Carleton University today conferred a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, on Herman Van Rompuy in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to world peace through the arts of compromise and consensus, his fine scholarship and writing, and his much celebrated work in international economic governance, and national and global political leadership.
Van Rompuy was honoured during Carleton’s Fall Convocation. Nearly 1,000 students received their degrees during the two ceramonies.
“We always have to be ready for dialogue and conversation,” said Van Rompuy as he spoke to graduands about the state of global unity. “To find a diplomatic way out, reach out to our opponents and rise above the madness in the name of our higher goal: peace, prosperity and the survival of the human species.”
Van Rompuy was the 49th prime minister of Belgium and the first full-time president of the European Council, the institution of the European Union (EU).
He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 on behalf of the EU. In 2014, he won the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen for his role at the EU. In 2015, King Philip of Belgium granted him the title of Count.
He is currently a professor at the universities of Leuven, Louvain, the College of Europe in Brussels, and the Paris Institute of Political Studies. He is also president of the European Policy Centre.
He holds 13 honorary doctorates from multiple universities. Van Rompuy is an honorary citizen in five countries and has written more than 12 publications.
“He steered the ship of 28 states through many crises and conflicts, too numerous to mention and too significant to be forgotten in future books of history,” said former Carleton University President Roseann Runte, who introduced Van Rompuy to graduands.
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Saturday, November 18, 2017 in News Releases
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