MUST pays tribute to six scholars

The Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) held its ceremony for the Conferment of Honorary Doctoral Degree 2016 at its institution yesterday, honoring scholars for their contribution to society.
Six individuals who have made achievements in education, economy, science and technology, and have also made contributions to social development, have been paid tribute by the university.
President of MUST, Prof Liu Liang, said in his welcome speech that the scholars all share the same qualities in their perseverant spirit of science exploration and humanistic character toward social commitments.
“It is a great honor for MUST to hold such a ceremony in its anniversary month to award the six most outstanding scholars for their extraordinary achievements and contributions, which will certainly inspire every MUST teacher and student to take up the commitment to carry on the excellent culture, furthering the excellent quality of education here to reach its greatest potential,” said Prof Liang.
One of the awarded scholars was Prof Erwin Neher, a German biophysicist, and receiver of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of single ion channels in a live cell.
The discovery has had a revolutionary impact on the field of neuroscience and cell biology, breaking a new path for making known the development of mechanisms of various diseases, and has advanced studies into more disease-specific innovation.
Prof Neher believes that this current era is facing problems such as accelerating climate change, financial crises every five to seven years, eruptions of hatred especially in  the Middle East, resulting in continuous migrations of displaced people and biological problems including epidemics and problems related to ageing societies.
“Our species, homo sapiens, continues to quest for greater knowledge in all areas irrespective of the unsettling events that surround us,” he said. “This is a quest that is not new.” Staff reporter