Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets Shaw Society Vice-President Jeffrey Wei Liu

Shaw Society Vice-President (Asia-Pacific) Jeffrey Wei Liu, FRSA joined with Cambridge alumni in Seoul to recognise former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s contribution to public service and international cooperation.

A dinner hosted by Mr Liu, held on 14 August 2026, marked the tenth anniversary of the Honorary Doctorate of Law awarded to Mr Ban by the University of Cambridge. Since completing his tenure as the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Ban has continued to support people, projects and organisations working to strengthen international cooperation.

During the dinner, Mr Ban encouraged Cambridge alumni to use their knowledge, experience and international outlook in the service of global peace, sustainable development and social progress. During his tenure as UN Secretary-General, he made combating poverty and advancing women’s rights central priorities, two concerns that are also at the heart of Shaw’s plays and other writings.

Mr Liu said that Mr Ban had encouraged him to continue fostering cross-cultural dialogue and mutual understanding through his work with Cambridge alumni, The Shaw Society and the Royal Society of Arts.

“During our meeting, Mr Ban presented me with a commemorative watch from his tenure as Secretary-General of the United Nations, bearing his signature. He kindly recognised my longstanding efforts to strengthen connections among Cambridge alumni across the Asia-Pacific region and to promote international cultural exchanges, while also congratulating me on my work with the University of Cambridge, The Shaw Society and the Royal Society of Arts.”

Mr Liu reflected that Shaw also valued international connections and his influence continues to be felt across the Asia-Pacific region. Since the early twentieth century, his works have been translated, studied and performed throughout the region, contributing to the development of modern theatre in China and Korea. It is hoped that St Edmund’s College Alumni gatherings will also provide opportunities to renew and create international connections,

to promote mutual understanding and cooperation.

Read the report from St Edmund’s College: https://www.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/alumni-gather-in-seoul-with-former-un-secretary-general-ban-ki-moon/