Chinese Oxford graduate turned food delivery rider. His tale is viral

The tale of an extremely well-educated individual turned food delivery rider in China has become a flashpoint, with the country embroiled in a debate concerning the jobs market in China and the degree to which educational qualifications count.

On Chinese social media, 39-year-old Ding Yuanzhao was called "the best-educated food delivery worker" after it was revealed that he is an alumnus of some of the world's most renowned universities, including Oxford University.

A man from the southeastern province of Fujian, Ding began his academic pursuit when he had nearly 700 out of a maximum of 750 marks in China's high-stakes college entrance examination, Gaokao, in 2004. That earned him admission into Tsinghua University, and he graduated with a degree in chemistry, South China Morning Post quoted news portal 163.com as saying.

He then went on to take a Master's degree in energy engineering at Peking University and a PhD in biology at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. His education did not end there as he also took a Master's degree in biodiversity at the UK's University of Oxford.

Prior to changing his career path, Ding was also a postdoctoral researcher at the National University of Singapore. However, when his contract ended in March 2024, he was not able to be employed even after attending over 10 job interviews. 

Due to his double commitments, Ding became a food delivery rider in Singapore where he made about SG$700 (about Rs 46,859) per week cycling for 10 hours a day.

"It's a secure job. You can feed your family from the income. If you struggle, you will make it. It's not bad work," Ding said in a social media post, the article said.

Also, he added a personal incentive to his new regimen: "One benefit of food delivery is that you can get your exercise in too."

A committed marathon runner and believer in staying optimistic, Ding had these words of advice to share: "If you have not had good results, do not be disheartened or demoralized. If you have performed well, remember that not much of people's work contributes significantly to the larger scheme of things."

Ding Yuanzhao, meanwhile, has returned to China and is a food delivery person for Meituan in Beijing.