Hong Kong has been good to Andreas Hofer. The veteran hotelier wants to give something back to the people and community that have treated him so well. He has done so with a thoughtful gesture that is a novel model for giving.
Four decades after he arrived in Hong Kong as a young restaurant manager, Mr Hofer is vice-chairman of Lanson Place Hotels and Residences, a company that operates serviced apartments.
He and his wife, Valerie, who comes from a large and long-established Hong Kong family, have no children. Retirement for the active pair is not on the horizon, although they are knocking on the door of late middle age.
A couple of years ago, the Hofers pondered how they could show their gratitude to the city they love. Their answer will hopefully inspire others.
At a recent ceremony, they signed a bequest leaving US$1 million to the Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management. The money will be used to support two promising graduate students annually, sending them to famous hotel schools in the United States or Switzerland. A condition of the grants is that the students return to work for a set period in Hong Kong.
The Andreas Hofer Scholarship Fund aims to elevate standards in the hospitality profession as well as to boost individuals and help Hong Kong.