Now that the disbelief has worn off, the Otago alumna and University of Oxford Faculty of Law dean said she was "moved and delighted".
The prestigious qualification will be conferred at a special University of Otago ceremony today and acknowledges Prof Chen-Wishart’s contribution to legal education around the globe.
"There’s something really special about being recognised by your home university," she said.
"It’s like having your parents say that they are proud of you."
Prof Chen-Wishart graduated from Otago with a bachelor of arts (with honours) in history in 1982, a bachelor of laws in 1985 and a master of laws in 1988.
She went on to become a senior lecturer in law at Otago, before being awarded a Rhodes Visiting Research Fellowship at St Hilda’s College, Oxford, in 1992.
She was appointed to the Oxford Faculty of Law and became a tutorial fellow in law at Merton College and a Professor of the law of contract.
She is now Oxford’s law dean and teaches law at universities across Asia, Australasia and Europe.
She said Otago had a profound impact on her life, and the encouragement and support she received from lecturers helped shape her career.
University of Otago Chancellor Stephen Higgs said Prof Chen-Wishart’s achievements at Otago, and in the years following, had been "outstanding".
Otago law dean Prof Shelley Griffiths said Prof Chen-Wishart was an internationally-regarded academic and a specialist in contract law.
"She has made a significant contribution to legal education and the exposition and understanding of the law in Asia and the United Kingdom, in particular."
The conferring of the degree coincides with the 150th anniversary of law at Otago.
