University of British Columbia

With its strong connections to Asia, the University of British Columbia (UBC) is a recognized international destination for scholars who pursue Asian studies. The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chair and Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society, administered by the Institute of Asian Research and Department of Asian Studies at UBC, foster understanding of modern and contemporary types of Buddhism. They also explore how Buddhism today is involved in the socio-economic, political, and ethical life of Asia and societies beyond the region.

The Ho family’s support for Buddhist studies at UBC dates back to 2005, when the Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation provided an endowment to the University to establish North America’s first Buddhist studies program to focus on contemporary society.

In October 2014, the Foundation and UBC renamed the University’s Chair and Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society to The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chair in Buddhism and Contemporary Society and The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society. With the new names, UBC officially became part of the Foundation’s global network of Buddhist learning that seeks to expand the understanding, interpretation and application of Buddhist philosophy in contemporary scholarship and society.

Professor Gage Averill, Dean of Faculty of Arts at the University of British Columbia (left) and Mr Robert H. N. Ho, founder of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation at the renaming of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chair and Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society. A calligraphy work featuring the Ho Family’s motto “Before you can receive, you must learn to give” was presented to Mr Robert H. N. Ho at the ceremony.