Bhubaneshwar: Two leading Indian universities conferred an honorary doctorate upon Soka Gakkai International President Daisaku Ikeda on successive days this week in recognition of his profound contribution to the progress of human society and academic research.
On Friday, President Ikeda was conferred an honorary doctorate by the Xavier School of Sustainability, Bhubaneshwar at the 5th Annual Sustainability Summit. The Doctoral Ceremony presentation was conducted by Fr. Antony R. Uvari, Vice Chancellor, and Fr. Augustine, Registrar at the Xavier School of Sustainability.
On Thursday, Jaipur National University (ranked 19th amongst the country’s private universities) conferred an honorary doctorate upon President Ikeda, at New Delhi’s Dr. Ambedkar International Centre. Dr. Ikeda is a rare personality to have received 393 honorary doctorates from across the globe, of which 18 are from India.
At both Delhi and at Bhubaneshwar, Mr. Hiromasa Ikeda, Senior Vice President of Soka Gakkai, received the honorary doctorate on behalf of Daisaku Ikeda. Expressing his gratitude to Jaipur National University President Ikeda said, “Jaipur National University embraces the ideal of student-centered learning and upholds the highest standards of scholarly rigor and commitment as well the passion to pursue learning over the course of a lifetime”. In a similar vein President Ikeda praised the spirit of magis (“greater” or “more” in Latin) upheld by Xavier University Bhubaneswar and said, “It is the spirit demonstrated by this institution’s continuous progress and development, overcoming one challenge after another to produce a surging wave of pioneers of intellect.”
At the ceremony in Delhi, Prof. HN Verma introduced the message of the Chancellor, Jaipur National University, Dr. Sandeep Bakshi, in which Dr. Bakshi talked about Ikeda’s path-breaking peace initiatives. “Ikeda’s vision encompasses borderless Buddhist humanism that emphasizes free thinking and personal development based on respect for all forms of life. A strong proponent of dialogue as the foundation of peace, he has spoken extensively on subjects like environment, economics, women’s rights, inter-faith dialogue, nuclear disarmament, Buddhism and Science.”
“I am somebody who believes that until your mission becomes your obsession, your gifts will not become your glory. Ikeda’s presence is a reminder to all of us that real leaders never negotiate their standards,”he added. “It is a reminder of the potential to do such extraordinary work that the world can’t take its eyes off you.”
At the ceremony in Bhubaneshwar, Dr. FrUvari referred to President Ikeda as a “Prince of Peace”. He went on to say, “What a privilege this day is for all of us gathered here to witness and celebrate the confluence of peacebuilders in a place that witnessed the conversion of a warrior to a messenger of peace. I can very proudly say that our journey has reached an important milestone today as we are conferring the honorary doctorate on Dr. Daisaku Ikeda in Sustainable Management.”
In his speech, quoting President Ikeda, Bharat Soka Gakkai Chairperson Vishesh Gupta said: “Education must foster people who intuitively understand and know… the irreplaceable value of human beings and the natural world. I believe such education embodies the timeless struggle of human civilization to create an unerring path to peace.”
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