A man in China has been dubbed “the food delivery worker with the highest education level” due to earning degrees from several prestigious global universities, including Oxford.
The story of 39-year-old Ding Yuanzhao has reignited intense discussions surrounding the devaluation of academic qualifications against the backdrop of a challenging job market, as reported by the news portal 163.com.
Ding, a native of southeastern Fujian province, sat for China’s national university entrance exam, known as gaokao, in 2004. He gained admission to the esteemed Tsinghua University with an impressive score of nearly 700 out of a total of 750.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Ding pursued further studies at another prestigious institution, Peking University, earning a master’s degree in energy engineering.
He later received a PhD in biology from Nanyang Technological University, a top school in Singapore. Additionally, he obtained a master’s degree in biodiversity from Oxford University in Britain.
Before his role as a food delivery rider, Ding worked on postdoctoral research at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where his contract ended in March last year. Despite sending out numerous resumes and attending over 10 interviews, he was unable to secure a suitable job.
