Prof Yonghua Song, rector of the University of Macau (UM), received a
Doctor of Science honoris causa degree from the University of Edinburgh on 29 June, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development and consolidation of academic collaboration between the United Kingdom and China as well as his world-renowned research achievements in electrical engineering.
The laureation address at the ceremony was ended with ‘For all of us at the University of Edinburgh, Yonghua Song will be honoured as the man who reached out to us and shaped a partnership that has changed the face of UK China Transnational Education (TNE), providing equality in opportunity and building the next generation of talented global biomedical citizens.’
Prof Song received his bachelor’s degree and PhD degree from Chengdu University of Science and Technology (currently Sichuan University) and the China Electric Power Research Institute in 1984 and 1989, respectively. Subsequently, he was awarded D.Sc. by Brunel University and Honorary D.Eng. by Bath University, and elected fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and many other institutions in electrical engineering in China and overseas. In January 2018, he was appointed rector and chair professor of UM.
From 2012 to 2017, he served as the executive vice president of Zhejiang University and the founding dean of its International Campus, where he played a vital role in promoting globalisation, planning of university development and the recruitment of talented people at Zhejiang University. The establishment of the Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute) on the International Campus, built on the strengths of the two institutions, is a pioneering and successful example of international academic and research cooperation. His innovative ideas and his efforts have facilitated and strengthened the academic linkage and cooperation between the UK and China.
The University of Edinburgh is one of the most prestigious universities in the world, consistently ranking among the top 50 globally and recognised as one of the best universities in the UK. Currently, Edinburgh ranks the 28th in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019. Edinburgh has around 35,000 students and 7,000 staff members. It is known for its teaching and research excellence in linguistics, medicine and engineering.
