Our university presents an honorary doctorate to Côte d'Ivoire President Alassane Dramane Ouattara
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- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2014-10-28
On October 8 (Wed), at Centennial Hall Samsung Convention Center, our university presented an honorary doctorate in economics to President Alassane Dramane Ouattara, who was recently in Korea on an official visit at the invitation of President Park Geun-hye. After Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal, in 2009, this is the second honorary doctorate conferred by Sookmyung to an African president.
President Ouattara is an expert in African economy, having received a doctorate in economics at the University of Pennsylvania and followed a long career in international organizations, including his service as the President of the Central Bank of West African States and Vice-president of IMF.
He has a special relationship with Korea, as he was closely involved with the negotiations concerning Korea’s financial crisis during his IMF vice-presidency in the 90s. He also keeps a close relationship with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and counted with the support of former UNOCI Special Representative of the Secretary-General Choi Young-jin, during the process of coping with Côte d'Ivoire’s internal conflict in 2010.
Since his inauguration, President Ouattara has been promoting policies to improve public services for the sake of economic growth and policies to expand women’s rights. He created a department for children in troubled families and enacted laws that promote equality between husband and wife, as well as other laws protecting women’s rights. Particularly, he made efforts in the educational sector in order to raise the competence and employment rate of young women.
Our university decided to present President Ouattara with an honorary doctorate as an appreciation for his philosophy in women’s education. At the presentation ceremony, President Ouattara said: “I believe women’s equality in various areas such as finance, employment and education contributes to global development,” and “I will make efforts to not only strengthen the economic cooperation and friendship with Korea but also strengthen educational exchange between the two countries through this visit.”
Meanwhile, stemming from the conferment of this honorary doctorate to President Ouattara, our university plans to expand its collaboration with other West African nations. Starting with the conferment of an honorary doctorate to former President of Senegal Abdoulaye Wade in 2009, and based on our leading role in non-governmental diplomacy with African nations gained from hosting Apne Aap Women's Collective Conference (AAWC•2011) and the Korea-Africa Cultural Art Forum (2014), Sookmyung has long been working to create a Korean educational boom in African and Middle Eastern regions.
As a part of this plan, an MOU for mutual business exchange was signed after the presentation ceremony in order to promote exchange in academics, educators and students with the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire Embassy in Korea, and to revitalize the economic and commercial collaboration between the two countries. President Sun Hye Hwang stated, “I will make efforts to share our university’s excellent capacity and competitiveness to African nations and foster future experts in these regions.