Bringing up the next generation of educators

Text: Sadia Roohi | Photos: Dr Kenneth Y T Lim

The late Mr Lim Chin Hua was a chemist by training and a civil servant by profession after graduating from Imperial College London. The eldest in his family of five siblings passed on peacefully in 2022 at 95 years old due to old age.

NTU’s benefactor, Mr Lim Chin Hua, is seated second from left. In a photo taken in 2015, he is pictured here with his siblings, (from left) Mr Lim Chin Beng, who was the Managing Director and Deputy Chairman of Singapore Airlines, Mdm Lim Guat Tin, Mr Lim Chin Seng and Mr Lim Chin Eang, Dr Kenneth Lim’s father.

In his estate planning, Mr Lim bequeathed part of his estate to NTU Singapore. For a start, a donation of S$2 million has been dedicated to the University for the Campus Refresh Fund under the National Institute of Education (NIE).

His nephew, Dr Kenneth Y T Lim (NIE/1992), the co-executor of the elder Lim’s estate said the Fund will partially provide capital for the construction of the NIE Annex, a new space designed to enhance the physical learning environment for future educators.

Dr Kenneth Lim (seated left) represented the Estate of Mr Lim Chin Hua and NIE Director Prof Liu Woon Chia (seated right) at the gift signing ceremony on 21 October, witnessed by NTU Deputy President and Provost Prof Ling San.

Dr Lim said his uncle would have considered the institutions and causes that mattered most to him. Mr Lim’s legacy also went to the National University of Singapore, the Salvation Army, and his alma mater, which gave him a scholarship during his undergraduate days.

The process of administering Mr Lim’s estate was lengthy and complex. “No one expected him to pass away suddenly,” Dr Lim explained. “It took us two years to sort through everything. Despite these challenges, the intention behind his bequests was always clear: he wanted to give back.”

Donor with a simple life

Dr Lim said his uncle, born in Indonesia, led a quiet life with his sister in the family home at Bukit Timah after an early retirement in his forties, and had remained single.

“My auntie still misses him very much. Uncle Chin Hua used to tend to his garden every morning, bringing in fresh produce to cook in the kitchen, and he could still drive himself around despite getting on in age,” said Dr Lim.

One of his uncle’s values was to be content with whatever one has and to know that there is no need to flaunt one’s wealth or achievements. “He was careful with money and did not spend unnecessarily, reflecting a deep sense of contentment and belief in simplicity,” said Dr Lim.

Three generations of educators

While Mr Lim’s life may appear modest, his family’s longstanding commitment to education reveals the deeper motivation behind his generosity.

The donor’s father, Mr Lim Chong Hum, founded an English school in Bandung, Indonesia, in the 1930s, where he and his wife taught the students, cooked for them, and even wrote their own school textbooks.

When Mr Lim Chong Hum started travelling with his wife in the 1960s, he wrote a book “Tour Europe on a Eurail Pass”. They decided to settle in Singapore after a brief stay in Penang. 

Family portrait: Dr Kenneth Lim as a 7-year-old (far right, first row cross-legged) and donor Mr Lim Chin Hua (standing 2nd from right). The patriarch Mr Lim Chong Hum is standing in the middle.

The family’s commitment to education continued through the generations, with Dr Lim becoming a Senior Education Research Scientist at the Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice in NIE. Dr Lim’s mother was a school teacher before resigning to look after the family full-time.

Dr Lim said, “Uncle Chin Hua had always retained his intellectual curiosity by reading up and often asked me about my work as an educator and my research projects with Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia.”

A space that shapes learning

Dr Kenneth Lim is the co-executor of his uncle Mr Lim Chin Hua’s estate.

The future NIE Annex will be located at the intersection of the main academic building and the upcoming Jurong Region Line MRT station on campus. 

In Dr Lim’s opinion, his uncle’s contribution to revamping the atrium will serve the needs of students and faculty.

“The physicality of a learning space matters more than people might think; therefore, the gift will go a long way in designing a space that helps users learn and interact comfortably,” he explained.

“Most importantly, I hope the learners who step into NIE will remember the example set by Uncle Chin Hua, who gave selflessly to education, and his values of frugality and intellectual curiosity will continue to inspire many.”

 

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Planned giving and bequests

A legacy gift is a planned gift created at present to be realised in the future after the donor passes on. The simplest way to create a legacy gift is to make a bequest through a will. Gifts can include cash, CPF monies, insurance policies, marketable securities, and real estate. If you want to learn more about legacy giving, please write to [email protected].