UM confers honorary doctorates on five distinguished individuals

The University of Macau (UM) today (2 December) held the Ceremony for the Conferment of Honorary and Higher Degrees 2023. During the ceremony, the university conferred honorary doctorates on five distinguished individuals: Prof Cai Fang, Prof Leong Kam Weng, Prof Ching-Ping Wong, Prof Franco Maloberti, and Prof William Shiyuan Wang, in recognition of their outstanding achievements and significant contributions to society.

During the ceremony, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U, acting as the representative of the chief executive of the Macao SAR and UM chancellor, conferred honorary doctorates on the distinguished individuals, in the company of UM University Council Chair Lam Kam Seng Peter and UM Rector Yonghua Song. Prof Cai Fang received a Doctor of Social Sciences honoris causa, Prof Leong Kam Weng received a Doctor of Science honoris causa, Prof Ching-Ping Wong received a Doctor of Science honoris causa, Prof Franco Maloberti received a Doctor of Science honoris causa, and Prof William Shiyuan Wang received a Doctor of Humanities honoris causa.

In her speech, Secretary Ao Ieong, on behalf of the Macao SAR Government, paid high tribute to the outstanding achievements of the five distinguished recipients of the honorary degrees.

In his speech, Rector Song said that with their extraordinary academic achievements, the five honorary doctors have made outstanding contributions to the development of the world’s economy, science, and culture, serving as role models for UM faculty and students. He added that a fine example has boundless power, and encouraged the graduates to seek to emulate them, serve, and give back to the community through their knowledge and hard work.

Hu Weixing, dean of UM’s Faculty of Social Sciences, delivered a citation for Prof Cai Fang. Part of the citation read: ‘Prof Cai Fang is a prominent demographer and economist who has contributed significantly to the understanding of China’s population and labour economics and their impact on the country’s economic development. He has received numerous awards and honours in recognition of his achievements. Some of the awards that Prof Cai has received include the title of Young and Middle-Aged Expert with Outstanding Contributions at the national level, and the Outstanding Achievement Award for Personnel Who Studied Abroad presented by the Seven Ministries of the State Council of China. He was also named one of the “100 Economists Who Influenced the Economic Development of China in the Past 60 Years”.’

Chen Xin, director of UM’s Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, delivered a citation for Prof Leong Kam Weng. Part of the citation read: ‘Prof Leong Kam Weng is an eminent scientist who has made significant contributions to biomaterials science and engineering, particularly in the development of innovative biomaterials for drug delivery and regenerative medicine. His trailblazing research has made him a leading figure in the advancement of the biomaterials field for the benefit of humankind. As one of the leading scholars in the field of biomaterials, Prof Leong has received wide acclaim for his important contributions to the discipline.’

Xu Cheng-Zhong, dean of UM’s Faculty of Science and Technology, delivered a citation for Prof Ching-Ping Wong. Part of the citation read: ‘Prof Ching-Ping Wong, a pioneer in science and engineering, has revolutionised the semiconductor packaging technology with his remarkable innovations. He is known as the Father of Modern Semiconductor Packaging for his groundbreaking achievements. Thanks to Prof Wong’s ingenious solutions, companies nowadays are able to manufacture a wide variety of electronic devices that are essential to our daily lives with enhanced performance and reduced costs. A distinguished individual like Prof Wong has received many awards and honours in recognition of his outstanding contributions.’

Rui Martins, vice rector of UM, delivered a citation for Prof Franco Maloberti. Part of the citation read: ‘Prof Franco Maloberti is a distinguished scholar and an acclaimed expert in the field of microelectronics—the driving force of our modern world. His achievements are outstanding, particularly in integrated circuit design for data converters. Prof Maloberti is among the leading figures in the world in the field of data conversion and signal processing. With a brilliant career spanning over half a century, his academic influence has spread throughout the world.’

Xu Jie, dean of UM’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities, delivered a citation for Prof William Shiyuan Wang. Part of the citation read: ‘Prof William Shiyuan Wang is a world-renowned linguist who has made world-class contributions to the fields of linguistic theory, language engineering, evolutionary linguistics, among others. His research has long pioneered the development of linguistics in many areas, making landmark contributions to Chinese and world linguistics. He enjoys an extraordinary reputation in the international academic community.’

Prof Cai Fang delivered a speech to express gratitude to UM for the honorary degrees on behalf of all the recipients. He said, ‘It is a great honour to receive a Doctor of Social Sciences honoris causa conferred by the prestigious UM. I feel honoured to receive this along with the other four distinguished individuals, and I extend sincere gratitude and the utmost respect to UM on behalf of my fellow recipients of honorary doctorate degrees. I wholeheartedly wish our motherland great prosperity and Macao sustainable development. I also hope that UM will continue to make more achievements and gain an even stronger reputation.’