UM rector awarded honorary doctorate by Brunel University of London

MACAU, July 17 - Yonghua Song, rector of the University of Macau (UM), was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Technology by Brunel University of London. The award recognises his internationally acclaimed research in electrical engineering and his outstanding contributions to promoting international academic exchange and collaboration in higher education.

The honorary doctorate conferment ceremony was held in London, UK. During the ceremony, a citation was read in Song’s honour: ‘Yonghua has served as Rector of the University of Macau since 2018, leading significant institutional growth and global recognition. An internationally renowned expert in power systems, he has held senior academic and leadership roles across the UK and China, including posts as Professor of Power Systems and Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Brunel, as well as positions at the University of Liverpool, Tsinghua University, and Zhejiang University. His pioneering contributions to low-carbon and smart energy systems have shaped global research and practice. A Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), he has published extensively, supervised more than 70 PhD students, and received numerous international honours. Yonghua continues to promote global collaboration and advance higher education development.’

Song obtained his bachelor’s degree from Chengdu University of Science and Technology (now Sichuan University) in 1984 and his PhD from the China Electric Power Research Institute in 1989. He was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering by the University of Bath in 2014, and an honorary degree of Doctor of Science by the University of Edinburgh in 2019. He was appointed rector and chair professor of UM in January 2018.

In 1997, Song was appointed professor of power systems at Brunel University (now Brunel University of London). He also held the Royal Academy of Engineering/British Energy/Siemens Chair of Power Systems. In 2002, he was awarded a Doctor of Science degree by Brunel University in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the field of power systems. In 2004, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and was appointed pro-vice-chancellor for graduate studies at Brunel University.

Brunel University of London is a member of the University of London federation, which comprises 17 independent institutions, including leading universities such as University College London and King’s College London. The University of London has over 250,000 students from more than 190 countries and is recognised globally for its excellence in education and research. Named after Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the legendary engineer of the Industrial Revolution, Brunel University of London was established in 1928 and was awarded a Royal Charter in 1966 to become a public research university. It joined the University of London federation in 2024. With a campus located in west London, Brunel is renowned for its strengths in engineering, design, and business. The university places a strong emphasis on industry-academia integration and practical learning, and ranks among the top institutions in the UK for both teaching and research.