David Ting’s lifelong pursuit of learning and education goes back to 1949, when he was 16.  He joined the Chinese Nationalist army and then evacuated to Taiwan.  Intensive English language training provided by the Officers’ Language School followed along with self-education at every opportunity.  Retiring from the army at age 33 to join the China Productivity and Trade Centre he became Information and Publication Manager, responsible for the selection, translation and publication of the latest English language articles and books related to business and management.  At 40, he launched his own business -  ELKA Industries - a highly successful electronics parts and accessories trader and manufacturer.

 On coming to Canada with his wife Cecilia and family in 1993, David Ting wanted to make a contribution to education in his new country and chose Simon Fraser University, believing strongly that “education can change one’s life”.  The Ting children inherited this love of learning and the belief that knowledge of languages may “help improve human relations”:  Mr. and Mrs. Ting’s son, Eric, and son-in-law Jason Wang enrolled in the English Language and Culture Program in 2001, their daughter Peggy took the Advanced Chinese Interpreter Program in 2001-2002 and now, the third generation, their granddaughter Carol is contemplating the study of Forensic Science at SFU. 

The Ting family’s generous gift to Simon Fraser University is dedicated to language and cross-cultural education generally, and to the School of Criminology’s David and Cecilia Ting Forum on Justice Policy in particular, allowing hundreds of students and program participants from the justice system to share in David Ting’s passion for lifelong learning.