PRESS RELEASE
Webster University Grants Honorary Doctorate of Law to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Leiden, the Netherlands, 16 September 2005 -
Webster
University president Richard S. Meyers awarded an honorary Doctor of
Laws degree on September 12 to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono. A former military general, Yudhoyono, popularly known as
SBY, graduated from Webster University's campus in Kansas City in 1991
with a Master of Arts in management.
President Yudhoyono spoke
about his country's struggles to obtain democracy, beginning with some
humor: "I come from a country half way around the world: Indonesia.
Around October last year, I got myself a new job: as President of the
Republic of Indonesia. So I hope you find it comforting that Webster
graduates DO get jobs after they leave the University!"
His talk
touched on the similarities and differences in the 230-year-old
American democratic system and the six-year-old Indonesian democracy,
saying that both countries can learn from each other's strengths as
well as from their continuing struggles. "All these lessons are
pertinent for Indonesia as we continue to pursue our own brand of
democratic development. After two successful free and fair elections,
one thing is for certain: democracy has reached a point of no return in
Indonesia. What Indonesia has achieved in its democratic transformation
in the last six years is, I think, no less than remarkable."
He
discussed his views on the importance of democratic governance and
creating strong democratic systems. His speech ended with the question
of diversity and muslim faith being compatible with within democracy in
Indonesia. He said, "A key challenge for Indonesia is no longer how to
become a MULTI-PARTY democracy: it is how to become a solid
MULTI-ETHNIC and MULTI-RACIAL democracy. Given the state of the world
we are in today, this would be true for many other democracies, and
this would probably be one of the keys to harness world peace."
The
ceremony, which took place at Webster University's worldwide
headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, was attended by elected officials
from Missouri, corporate leaders and faculty, students and staff from
Webster University, and a large delegation from Indonesia as well as
Indonesian diplomats from Washington D.C.
Webster University
President Richard S. Meyers welcomed President Yudhoyono by saying, "It
is with great pride and respect that we welcome Indonesian President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to his alma mater to receive our highest
academic honor. President Yudhoyono is in a remarkable position to
change the world. His strong belief in the value of higher education is
a message we definitely have in common. I am greeting him as an
international leader and a fellow believer in higher education. I know
his Webster University education and experience will serve him well in
the years ahead."
About Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, 56, is Indonesia's sixth president. President
Yudhoyono is the first Indonesian president directly elected by the
people following the collapse of President Suharto's administration in
1998 after 32 years of strict rule.
Born in the East Java
provincial town of Pacitan, President Yudhoyono, who likes writing
poems and short stories, playing music, theater, traveling and martial
arts, wanted to be a soldier even when he was in elementary school. He
entered the military academy in 1970 and was a top graduate in 1973. He
continued his military studies in the United States where, in addition
to his M.A. in management degree from Webster University, President
Yudhoyono attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort
Leavenworth, and trained at the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg.
His foreign studies also included jungle warfare training in Panama and
an antitank weapons course in Belgium and Germany. He recently received
a doctorate in agriculture from the Bogor Agricultural Institute near
Jakarta.
For the editors:
The
full text of the speeches by Dr Yudhoyono can be found on the Webster
University web site. President Yudhoyono's Convocation Address: http://www.webster.edu/news/curren treleases/sby_convocation.doc , and President Yudhoyono's Remarks at a Welcoming Reception and Breakfast: http://www.webster.edu/news/curren treleases/sby_breakfast.doc . A photograph can be downloaded from: http://www.webster.edu/news/graphi cs/sbyc.jpg
Webster University honorary degrees
Previous recipients of Webster University honorary degrees have included:
Malcolm Forbes, Publisher & Philanthropist, 1984
Carl Hahn, Chairman of the Board, Volkswagen, 1987
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Former President of France, 1988
Howard Nemerov, Poet Laureate, 1989
Richard A. Gephardt, Democrat Leader, US House of Representatives, 1993
Eileen Collins, First female Space Shuttle captain, 1996
Simon Wiesenthal, Founder Jewish Documentation Center, Vienna, 1996
Franz König, Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna, 1996
Willem Albeda, Former Minister of Social Affairs, the Netherlands, 1998
George H.W. Bush, 41e President of the United States, 1999
Clark Terry, Jazz musician (trumpet), 2000
Paul M. Kennedy, Historian, 2004
Cees Goekoop, Former Mayor of Leiden, the Netherlands, 2005
About Webster University
Founded
in 1915, Webster University is an accredited, non-profit American
University with 100 locations in ten countries. Currently, there are
20,000 students studying at Webster campuses around the world. Webster
University enjoys an international reputation for teaching and academic
excellence. Renowned for its innovative, accredited educational
programs, Webster meets the needs of students, businesses, and working
adults around the globe.
Webster University in the Netherlands
is one of four international campuses located in Europe. Since Webster
began offering American University degrees in the Netherlands in 1983,
over 1600 students have graduated. Its alumni work for many of the most
prestigious and interesting companies and organizations in the world.
For further information, please contact:
Len Even, Director
Webster University
Boommarkt 1
2311 EA Leiden
The Netherlands
http://www.webster.nl
T: +31 (0)71 516 8000
F: +31 (0)71 516 8001
even@webster.nl
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