On June 2nd, the City University of Macau held the ceremony for the Conferment of Honorary Degree and the Congregation 2023/2024. The ceremony conferred honorary doctorates upon Weimin Zheng, Quanshui Zheng, and Mark Jiapeng Wang, in recognition of their outstanding achievements in their respective fields and significant contributions to social development and education.

Mark Jiapeng Wang, who is the founder and Chairman of UWC Changshu China, was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Education for his outstanding contributions to the fields of education, people's livelihood, and support for people with special needs.

In his speech of citation for Mark Wang, Jun Liu, Rector of City University of Macau, said: "Despite enduring life's hardships, he uses a pair of crutches to hold up the blue sky of life. He is widely known as the 'Chinese hero' in Norway and is a practitioner of international education with Chinese characteristics who strives to promote world peace and sustainable development through education. 

The air crash at a young age did not take away his passion for life. With unwavering determination, Mr. Wang has lived an extraordinary and legendary life. Through self-directed learning, he earned a scholarship and became the first student from the mainland of China to attend Red Cross Nordic UWC in Norway. Continuously pushing his limits, he won two gold medals for China at the Disabled Ski Championship in Norway in 1999. His autobiography, 'Hold Up the Blue Sky of Life', received the China Book Prize in 2000 and was included as teaching material in Chinese secondary school textbooks. Television dramas and musicals inspired by his life have touched numerous individuals.

Chan Meng Kam, Chairman of Council of City University of Macau (first from the left)

Prof. Jun Liu, Rector of City University of Macau

(first from the right）

and three honorary doctorates

After 15 years of relentless dedication, Mark Wang founded UWC Changshu China in 2015, the first UWC in the mainland of China. To date, it is a home to over 2,200 students from more than 130 countries and regions. Over the years, UWC Changshu China has consistently advocated for the lofty pursuit of the unity of people from different nations and the Chinese values of benevolence and righteousness, striving to cultivate more international talents with a love for China and a global perspective, and making new contributions to world peace, sustainable development and a community with a shared future for mankind. In 2020, he founded the China World Academy.

Mark Wang has also dedicated much effort to areas such as people's livelihoods, support for people with special needs, and talent recruitment. As the deputy to the 13th and 14th National People’s Congress, he has submitted one proposal and sixteen suggestions to the National People's Congress, and jointly put forward more than thirty suggestions, which were valued by relevant authorities. Among them, the law on building a barrier-free living environment he proposed was officially promulgated and implemented last September. In recognition of Mr. Mark Jiapeng Wang's outstanding contributions to the fields of education, people's livelihoods, and support for people with special needs, we hereby confer upon him the degree of Doctor of Education honoris causa."

Mark Wang expressed, "I feel deeply honored to receive this Honorary Doctorate in Education from City University of Macau. It is an honor for me and inspires me to continue to promote international education with Chinese characteristics! I hope that through our efforts, we can cultivate more talented young people with a strong sense of social responsibility to contribute to peace and a sustainable future. Thanks to the City University of Macau, I wish the University great success!"