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“I’d lived all my live in Hong Kong, so I thought I might as well see the world,” recalls Chow. “I also thought I should go as far as possible and I heard Dal had a good reputation in education, offering a wide range of academic disciplines, which is how I made my choice.”

It was a good decision, Chow says. At the time, Dal was still a relatively small university, making it easy for an international student like him to make friends. He also liked that it offered both an environment where he could focus on his studies and a comprehensive range of programs to explore his passion for science. He took an interest in pharmacy, completed a second degree at Dal, practiced for a few years in Nova Scotia and Ontario, and went on to operate his own pharmacy in Hong Kong. 

“Because you do a lot with medicine, you have people coming to you seeking advice,” says Chow, who retired in 2007. “They give high respect to the profession, and I enjoyed talking with them, so I really loved my work.” 

That love extends to Dal, which helped Chow launch his career through the learning he received. He considers the university a second family, based on the sense of community and support he found here. Given the importance of family in Chinese culture, he has subsequently maintained a strong bond with Dal over the years. In addition to serving as an associate member of the Board of Governors, he was also president of the Chinese Students’ Society at Dal and ���������鶹�þ��ۺ� Alumni Hong Kong chapter. 

“Once you go to Dal, you’re a member of that family, and that means you try to get closer,” says Chow. “I’m still involved with the chapter here and we try to get together. I think Dal is in our DNA, so that is why I still have a strong attachment.”

Chow has also supported Dal in other ways, including several gifts to the College of Pharmacy’s annual fund so that it can help students in need, in particular international students.

“I was privileged because my family supported me in my first year and then I worked summers to cover tuition in my other years,” Chow says. “There are students who come all the way to Dal with one purpose: to graduate and be successful. Maybe some have financial assistance, but I don’t think too many do, so I want to do my part to help them.”

Chow’s desire to help is also evident in his gifts to the Giving Tuesday Food Security Project and the . Since 2015, the annual event has welcomed more than 1,600 students to share traditions, holiday spirit, and a delicious meal made possible by donors. Chow says the dinner has special resonance for him, given his own experiences as an international student spending the holiday season on campus.   

“During that time, Howe Hall went from being very energetic and noisy to being very quiet and kind of lonely,” Chow recalls. “I was homesick, but I was able to manage. Nobody should have to go through that, so I hope my contribution may help warm the students’ hearts, particularly those who are thousands of miles away from home.”

These days, Chow keeps busy helping with a real estate business started by his father that is now run by his children, Edward and Tracy (BA’99). He also continues to give back to the university, not just to support a new generation, but also his alma mater and Halifax.

Students who receive support go on to be ambassadors for the city and the university, and eventually give back themselves. — Peter Chow

“It’s worth it to me to do what I can, and I hope alumni will consider doing the same thing.”