Djavad Mowafaghian
| Djavad Mowafaghian | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1927 Tehran, Iran |
| 🏡 Residence | Vancouver Canada |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Iranian Canadian |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | philanthropist |
| Twitter= | |
Djavad Mowafaghian (Persian: جواد موفقیان; born 1927 in Tehran) is an Iranian Canadian philanthropist. He spends millions dollar of his resources to further education, health and social development in Iran, Africa, India, Haiti, Switzerland, England, and especially in Vancouver Canada.
Life[edit]
Djavad Mowafaghian was born in 1927 in Tehran. His father, Reza, died of a stroke when he was one year old: his mother, Robabeh, was, he said, the inspiration for his philanthropy.[1][2]
After graduating from university in Tehran, Mowafaghian went on to form one of the largest construction companies in pre-revolutionary Iran, during the 1970s, with more than 10,000 employees. Until the revolution of 1979, he worked on big projects such as building schools, roads and bridges.[3][2]
After the Iranian revolution of 1979 he moved to Geneva, Switzerland to join his children [2][4] who were already going to school in Geneva, but knew he would not stay long.[5] He established a commercial real estate development company and continued to support a wide range of education and healthcare initiatives in Europe.[3]
Mowafaghian settled in Vancouver BC Canada in 1987.[1] Shortly after he established a commercial real estate firm that developed and managed several properties in the Vancouver area[1] and owns four office buildings.[2]
In 2003 he established the Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation, which has provided generous and critically important support to numerous healthcare organizations in Vancouver.[1][3]
Although he left his homeland 4 decades ago he has remained connected to his country by funding the construction of 26 elementary, middle and technical schools, some of which were specifically designed for visual- and hearing-impaired students, and one for physically disabled girls. In 2010, Mowafaghian suffered a stroke, and his mother’s advice came rushing back to him. In January 2011, he followed his mother’s lead and moved all his assets into his foundation. He wants his entire fortune to go towards philanthropy.[3][2]
Philanthropy[edit]
Djavad Mowafaghian concentrates his gift-giving on education and children’s health.[2] He donated the largest ever gift , $ 15 million to the Faculty of Medicine[1] to build a brain research and patient care facility in UBC Hospital, Vancouver. The 135,000-square-foot building, opened in 2014[1] and is called the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, which unites research and clinical care in neuroscience, psychiatry and neurology.[6]
Since the inception of his eponymous Vancouver-based foundation in 2003, more than 20 organizations in British Columbia have benefitted from his philanthropy. [1] [2]
He donated the Djavad Mowafaghian Wing at BC Children’s Hospital and funded the Djavad Mowafaghian Child Care Centre.[7] The foundation has also supported young scholars to carry out research into children’s health and education through the Human Early Learning Partnership with $4M gifts.[8]
The foundation also gifted the Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema at Simon Fraser University with 350-seat tiered theater.[9]
The foundation contributed $3 million[8] to the Djavad Mowafaghian Atrium at UBC’s Beaty Biodiversity Research Centre in Vancouver BC Canada which does extensive public outreach work to get kids excited about science, conservation, and biodiversity.[2]
He’s donated $ 19 million to UBC, $ 9.5 million to SFU, $ 10.5 million to Children’s Hospital, $ 2 million to Vancouver General Hospital for a new stroke wing, $ 4.3 to Lions Gate Hospital and $ 750,000 to Surrey’s Centre for Child Development[2], $500,000 to UBC’s Blue & Gold Campaign for Students—the largest campaign for students in UBC’s history, which reached its goal to raise $100 million in student support.[6]
The list of charities he’s given more modest sums to are too numerous to list. He funded a bonemarrow transplant facility in Switzerland, awarded more than 70 scholarships for international students in England. He funded the construction of 26 schools in Iran, totaling over 800,000 square feet, benefiting more than 15,500 students a year, including those with physical disabilities.[1][10]
In addition to supporting a growing list of local charities, Mowafaghian has maintained his international focus, including recent support to help build a school in Haiti, to establish scholarships for international students in England and to fund bone marrow transplant facilities for children in Switzerland.[3]
Honours[edit]
In 2009, Simon Fraser University honoured him with a doctorate.[2]
In 2011, a bilingual book named "The Life of School-maker, DJAVAD MOWAFAGHIAN" was published in Iran in both Farsi and English.[11]
In 2013, a statue of Djavad Mowafaghian was unveiled in Tehran.[12]
in 2014, his extraordinary philanthropic record was recognized with numerous honours, including the Order of British Columbia, and his recent appointment as a Member of the Order of Canada.[3]
in October 2014 during the Dalai Lama’s visit to Vancouver, he personally presented 2014 Dalai Lama Humanitarian Awards to Djavad Mowafaghian.[13][14]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "UBC announces largest ever gift to Faculty of Medicine: $15M towards Centre for Brain Health". news.ubc.ca. University of British Columbia. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "The quiet philanthropy of the man from Tehran". vancouversun. com. Vancouver Sun. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Djavad Mowafaghian". ubc.ca. The University of British Columbia. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ "21. Djavad Mowafaghian, Philanthropist". Vancouver Magazine. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ "Djavad Mowafaghian Giving back". montecristomagazine.com. Montecristo Magazine. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation makes first gift to Blue & Gold Campaign for Students". UBC.ca. The University of British Columbia. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ "DJAVAD MOWAFAGHIAN CHILD CARE CENTRE". gv.ymca.ca. YMCA of Greater Vancouver. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "djavad mowafaghian foundation supports childhood education and health projects at UBC with $4M gifts". news.ubc.ca. The University of British Columbia. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ "Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema". sfu.ca. Simon Fraser University. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ Nasreen, Gulamhusein. "Djavad Mowafaghian Giving back". montecristomagazine.com. montecristo Magazine. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ "کتاب 2 زبانه زندگی و کارنامه خیّر مدرسهساز جواد موفقیان منتشر شد". mehrnews.com. Mehr News. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ "جواد موفقیان ،میلیاردر ایرانی و رکورددار نیکوکاری جزییات بیشتر : جواد موفقیان ،میلیاردر ایرانی و رکورددار نیکوکاری + عکس". saten.ir. Saten. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ "Education of the Heart". HIS HOLINESS THE 14th DALAI LAMA of Tibet. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
- ↑ "WHO WE ARE". mowafaghianfoundation.com. Mowafaghian Foundation. Retrieved Feb 24, 2020.
External links[edit]
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