Peking University, March 31, 2025: Peking University conferred an Honorary Doctorate Degree on H. E. Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Honorable Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, in a ceremony held on March 29, which included a discussion session with students and faculty. 


The dignitaries and Peking University officials in attendance included H. E. Mr. Md. Nazmul Islam, Ambassador of Bangladesh to the People’s Republic of China; Yao Wen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Bangladesh; Yang Dan, Director-General of Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges(Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs), Ministry of Education; He Guangcai, Chair of the Peking University Council; Gong Qihuang, President of Peking University; and Dong Zhiyong, Vice President of Peking University. The ceremony was hosted by Fang Fang, Vice President of Peking University.

In his welcome remarks, He Guangcai noted that this year marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Bangladesh, and that the warm bilateral relation between the two countries has a long history. 


He further noted that Mr. Yunus’s being conferred the title of Honorary Professor by Peking University in 2006 ushered in a period of successful cooperation between the higher education institutions in the two countries. He expressed hope that the two countries can deepen cooperation in education, cultural exchange, technology, etc., to jointly tackle global challenges and contribute to development of Global South.

Gong Qihuang then presented the Honorary Doctorate Degree to Mr. Yunus, after announcing that the decision had been approved by Peking University and Office of the State Council Academic Degrees Committee.


Expressing gratitude and humility at receiving the honorary degree, Mr. Yunus stressed that poverty is not caused by a lack of ambition or skill, citing his own successful experience of helping rural women in Bangladesh with microcredit. He encouraged young people to be entrepreneurs and solve real problems in healthcare, education, technology, etc., instead of being mere job-seekers.


Expounding his Three Zero Vision — Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions, Mr. Yunus stressed his belief that any dream is achievable, no matter how far-fetched it may sound at first. He implored the students to dream big and contribute to building a society where wealth is not concentrated in the hands of a few and the poor can enjoy equal access to social services.


During the Q&A session, students raised questions about microfinancing, the medical profession, and the future of education. Mr. Yunus said that the aspiration behind microfinancing and practicing medicine must be genuine altruism to prevent a right cause from straying into a profiteering scheme, which has unfortunately happened in many places. On the point of education, Mr. Yunus underlined the need for students to find their own inspirations and formulate their own life path, instead of blindly following instructions from teachers. “You only live once, don’t let yourself be defined by others.”

Written by: Chen Shizhuo
Edited by: Zhang Jiang
Photo by: Li Xianghua