China’s 'PhD Village' Celebrates Its 33 Doctorate Graduates With Global Academic Honors

Last Updated:August 30, 2025, 22:53 IST

This year’s awardees included one PhD candidate at Tsinghua University, fifteen master’s students and forty-six of undergraduates.

The village has been nicknamed 'PhD village' (Representational image)

A Chinese village now carries the name “PhD Village" due to 33 new doctoral graduates from prestigious universities across the globe. A video capturing the village’s scholarship awarding ceremony went viral, bringing Pengdao Village, Nanan City and Fujian province into the limelight.

This event is organised annually by the Guo Family Education Fund, and this was its second installment. The Guo Family Fund is focused on education, seeking to better the village, and the surname Guo is prevalent in the village.

This year’s awardees included one PhD candidate at Tsinghua University, fifteen master’s students and forty-six of undergraduates set to start their first year at university. In a show of ancestral reverence, the students in red sashes inscribed with “wu zu zhi guang" paid tribute by offering incense and bowing to memorial tablets.

The education fund’s total scholarship allocation reached 217,000 yuan, approximately 30,000 US dollars. The fund’s objective remains to foster educational competition and diligence in the village, and the most awarded participant was 8,000 yuan.

So far, 33 villagers have earned their PhDs from world-renowned universities such as Tsinghua, Hong Kong University, Cambridge, and Cornell. In recognition of these remarkable achievements, red scrolls displaying their names and alma maters have been placed on a prominent building in the village, commemorating their academic success and serving as an inspiration for future generations.

Speaking on the occasion, Guo Dongyu, director of the Guo Family Education Fund, said,"Our award is designed to inspire students to cherish our country and hometown, engage in charitable acts, and work diligently."

China

News world China’s 'PhD Village' Celebrates Its 33 Doctorate Graduates With Global Academic Honors

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