Ban Ki-moon receives honorary degree from Cambridge Univ.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon received an honorary doctorate in law from Cambridge University.

On Wednesday (local time), Vice Chancellor Leszek Borysiewicz of the one of the most prestigious British universities said that he was grateful for the contributions Mr. Ban has made to the world by making a great effort to ensure safety for all countries when the international community is faced with a host of crises such as poverty, famine, genocide, and climate change. He added that the secretary general is assuming the most difficult task in the world, and that he highly evaluates Mr. Ban’s approach invariably calling on the resolution of conflicts not through violence but through diplomacy.

During his speech, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that restoration of the common humanity is key to addressing the mega-crises of the 21st century such as starvation in Syria, indifference towards refugees, terrorism and enslavement of women and girls by Daesh, Boko Haram, and other extremists. He added, “The world needs you to be global citizens who act with compassion and in solidarity with the world’s most vulnerable people.”

Starting in 1493, Cambridge University has conferred honorary degrees to respected figures for making outstanding contributions in different fields, and the honor has always been reserved for less than eight people every year. Some of the awardees include Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, and former South African President Nelson Mandela. In 2001, former Korean President Kim Dae-jung received an honorary degree from Cambridge.

파리=전승훈특파원 raphy@donga.com