Prof Jao Tsung I, a master of sinology and a former recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Macau (UM), passed away this morning, at the age of 101. UM would like to offer the deepest sympathies and has sent a condolence letter to the family of Prof Jao. UM members will forever remember Prof Jao.
An erudite scholar and a prolific writer, Prof Jao was a renowned master of sinology, historian, archaeologist, writer, Confucian scholar, educator, and painter. He dedicated his whole life to promoting sinology, with remarkable accomplishments in both art and literature. Prof Jao’s single-minded persistence in his scholarly pursuit is a sterling example to us all.
Prof Jao served as a chair professor in the School of Arts at the University of East Asia (UEA), the predecessor of UM. He assisted with the establishment of the Department of Chinese Literary History and served as the department head and founding professor. During the early days of UM, he worked tirelessly to develop programmes in the field of humanities, which had a far-reaching impact in laying the groundwork for the development of teaching and research in the Chinese discipline, and in nurturing for Macao a group of experts well-versed in Chinese language and literature. He also pioneered research in the history of Macao at UM. Later, he actively supported the development of Macaology, making a groundbreaking contribution to UM in the establishment and development of this discipline.
In 2004, UM conferred the titles of ‘honorary doctor’ and ‘honorary professor’ upon Prof Jao, in recognition of his original academic contributions. For many years, Prof Jao closely followed the academic and research developments of our university. He wrote several inscriptions for UM, including one in which he expressed his hope that UM can serve as a ‘new model in the field of humanities’, one for ‘Macaology’, and one for the university’s name. The outstanding achievements UM has attained in the field of humanities would not have been possible without the significant contributions of Prof Jao.