Limkokwing; the man who designed the future

Some two weeks back, just after lunch at the Limkokwing University campus in block 7 a commotion ensued as students and staff members rushed towards the open space in front of the administration block.  There were loud cheers of jubilation as people gathered around some figure. One student suddenly emerged out of the crowd, smiling like a Cheshire cat and boasting to anyone who cared to listen, “Oh my God, I shook his hand”. Looking through from the top of the balcony, I caught a glimpse of a Chinese man buried among university officials and mobbed by excited students. It occurred to me then that the founder and president of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology had arrived in Gaborone to attend the graduation ceremony of class of 2015. He is a well decorated man with so many titles you could just study them for a degree dissertation. He is Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Paduka Dr Lim Kok Wing. What a lot of people may not be aware of is, Limkokwing University is named after its founder whose three names, Lim Kok Wing, have been merged together to form what is now a global brand; Limkokwing. He is a revered creative think-tank in Malaysia and has been named the father of innovation in creative education. Former Malaysian Prime Ministers have showered him with accolades for always responding with sincerity to assist the Government overcome many socio-economic issues in the country. Interestingly, his name, “Kok Wing” means “glory to the country”.  Glory is what he has brought to Malaysia, Africa and the United Kingdom where his university can be found.  In her book ‘Limkokwing, The man who designed the future’, his prot├®g├® Ambi Mathe describes Tan Sri Limkokwing as a maverick, a person who challenges convention and therefore invites controversy. A Chinese, Limkokwing respects the culture of his ancestors but at the same time he brazenly breaks tradition. According to Mathe, Limkokwing used to drive a black Mercedes Benz that had 40 as the plate number ÔÇô a number most Chinese shudder to use because it shares the same sound as the word for death in some Chinese dialects. A free thinker, Limkokwing is of the view adherence to such symbols shackles the mind and dampens creativity.  Limkokwing  is a man who always thinks and speaks about the future. Born in Kuala Lampur on October 22, 1946, Limkokwing was the only son among four daughters. He started as a cartoonist and rose to become one of the world’s most recognized educators. During the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994, Nelson Mandela roped him in as the chief strategist for the African National Congress (ANC) campaign. At 69, Limkokwing is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He still works from dawn to midnight. He is up by 4 a.m. every day and goes to bed only after midnight. He works himself hard and those who work with and around him say he expects the same of his staff. Even on Sundays he can be seen holding marketing meetings during crucial recruitment periods. In fact, the long hours of work and the dedication to quality are something many of his staff find difficult to sustain. But Mathe writes that it is upon these very principles he has built his life and staked his reputation. He pushes and prods. He insists on outstanding work, frontier thinking and quality finish-all the time. Limkokwing is highly respected as an ideas man and a very creative person. He set out to create learning experiences that would challenge students to apply thinking into everything that they do. He set out to evoke creative thinking and insisted that every student acquires technical skills to translate their ideas into tangible products that express their thoughts and which prepare them for a satisfying career in the future. His university is unconventional in that it puts more focus on practical learning as opposed to theory in a bid to produce graduates who are industry ready.  Mathe writes that what separates Limkokwing from others is his ability to produce solutions that are practical and workable. He is a collector of antiques and quaint artefacts and loves the colour black. Black is the corporate colour he chose for his company and all his staff, right down to the tea ladies, are dressed in black. Limkokwing is also a generous man. The perplexing thing about him is that while he is a hard-nosed businessman, he at the same time gives unstingily to those in need. He describes the poverty days in his youth as a banquet. “If you haven’t been there you would not know anything about it. Youd wouldn’t know the value of success in the first place. Certainly you wouldn’t know the value of money. You therefore wouldn’t know the value of charity”, he is quoted in Mathe’s book. In 2009 he was singled out by Forbes magazine as one of four Malaysians among 48 Asian Heroes of Philanthropy.  He founded the Society for the Severely Mentally Handicapped in 1984. This is why when he established his university; he wanted humanitarian activities to form part of its culture. He has offered scholarships to people living with disabilities in Botswana. He has also offered scholarships to media practitioners in Botswana both in private and government. Curiosity and exploration are part of Limkokwing’s creative journey. This explains why he never blinked at the opportunity to open the first ever Limkokwing university in Africa, choosing Botswana as his first destination in 2007 before spreading later to other countries such as Lesotho and Swaziland. During the launch of Limkokwing University in 2007, Former President Festus Mogae had this to say, “I am indeed, greatly encouraged by Lim Kok Wing’s involvement in Botswana. I have heard it said that ordinary leaders direct, great leaders instruct but greatest of leaders inspire. Our young people here are so inspired it is impressive”. Mogae would three years later shower him with praises for his feat. “He has invested the time and money to make this campus the most hi-tech institution of higher education in Botswana”, Mogae said during graduation ceremony at Limkokwing University in 2010.