The University of Macau (UM) on 6 December will hold the Ceremony for the Conferment of Honorary Degrees and Higher Degrees 2014. Honorary doctorates will be conferred on distinguished individuals with outstanding achievements and significant contributions to social development and education. PhD degrees and master's degrees will also be awarded at the ceremony.
This year, five distinguished individuals will receive honorary doctorates from UM. The recipients include three Nobel Prize winners, namely Prof Robert C Merton, Prof Chen-Ning Franklin Yang, Prof Mo Yan, as well as two distinguished individuals in the field of civil engineering, namely Prof Lee Chack Fan and Ir Siu Yin Wai. 551 graduating students of PhD programmes, master's degree programmes, and postgraduate certificate/diploma programmes, from UM's Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Science and Technology, Faculty of Social Sciences, and the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, will receive their graduation certificates.
In addition, UM will hold the Doctor honoris causa Lectures Series at the University Hall on 6 December and 7 December. Prof Robert C Merton will speak on "Finance and Social Responsibility" on 6 December at 2:30pm, with Mr Tian Guoli, chairman of the Bank of China, as the guest speaker; Prof Mo Yan will speak on "Achievements of Chinese Literature and Its Future" on 7 December at 3:00pm, with Dr Wu Zhiliang, president of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Foundation, and Prof Yang Yi, chair professor of UM, as the guest speakers.