Asian universities lag far behind the United States in luring philanthropic donations and until attitudes change the best students will continue to seek the extra sparkle of a Western degree, analysts say.
But there are signs that giving is on the increase, particularly in China, although donations tend to focus on bricks and mortar instead of supporting a wider educational experience -- and therefore attracting the best students.
"(Education) is very much brand driven," said Hong Kong-based John Peralta, managing director of Global Philanthropic, a consultancy that advises both institutions and individuals on donations.
"Given a choice, most students would still choose to go abroad. And it will be some time before the very top international students are drawn to Asia for their whole educational careers," he added.
William Louey, whose foundation has sponsored more than 30 students from China and Hong Kong through an English boarding school and universities, agreed the prestige of those institutions could not be matched by Asian schools.
"If you have got an education at a British public school and a degree from Oxbridge, that gives you a real advantage," said the chairman of Hong Kong Construction (Technology) Ltd, when asked why his foundation chooses Western institutions.
Governments across Asia have in the past taken responsibility for lavishly funding their top institutions, often as prestige projects. Added to a traditional Chinese distaste for overt public displays of wealth, it has meant these universities have failed to develop programmes to attract cash from alumni or other benefactors, Peralta said.
He added that when Asian donors do give money they tend to focus on prestige building projects, particularly in sciences, rather than supporting endowments or the cultural or sporting life of the university.
As a result, students are less excited about the wider university experience, meaning they are less likely to give in the future: "There is a really low level of loyalty," he added.
Hong Kong has relied in recent years on periodic funding drives, where the government matches private donations. But Peralta said this focuses on a select band of tycoons with a "give and forget" attitude. "Most of the tycoons operate concessions from the government so these tycoons tend to feel that they have an obligation to support," he added.
"The government initiatives are important in the short term, but in the long term they can inhibit the globalisation of these institutions. It does not provide an incentive to reach out and create a real vision."
Peralta said there is "no comparison" with the networks established in the United States, where full-time staff are dedicated to broadening funding for top seats of learning.
As a result, Asia has instead become one of the major sources for donors to American universities. Gordon Wu, who made his fortune through infrastructure projects, has donated 100 million dollars to his alma mater Princeton to support an engineering department.
Wu has said his decision to give back to his former college was part of a "wish to honour the ideals of excellence and service and ensure that future generations receive the same and even greater opportunities". But there are signs other Asian donors are beginning to see philanthropy as more than a way to keep the government onside.
This year almost 11 billion US dollars has already been given by the top 50 Chinese philanthropists, according to figures quoted by Terry Alan Farris, head of Asia philanthropy services at UBS. This is up from 1.24 billion given in all of 2004. Education is one of the areas that benefits the most from this money, he said.
Perhaps the most high-profile example is Asia's richest man, Li Ka-Shing, who has pledged to give around 10 billion dollars to his philanthropic projects across the world. He has called on Asia's richest to move beyond the tradition of keeping money within the family.
"In China, the culture for a thousand years is generation to generation. I hope today, what I am doing... can be some influence to our Chinese culture that is very meaningful," Li told the Wall Street Journal is a rare interview recently. Li's largest educational project is Shantou University, near his birthplace in southern China, although he has also given huge sums to schools in Singapore and Hong Kong. Shantou has been transformed from an empty field to a facility with top journalism and medical schools. A 20-million-dollar library is now being built.
Li retains a close interest in the project, assigning key staff to oversee it. But despite Li's obvious engagement in his projects, other donors simply like the idea of having their name on a building.
"You get some people who when they get money they want fame," said Louey, who attributes his choice of funding students rather than buildings to his grandparents, who set up charities for the elderly in Australia. "Others do it to climb up the social ladder. It is definitely growing, but a lot more could be done."
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