A father’s legacy

September 2008

Belief in education: Mr Lim Joo Hock (left) made a gift to support the Lim Hong Chin Memorial Scholarship in honour of his late father (right).

In the 1890s, a young man from Hainan, China came to Malaya on a junk boat, with little more than dreams of a better life. Mr Lim Hong Chin had the most basic of education, but through determination, perseverance and hard work, went on to become a businessman.

These very traits inspired 86-year-old alumnus Mr Lim Joo Hock to make an endowed gift of $250,000 to support a scholarship in honour of his father. The gift towards the Lim Hong Chin Memorial Scholarship – the first named scholarship at NUS School of Computing (SoC), will attract a dollar-for-dollar matching grant from the Singapore Government.

Mr Lim had a humble start as a water carrier upon arriving in Malaya. Undaunted, he managed to become a rubber plantation owner. Said Mr Lim Joo Hock: "My father only had two years of formal education, but he acquired knowledge by reading the Chinese language newspapers every day. Electronic computing has greatly changed the way we work and carry on business. I hope this scholarship would encourage more bright young minds to enter this field and develop applications which would benefit humanity."

Mr Lim Joo Hock, himself a recipient of several scholarships, graduated from the University of Malaya in 1952. He held senior positions in the civil service. Upon retirement, he set up his own law practice in 1977.

Expressing his appreciation, Professor Ooi Beng Chin, Dean of SoC said: "On behalf of SoC, I would like to thank Mr Lim Joo Hock and his family for their generous gift. We believe that future Computing students will stand to gain not only from the prestige and benefits of winning the Lim Hong Chin Memorial Scholarship, but also by emulating Mr Lim Joo Hock's example as a scholar and philanthropist."

The Scholarship was launched at the SoC 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner on 23 August 2008.