Lui Che-woo wishes to serve the global community by recognizing achievements in the sustainable development of resources, the betterment of human welfare and enhancement of positive energy, with a 'prize for world civilization'. Joseph Li spoke with the noted entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Lui Che-woo, Founder-chairman of K Wah Group [Photo by Roy Liu / China Daily]

It has been the wish for decades of Lui Che-woo, founder and chairman of K Wah Group in Hong Kong, to launch a prize in his own name to reward people who have made outstanding contributions to the world and to make it a permanent international prize that lasted for generations.

His grand dream has now come true. After years of contemplation of the idea and planning, the Lui Che Woo Prize has been inaugurated and the laureates will be awarded for the first time in the fall of this year.

Unlike similar prizes that honor academic attainment by and large, the Lui Prize puts more emphasis on disciplines of humanities.

It has three prize categories, the first being sustainable development of global resources such as food supply and safety. The award also honors achievement in the improvement of human welfare, such as the treatment and control of epidemics and infectious diseases.

The third category is about positive life attitude and positive energy, aiming to recognize those who inspire, energize and light up the world with what they do and say.

Born on the Chinese mainland in 1929, Lui came to Hong Kong at the tender age of five. Now a sprightly 87-year-old, he remains in good physical and mental health and is able to present his viewpoints clearly.

"I first had the idea of launching a prize two or three decades ago. Since I had dropped out of school during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, that prompted me to offer help to the poor and underprivileged, especially in the areas of education and medical care, over the years," Lui told China Daily in an exclusive interview.

"Over the past 50 years or so, I have seen a lot of the world, society and people's sufferings. And as I have been investing in China since its economic reforms, I have realized how important education is to the country."

He explained why the Lui Prize is a bit different from other awards. "We are living in a modern world that has seen big advancements in science, technology and innovation. Yet in some parts of the world, there are still wars, conflict, killings, and people are living in pain. Human beings should be able to enjoy the world's natural resources, live in peace and harmony, and stop fighting.

"I chose to present the inaugural awards this year because it is the 60th anniversary of my company, and it is my wish to give out the awards every year," Lui said with a smile.

Global aspirations

Lui has his sights set beyond Hong Kong and intends to launch a grand award on the international scene.

He has opened an independent company to handle the Lui Prize and also invited a galaxy of renowned political and academic celebrities to be advisors and judges.

Among those sitting on the Lui Prize Council are Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Vice-Chairman and former Hong Kong SAR chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and World Bank ex-chairman James Wolfensohn.

Lawrence Lau, former vice-chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, is chairman of the nomination committee and Nobel Literature Laureate Mo Yan, a celebrated mainland author, is a member.

Former University of Hong Kong vice-chancellor Tsui Lap-chee and Mass Transit Railway Corporation Chairman Frederick Ma Si-hang are among members of the board of governors of the Lui Che Woo Prize Ltd or "Prize Company", a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in Hong Kong.

Star-studded lineup

"It is a big feat and I need a lot of able people and good friends to help me and transform my thinking into reality," Lui said enthusiastically.

The individual prize money is HK$20 million ($2.58 million), which is higher than that of the Nobel Prize and the locally founded Shaw Prize.

"Bigger prize money is offered because I hope the winners can continue their contribution to the world after being awarded for their achievement," he said.

The nomination and selection processes are in progress. The winners will be announced in June, with a grand awards ceremony to follow in October.

Lui said he would invite prominent personalities to present the prizes.

Administration of Lui Che Woo Prize

Lui Che Woo Prize Limited (www.luiprize.org), an independent company from K Wah Group, has been formed to handle related affairs. To set up the Prize, Lui Che-woo has made a generous donation of HK$2 billion as initial working capital. Lui is the chairman of the Board of Governors of the company, while the other board members are Tsui Lap-chee, Frederick Ma and Moses Cheng.

The Prize is governed and selected by a three-tier structure, comprising the Prize Council, the Prize Recommendation Committee and the Selection Panels of three Prize Categories.

PRIZE COUNCIL

The Prize Council comprises five international personages and leaders. Lui Che-woo is the Chairman of the Prize Council. It is responsible for the deliberation and approval of the awardees recommended by the Prize Recommendation Committee.

Lui Che-woo

* Founder & Chairman of the Board of Governors cum Prize Council.

Tung Chee-hwa

* Vice Chairman of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, People's Republic of China

* Former Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Condoleezza Rice

* Former US Secretary of State

* The Denning Professor in Global Business and the Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business; the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution; and a professor of Political Science at Stanford University

James Wolfensohn

* Former President of the World Bank

* Chairman of Wolfensohn & Company, LLC

Rowan Douglas Williams

* Master of Magdalene College

* Bishop of Monmouth and Archbishop of Wales

PRIZE RECOMMENDATION COMMITTEE

The Prize Recommendation Committee comprises six world renowned academics or top people of different disciplines. It is responsible for deciding a specific area of focus for each Prize Category every year and forming and supervising the Selection Panels of each Prize Category, reviewing the proposal for awards submitted by the Selection Panels of the three Prize Categories and recommending awardees to the Prize Council.

Mother Teresa is a role model

The Lui Che Woo Prize is open to all, regardless of ethnic background, nationality, geographical origin, cultural affiliation or religious belief, and it is hoped that it can carry on from generation to generation.

"It has no frontier at all," Lui explained. "My goal is as simple as that. I strive to promote preservation of global resources, maintain peace, harmony and mutual respect, so that everyone can enjoy the resources."

In theory, people from Hong Kong are also eligible for nomination and can win the award. Lui disclosed that the response to the prize has been quite good but did not reveal the number of nominations received and if there are any Hong Kong people among the nominees.

He added that the prize is not intended for Hong Kong alone, in response to a question on whether the city needs positive attitude and energy after the illegal 'Occupy Central' movement, veto of political reform, and the presence of those who do not seem to abide by the law.

"There are many elites in Hong Kong with important achievements. They are surely eligible for nomination and winning the awards," he said, but declined diplomatically to say which Hong Kong people he thinks deserve a nomination or can even win the award.

Asked which foreign figures live up to his standard of integrity, contribution and achievement, Lui said: "I think (the late) Mother Teresa (Nobel Peace Laureate of 1979) is a role model who deserves commendation, all for her great love, good work and unselfish sacrifices for the poor."

Contact the writer at joseph@chinadailyhk.com