On October 15, 2011, the 110th anniversary of Shandong University, Peterson donated
RMB11 million to fund the construction of a building for the university’s Political Science Department in Qingdao. The building will be named after the Peterson Group, in honour of the Group’s contribution. Shandong province has particular sentimental value to Peterson, being the home province of the Group’s founder, Mr. Young Pui Kam, Peter. Consequently, Peterson is keen to promote and develop talent in the province.
Shandong University is the leading university of the province, ranking 11th in the nation according to U.S. News. The school comprises eight campuses in three different cities across the province. It has an excellent faculty team of 1,107 professors, including such outstanding figures as Professor Peter Grunberg, a German physicist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2007, as well as Professor Mo Yan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2012.
Peterson understands the importance of medical facilities and medical research to society. In particular, it is keen to support universities and hospitals in order for these institutions to provide better healthcare to the community.
In May 2009, Peterson donated HK$3 million to Queen Mary Hospital, one of the main teaching hospitals in Hong Kong, to improve the facilities for the hospital’s cardiology department. Coronary heart disease is prevalent in Hong Kong, and the number of related in-patient admissions and deaths has been rising steadily in recent years; therefore, such funding aims to improve facilities and facilitate better care for these patients.
In addition, in September 2010, Peterson donated HK$3 million to the University of Hong Kong. The donation is dedicated to the Department of Microbiology to support the research activities undertaken by Professor K Y Yuen. Well known as an expert specialist in infectious disease, Professor K Y Yuen played a key role in fighting the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong in 2003.
As of November 2017, Peterson has donated approximately RMB 25 million for the construction of a Buddhist temple at Dong Hu Ping Cun near Shaoguan city in Guangdong province. The temple was originally built in AD 630, but was unfortunately destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, leaving the area without a Buddhist temple. To help promote Buddhism in the area and to improve facilities for worshippers, Peterson has committed to construct a new temple at this historical site, the consecration ceremony of the temple was held in September 2017.
Light Be is a social venture created to address the housing needs of underprivileged families in Hong Kong using private resources. The project aims to provide housing for single-parent families at an affordable rent for a maximum of three years. In 2015, the Peterson offered two of its units for this project, hoping to support society not only through monetary contributions but also by using its resources. Peterson plans to contribute more units in the future should suitable opportunities arise.
SVhk is a philanthropic organization which provides both financial and non-financial support to social enterprises in Hong Kong. It seeks to develop and support projects that will have a sustainable, long-term positive impact on society. The organization has supported numerous social enterprises in Hong Kong including Green Monday, Diamond Cab and Dialogue in The Dark. Peterson has been a keen supporter of the organization since 2014 and currently holds a board seat in the organization.