By Alice Yan
A man in China has been dubbed 鈥渢he food delivery worker with the highest education level鈥 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 degree in chemistry, Ding pursued further studies at another prestigious institution, Peking University, earning a master鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.
As a result, he registered as a food delivery worker in Singapore, earning about SG$700 (US$550) per week by working 10 hours a day.
鈥淚t is a stable job. I can support my family with this income. If you work hard, you can earn a decent living. It鈥檚 not a bad job,鈥 Ding shared on social media.
Details about his family have not been disclosed in the report.
鈥淥ne advantage of delivering food is that you can get your workout in at the same time,鈥 added Ding, who is an avid running enthusiast.
Ding expressed that he chose not to work as a private tutor for young students because he feels 鈥渢oo shy to seek customers on his own.鈥
A few months later, Ding relocated back to China, where he is now a food delivery worker for Meituan in Beijing, a leading shopping platform.
Recently, he garnered significant attention online after posting a video encouraging students who had just completed the gaokao exam.
Taking place annually in early June, China鈥檚 gaokao exam sees results released at the end of the month.
鈥淚f you haven鈥檛 achieved good results, don鈥檛 be pessimistic or discouraged. If you鈥檝e done well, keep in mind that most people鈥檚 work doesn鈥檛 make much difference in the grand scheme of things,鈥 Ding advised.
His story has sparked considerable discussion across mainland social media.
鈥淪o what鈥檚 the point of education?鈥 questioned one internet user.
Another user agreed, noting: 鈥淗e studied extensively but still ended up doing food delivery work.鈥
On the other hand, a commenter defended his choices, stating: 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing wrong with his decision. At least he didn鈥檛 give up during a low point in his life.鈥
About 13 million students have taken the gaokao test in China each year for the past three consecutive years.
The job market has been experiencing significant pressure lately, with the youth unemployment rate 鈥 covering those aged 16 to 24 in urban areas and excluding students 鈥 standing at 14.9 per cent in May, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.