Father Peter Stilwell receives an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the University of Saint Joseph in Macau

Father Peter Stilwell was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) in Macau in recognition of his contribution to Catholic higher education in Macau and Portugal and his leadership in the academic community.

The ceremony took place in the Centenary Auditorium of Fatima, on the Ilha Verde campus, and was attended by representatives of the university, faculty, students and members of the local academic community.

Peter Stilwell, who was rector of USJ between 2012 and 2020, highlighted the importance of collective work in building the university: "The title is awarded to me personally, but I see it as recognition of the dedication of many and of teamwork that, over eight critical years, has made it possible to consolidate an institution initially dreamed of by Bishop Domingos Lam and later launched by Professors João Lourenço and Ruben Cabral – the first rectors of the Macau Inter-University Institute (IIUM), later the University of Saint Joseph (USJ)."

In addition to this recognition, Peter Stilwell has a long history in Catholic higher education and maintains links with the Universidade Católica Portuguesa having contributed to teaching and research projects.