CONGRATULATIONS: Najib shakes hands with Brightbill (left) after he was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by the Ohio University. — Bernama photo
SHAH ALAM: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by the Ohio University, United States.
The doctorate was conferred to Najib for his achievements in the areas of education, democratisation and unity at a ceremony held at the Shah Alam Convention Centre, here in conjunction with the Ninth Tun Abdul Razak Lecture organised by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and Ohio University.
The citation of Honorary Degree was read out by a Trustee, of the Ohio University Trustee Board, Dr David Brighthill while Interim Executive Director for the university Centre of International Studies Dr Li Ming Lee together with the university’s Vice-President of Advancement Dr Bryan Benchoff put a white hood over the black robe worn by Najib at the ceremony.
Najib was conferred with the award because he fulfilled many of the requirements for the award from Ohio University due to his outstanding records of accomplishments as a national and international leader and having dealt with society’s most pressing problems in the areas of education, democratisation, peaceful international relations, creating opportunities for less privilleged sectors of the society.
The Tun Abdul Razak lecture, which is presented biennally, is the signatory event of a 32-year partnership between Ohio University and the Malaysian government.
Central to the partnership is the Tun Abdul Razak Chair, a prestigious faculty position at Ohio University that works to foster cross-cultural understanding of Malaysian-American perspectives, named after Najib’s father who was the second Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.
Najib in his acceptance speech, said Ohio University had been a friend of Malaysia for about five decades and its scholars helped created this prosperous, secure and confident nation at the heart of one of the world’s most vibrant region.
“As we look to build on our successes, the experience and the skills this partnership has brought will stand us in good stead. So I am delighted to accept this honorary degree in the spirit in which it is conferred: as a marker of the bond between our universities, our people and our nations,” he said.
Najib said 45 years ago scholars from Ohio reached out across the world and at a conference in Nigeria, members of Ohio University faculty met their counterparts from one of Malaysia’s leading universities and they agreed to work together to design a new curriculum.
“It was the beginning of a relationship which lasts to this day,” he said.
Najib’s conferrement was also witnessed by his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, and UiTM Vice Chancellor Datuk Seri Prof Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar. — Bernama