Professor Jao Tsung I was born of a scholarly family and tutored by his father in his early years. At the age of twenty, he was appointed by the Sun Yat-sen University as editor of the Kwang Tung T'ung Chih and subsequently taught at various institutions of higher education in China. He joined the Department of Chinese, University of Hong Kong, in 1952 and was appointed Reader in 1966. In 1968 he was appointed to the Foundation Chair of Chinese Studies at the University of Singapore and was Visiting Professor at Yale University from 1970 to 1971. He joined the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1973 as Professor of Chinese and Head of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature. Since retiring from the Chinese University, he has been Visiting Professor at Kyoto University. In 1980 he was elected to the prestigious position of Membre Honoraire de la Société Asiatique de Paris.
Professor Jao is a distinguished scholar in the field of palaeography and has many learned publications to his credit, particularly in the field of oracle bones and the Ch'u Tz'u.
In recognition of his distinguished scholarship, especially in the field of palaeography, the University has resolved to confer upon him the degree of Doctor of Letters honoris causa.
