Yang Yang
Ms Yang Yang
Doctor of Social Science, honoris causa (2024)
Athletes are skilled professionals who shine in the sportsground, but oftentimes their influence can extend beyond the world of sports to bring profound and enduring impact on others. Ms Yang Yang, a veteran short track speed skater of international renown, has not only achieved remarkable success in her athletic career, but also dedicated herself to using sports as a channel for personal, community, and societal transformations.
In the skating arena, Ms Yang has claimed all the major honours one can dream of, clinching 59 world championship titles as well as numerous other accolades including Olympic gold and silver medals. She made history in 2002 in Salt Lake City, USA, when she became China’s first-ever Winter Olympics gold medallist. To her personally, this medal stands out as a particularly proud and cherishable achievement, since she had to overcome myriad struggles and challenges to reach that victory. The medal was therefore a testament to her skill, resilience, perseverance, resolve, and hard work over the years.
Sports have been a pivot of Ms Yang’s life. “Skating not only gave me the opportunity to showcase my talent and realise my dream, but more importantly, it has shaped me and made me a better person,” she notes. Growing up in a small town in Northeast China, sports also offered her a gateway to the world, enabling her to transcend geographical barriers towards the acme of athletic excellence. The experience she accumulated along her sports journey has formed a solid foundation for her other endeavours in life and continues to guide her through new opportunities.
After her retirement from speed skating, she has been dedicating herself to undertakings in international sports organisations, while devoting efforts towards public welfare and physical education. She was elected Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2010 — the first time for a Chinese athlete to assume this prominent role on the global stage. During her tenure at the IOC from 2010-2018, she chaired the Evaluation Commission twice during the 2016 and 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, and also served as a member of the Ethnic Commission, the Disciplinary Commission, among other bodies. In addition, she became the very first female Council Member of the Speed Skating branch of the International Skating Union in 2016, a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics, the first-ever Chinese Vice-President of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2020, and the Chairperson of the Athletes’ Commission for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. In 2024, she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and visited the Kakuma refugee camp in Northwest Kenya where she witnessed the plight of the people there and saw opportunities to make a difference through sports: “I believe that sports could support and assist this community, especially the women and girls, by helping to raise awareness and concern for them. It is exciting that they could be seen, valued and inspired through participating in sports activities.”
Through her involvement and contribution to sports and its development in and outside the arena, Ms Yang has come to view sports as a force for the betterment of people and the world. She has been committed to advocating for increased accessibility and wider participation, and creating environments where individuals and communities are encouraged to engage in sports activities, through which she can leverage the transformative power of sports to bring about individual growth, more vibrant communities and cohesive societies, and a more harmonious world. “The excellence of athletes brings inspiration and encouragement to people, especially young people who are the future and hope of humanity,” she asserts. To realise her vision, she established the Champion Foundation, which focuses on youth sports education as well as career development for retired athletes in China. In addition, she founded the Feiyang Skating Centre to promote sports on ice, and took up public service positions in youth development such as Vice-Chair of the All-China Youth Federation with an aspiration to give back to society.
The connection between Ms Yang and HKBU goes back to 2008 when she was first approached by the School of Communication at time of the Beijing Olympics. She welcomed HKBU students who visited Beijing to cover the games, and was impressed by the students’ enthusiasm in sports and their professional practice of journalism. Since then, she has collaborated with HKBU on multiple occasions, attending forums, talks, and more recently, the symposium organised in Paris during the 2024 Summer Olympics. HKBU’s vision and values in sports and education align perfectly with her belief. By building a culture that celebrates athletic excellence alongside academic distinction, HKBU prepares students to become well-rounded individual through holistic development — a unique aspect of HKBU that Ms Yang greatly admires.
As someone who believes in the power and impact of self- improvement and self-actualisation, Ms Yang hopes to encourage students and members of HKBU to put knowledge into action, to do what is righteous, and to embrace challenges as opportunities to grow both personally and professionally. She also emphasises the importance of being a lifelong learner because true happiness can only be attained by nurturing a better self.
With her distinguished accomplishments in the speed skating sport and contributions to athletic development, youth cultivation and lifelong learning worldwide, Ms Yang is an exemplary role model for every member of HKBU. Therefore, it is with pleasure that HKBU presents Ms Yang with a Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa, as a recognition and commendation for her excellence and dedication. Undoubtedly, she sets a fine example that will inspire, guide and empower younger generations in Hong Kong and beyond.