UM to confer honorary doctorates on Dec. 1

The University of Macau (UM) will confer honorary doctorates on five distinguished individuals, namely Aaron J Ciechanover, Lao Ngai Leong, Anthony Lau Siu Wing, Joseph Sung Jao-yiu, and Wang Anyi, for their outstanding achievements and significant contributions to social development and education.

The Ceremony for the Conferment of Honorary and Higher Degrees 2018 will be held on December 1 at 4 p.m. in the University Hall.

Aaron J Ciechanover, an Israeli biologist, shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Avram Hershko and Irwin Rose for characterizing a protein called Ubiquitin, which is involved in degrading and recycling proteins in cells.

This groundbreaking finding has led Ciechanover and many scientists around the world to continuously discover new cellular functions, which are important for further revealing the mysteries of biology and exploring the mechanisms of pathogenesis and treatments of human diseases.

Lao Ngai Leong is a native of Chaozhou, Guangdong province, coming to Macau in the 1970s and starting a business. In addition to outstanding achievements in his career, Lao has advanced social causes and rendered public service in many ways: participating in local politics, serving public organizations, and dedicating himself to education and charity.

A pioneer and veteran in the air cargo and logistics business, Anthony Lau has been closely following UM’s development. As an alumnus of UM, Lau has spared no effort in supporting the university’s development, as reflected in his donation to the University of Macau Development Foundation to support whole-person education at UM, and another donation to UM on its 25th anniversary to support its pursuit of high-quality undergraduate education.

Joseph Sung is a world- renowned scientist. His research studies have had a major impact on the practice of gastroenterology worldwide. He was hailed the ‘Asian Hero’ by Time magazine for his heroic fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) during its outbreak in 2003.

Wang Anyi, winner of the Mao Dun Literature Award and Lu Xun Literature Award – two of the highest Chinese literary honors – and vice chair of the China Writers Association, is one of the most accomplished and influential writers in China, with a writing career spanning decades.