Victor Chan
Co-Founder
Born in Hong Kong and educated in Canada and the United States, Victor Chan began his career as a particle physics researcher before transitioning into a distinguished scholar and author. His path toward spiritual and cultural exploration began in 1970 when he left his graduate studies at the Enrico Fermi Institute of the University of Chicago to travel through Asia. Two years later, during the Holi Festival in Dharamsala, India, a chance meeting with the Dalai Lama profoundly changed the course of his life, leading to a long-lasting friendship and their co-authorship of two books.
Chan’s deep connection to Tibetan culture is reflected in his extensive research and travels across Tibet and the Himalayas. From 1983 to 1988, he embarked on a remarkable 42,000-kilometre journey, much of it on foot. In 1985, he became the first person to cross the Himalayas by bicycle, traveling from Kathmandu to Lhasa. His explorations culminated in the publication of the 1,104-page Tibet Handbook: A Pilgrimage Guide in 1994, which Dr. Michael Aris of Oxford’s St. Antony’s College praised as “the most detailed and comprehensive guide to Tibet ever to appear in a Western language… Chan is a worthy successor to the great explorers of the nineteenth century.”
In addition to chronicling Tibet’s spiritual geography, Chan has played a pivotal role in promoting the Dalai Lama’s teachings. Together, they co-authored The Wisdom of Compassion : Stories of Remarkable Encounters and Timeless Insights and The Wisdom of Forgiveness : Intimate Conversations and Journeys, the latter of which was shortlisted for the Best Spiritual Book of 2005 and translated into 14 languages.
Both books explore the Dalai Lama’s ideas on forgiveness and compassion but, rather than didactic manuals, they present these themes through intimate personal stories. To research them, Chan traveled with the Dalai Lama for over two decades, conducting numerous interviews and spending time with him both at home and on the road. While the books focus on teachings of compassion and forgiveness, they also reveal a more personal side of the Dalai Lama – his humour, playfulness and joy. Through these engaging narratives, readers gain a unique glimpse into the life of a spiritual leader whose wisdom is balanced by a deep humanity. Regardless of their religious beliefs, readers will find a deeper understanding of human nature and the potential for kindness and empathy.
In 2004, inspired by the Dalai Lama’s vision for 21st-century education, Chan co-founded the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education with His Holiness. The Center’s mission reflects the Dalai Lama’s belief that balancing intellectual development with “educating the heart” is essential to fostering a more compassionate and peaceful world.
Currently, Chan is working on a memoir chronicling his five-decade friendship with the Dalai Lama.
