I am deeply saddened that my dear friend Paul Forster passed away after a short sickness. My thoughts are with Claire, John and Vivien who lost their dad and life companion. Paul was deeply involved in questions of business ethics and the preservation of the environment. We had endless tea breaks to debate “the good, the bad and the evil” and philosophised about life, which now sadly ended prematurely for him. After I left Asia, we always stayed in touch, met annually in Hong Kong and constantly exchanged messages on where and how we were. Like this, Paul joined me on some of my strolls through the history of Malta or German forests by video stream. We always wanted to go out to these places together one day, once Paul has time to visit me in Europe. This would have been philosophical walks of nearly ancient Greek character. Clearly, it would have been me, who is the students in these dialogues. I was always impressed by Paul’s clarity of argument and sharpness of his questions, against the backdrop of his kindness and wisdom. We lost a true friend and his students a great Professor, a real educator, who cared passionately about preparing them for an uncertain future. Paul was often torn by injustice and truly wanted to make the world a better place. I know that, according to his Buddhist fate, he believes that he will be reborn and continue his journey. He is probably already around us again continuing his work. What a comforting thought this is. But, Paul, don’t forget to take a break - a short one at least. Rest in Peace - for a while.

Prof. Paul Forster on his staff profile at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) where he served the last 20 years (photo with kind permission)