CHANG
JAMAICAN-BORN BUSINESSMAN and philanthropist G. Raymond Chang is one of two outstanding leaders to receive honorary degrees from Canada's Ryerson University next month.
James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, is the other. The awards will be presented on November 3.
"Ryerson is proud to confer this distinction on two such inspiring leaders," said University President Sheldon Levy recently. "Mr. Chang and Lieutenant Governor Bartleman exemplify the Ryerson spirit. It is about believing in your community, and taking action to make great things happen."
Mr. Chang, a champion of education and, more recently, adult learning in particular, is one of Canada's most highly respected and successful business leaders.
CI FUND MANAGEMENT
He is chairman of CI Financial (formerly CI Fund Management). He acquired part ownership of CI Fund Management when it was a small investment firm and, with his partners, grew CI to become Canada's third-largest investment fund company and second-largest publicly traded fund company. Mr. Chang is a member of the Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation. He has served on the Ryerson University Board of Governors since 2001.
Mr. Chang is described as a passionate advocate for lifelong learning, and was last year presented the Award of Recognition from the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education for his outstanding contributions to advancing educational opportunities for adult learners.
He established a chair at the University of Toronto in internal medicine and a fellowship for West Indian doctors at the University Health Network. Mr. Chang has been a generous benefactor of early childhood and young adult learning, particularly of St. George's College, his high school alma mater in Jamaica.
Ryerson University is Canada's leader in career-focused education, with more than 80 graduate and undergraduate programmes in the Faculties of Arts, Business, Communication and Design, Community Services, and Engineering and Applied Science. Founded in 1948, Ryerson has full-time graduate and undergraduate enrolment of 20,000 students. With more than 61,000 registrations annually, The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada's leading provider of university-based adult education.
