

Kuala Lumpur World Peace Conference

One of the strengths of the Limkokwing University experience is in its engagement of students in national and international community projects.
Limkokwing students often have the chance to participate in large-scale events such as the Kuala Lumpur World Peace Conference held in August last year.

The first conference of its kind to be convened by a Muslim-majority country that saw some 1,000 delegates, it featured world-class speakers such as South African Deputy President Jacob G. Zuma, Singapore's Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies head Dr Rohan Gunaratna and former Swiss President Adolf Ogi.

The students played a major role at the conference organised by the Malaysian Peace Foundation of which Tan Sri Lim is president.

The students also had a hand in the designing of the World Peace Award that was given to French Prime Minister Jacque Chirac by Dr Mahathir a few days before the conference. The design, a pewter structure mounted on a wooden block, depicts a pair of doves intertwined to portray a heart and an olive branch.

The Plight of the Palestinians: From Grim to Bleak. This was a two-month charity drive to raise funds for medical aid for the Palestinian people. It was a follow-up to a similar campaign launched by the University in 2003.

The drive was planned with the Palestinian Embassy to educate Malaysians about the Palestinian cause and the reasons behind the underlying tension within the Middle East.

The campaign benefited from the presence of Middle-Eastern students on campus who provided personal and moving insights that helped in planning and development of the campaign materials.

At the exhibition, everyone who was present signed a petition calling for the end of the Palestine conflict, urging world leaders to take decisive action.
The campaign is ongoing and the University will continue to collect funds for the purchase of medicine and food for the Palestinians.

The exhibition was Limkokwing’s contribution to the endeavour undertaken by the Malaysians for Peace movement.

Heal the World

Originally part of the Plight of the Palestinians exhibition, the Heal the World concert has now become a year-long major campaign undertaken by the university and all its campuses worldwide.

The University developed a song called Heal the World, recorded by students from many countries.

The next Heal the World concert will be held in Botswana later this year.

Promoting London, Promoting British Education

In 2007, Limkokwing University arrived at London’s doorstep, the first private tertiary institution from Malaysia, Asia and the Commonwealth to open a campus in Piccadilly.

Dr Lim’s intention was to enable the vast reservoir of students in his universities across Asia and Africa to continue their studies in Europe’s most powerful city.

Beyond just opening a campus in London, this move was to close the gap between people of both sides of the world who are divided by cultural differences, ideologies and religion.

He called it best of East and West. He wanted to plant in the hearts of the young an understanding of both sides which in the long term will build a better world where people respect each other and celebrate differences.

He has always said that knowing only one side of the world is like seeing only half the story and availing ourselves to only half the opportunities.

The setting of the Limkokwing campus has stirred the British to rethink their education policies.

The UK Times Higher Education Supplement headlined that the “Asian rival in London is the latest wake-up call for UK about the harsh realities of globalization and noted that “we are going to have to reinvent universities.

The Independent newspaper in the UK headlined the news of our opening in London as “From Malaysia to Mayfair: The foreign university that is sending out shivers in the higher education world.”

They are waking up to the dynamics of globalization because Limkokwing University is the first from the Commonwealth to set up a campus in the country. The only other foreign university is American.

Preserving British architectural heritage

The London campus is located in a heritage building that used to be St. James Club Steeped in history. The mansion, of 18th century architecture with English art decorations prompted the UK Government to preserve it as a heritage building.

It was originally built for Sir Hugh Hunlock and bought over by the Earl of Coventry in 1764. Six years later, in 1860 the house was acquired by the Comte de Flahault who was once the A.D.C to the famous Napoleon.

It was only after the Count’s death and that of his wife that the lease was bought by the St. James Club in 1869 to expire in 1999. It was frequented by diplomats – “27 members of Her Britannic Majesty’s foreign services” as writer Charles Graves described the club in his book “Leather Armchairs – the Chivas Regal book of London Clubs”.

The architectural richness of the campus is a bonus to the University’s architecture students who come to London for research purposes.

Making London a destination within the Global Classroom

London is an important part of Dr Lim’s brainchild - the Global Classroom programme. He has been successful because of the global infrastructure he developed through establishing campuses in Botswana, Lesotho, Cambodia, China, Indonesia and Malaysia. In addition the collaborations he has forged with 170 universities in 77 countries expand the global reach for students participating in the Global Classroom.

Promoting British standards

In 2008, the London premises obtained Premier Status awarded by the UK’s Accreditation Services for International Colleges (ASIC) after stringent inspection of both programmes and premises.

By 2009, three other campuses in Malaysia, Cambodia and Botswana obtained Premier Status from ASIC. By doing so Dr Lim has helped to promote British standards because he linked ASIC to indigenous authorities involved in quality controls who have expressed strong interest in ASIC’s methodology.

Promoting British universities, promoting English

Dr Lim has been promoting British universities and British education around the world for over a decade.

A vital component of this collaboration is International House Malaysia, which is part of the network of the UK’s International House World Organization (IHWO), where we train 2,000 students yearly for various academic and non-academic English preparations.

IH Malaysia employs English language teachers from IHWO, thereby allowing people from all parts of the world to immerse themselves in Asia and be part of the East-West integration.

A 21st century ‘rebel’ educationist

When Dr Lim decided to go into the education in the early 1990s in Malaysia, many scoffed at him because he never went to University.

But what he brought to the education sector was in typical style – unorthodox, untraditional – yet it resonated with creative young people who yearned to be taken just as seriously as those who were pursuing the more common and traditional studies such as Medicine, Law and Engineering.

What he brought to the industry was his sharp business acumen and entrepreneurial skills – and most importantly his passion to provide education that prepared young people for 21st century careers.

He started the Limkokwing Institute of Creative Technology in 1991 to address lack of professionally-trained creative talent with the skills to help emerging and new economies to grow their sectors and expand into new and unexplored activities.

He has taken on the task to bridge the gap between the developed and the developing world and he finds himself having to establish the infrastructure needed to empower young people.

He subsidises the off-shore campuses in Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Botswana, and Lesotho to ensure that the tuition fees are affordable by a large majority of the population.

That the website of his university is among the most popular with over 4 million hits per month from 188 countries is testimony to the span of his global outreach.

21st century social entrepreneur

Education, he is convinced, is the most effective way to eradicate poverty quickly because it empowers people and expands their range of choice.

He has presented his views at forums and conferences across the world, including those organized by the World Bank and UNESCO.

He explains that educated people are more likely to be employed, and to remain employed. The better qualified they are the higher their income is likely to be.

He seeks to dismantle barriers to education and increase access to knowledge and skills. By doing so he is convinced that the world will be helping to create more economic winners and to transform a culture of war into a culture of peace and progress.

LIFT Programme

He established the Limkokwing Institute for Tomorrow (LIFT) to transform disadvantaged communities into active participants in the global economy by empowering individuals through the use of new technology that will enable them to take advantage of opportunities that are arising worldwide.

LIFT has a mission to establish special training centres through support from the global community to enable poor and deprived societies to access learning that will build their capabilities in Information Communications Technology.

In Africa he is attempting to build human capital working with governments to liberate the vast store of African talents. He is putting into practice the Smart partnership principles adopted at Malaysia’s Langkawi International Dialogue and the spin-off Southern Africa International Dialogue.

21st Century Visionary

He works across continents to bridge the divides in many areas of people’s lives.

In Europe he seeks to enlighten and educate people on the need to understand the richness and diversity of the East.

He put together programmes that merged the East and West to enable thousands of young people to cross borders for the sake of learning and researching the wealth of hidden knowledge trapped within the cultures of people.

In Asia he is adding a new chapter to his educational pursuit through centres where “living legends” – men and women skilled in ancient arts and crafts – are engaged to transfer their precious knowledge to a new generation passionate for the opportunity to learn from the masters.

He has started in Bali where he has forged collaborations with galleries where ceramics, stone carving, pottery, silversmithing and textile design are crafted.

He has also linked with performing artistes adept in the ancient movements as well as the intricacy of stage make-up and costumes that separate Balinese culture from the rest of the world.

He seeks to repeat this programme in Cambodia at Siem Riep where the famous Angkor Wat is located and where he will be able to gather the best craftsmen of Cambodia.

He is also looking at China as well as Sarawak in Malaysia.

21st century visionary

Dr Lim has set a bold goal to reach a mission to reach a million students living in undeveloped countries via mobile content.

At the same time he is setting up regional campuses that will be networked through satellite campuses where the University will work with the indigenous population to share their experiences, knowledge and skills.

He has told the World Bank that training, innovation and marketing are key components in the development of indigenous craft industries.

These should be developed into new and better designs, their packaging made more appealing, their range expanded and the use of new materials researched to produce cheaper crafts in large quantities for export. He foresees that the development of the crafts industry would create large scale employment and help to generate wealth that will eradicate poverty.

Tan Sri Lim’s mission is to be at least in 50 countries. By doing so he believes he can save millions of foreign exchange for many of the developing countries as well as generate jobs, increase business opportunities and thereby reduce the “brain drain” of precious human capital.

Most recently, he spoke at the 17th Commonwealth Education Minister’s Conference in KL in June ’09.

Dr Lim delivered what was perhaps the most stirring and memorable speech entitled “Reinventing Education’ where he painted a grim picture of the uncommon truths about the Commonwealth education model:

“The reality,” said Dr Lim “is that we are largely focusing our capacity to maximize human resource of only 20% of the world, when 80% or nearly 4 billion people live in a very different world.”

“It is easy to see, and it does not matter where you stand, that we cannot just focus on transformation and wealth creation without first looking at poverty eradication.

For some time now, I have believed that we should re-define what it means to be educated, who gets to be educated and how young people are educated to meet the needs of a fast changing world.

I believe it is time for a new Commonwealth model to be considered. One that effectively accommodates the different needs of different countries; one that builds first the people and then the economy.

This reinvention must happen if there is to be transformation so that every young person is purposefully educated, and has a part to play and a stake in moving their country forward.”

Dr Lim is an unusual entrepreneur, in that he looks beyond the profit margin for satisfaction. He has always believed that entrepreneurship comes with social responsibility.

He has shown that no matter what status in life you start with, no matter what skin colour you are, no matter what religion you believe in, no matter what country you are born in – you can rise to the highest and achieve the most seemingly impossible of all dreams.

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