Kwan Laurel Donation to the School of Humanities

The School of Humanities of Ateneo de Manila University received a donation from Mr. Robertson “Robby” Kwan Laurel, Sunfu Solutions CEO and alumnus of the university, to support the School’s initiatives in capacity building, the scholarly and artistic work of the faculty members of the School, and the promotion of the humanities.

A portion of the donation was allocated to the continuing education of seven faculty members of the School: Christian Jill Benitez, John Paul Bolano, Jomar Empaynado, Javier Miguel Galvez, Devi Paez, Michelle Paterno, and Marnie Racaza. Called the Kwan Laurel Grant for Promising PhDs, the grant gives recipients a full deloading for one semester for them to finish their doctorates. They are thus “promising” in two senses: they are likely to succeed in their field in the near future and they promise to finish their doctorates. The grants were awarded at the School of Humanities Christmas Assembly last 9 December 2022.

Another portion of the donation is allocated to the Kwan Laurel Grant for Creative and Research Work in the Humanities (or the KL Humanities Grant). According to Dr. Claudette Ulit, the School research coordinator, “this grant is intended to support projects that have not been prioritized for funding by other grants within and outside the university. It aims to foster the development of interdisciplinary research and creative agendas. These projects are expected to be of such quality as will lead to publications, conferences, exhibitions, or public performances.” A call for proposals was released in December last year, and a committee will vet proposals later this year.

The School is grateful to the Kwan Laurel family for the donation that promises to strengthen the School of Humanities. Mr. Kwan Laurel previously donated to the FIRE program of the Department of Theology and had established the Kwan Laurel Endowment Fund in the Humanities. Its inaugural lecture, held in April 2022, was delivered by Prof. David Crystal. The second annual lecture is set for March this year.