News

On Friday June 8, from 10:00, a ceremony was held to mark the conferral of the Keio University Doctorate Honoris Causa on Mr. Richard L. Armitage at the Mita Public Speaking Hall (Mita Enzetsu-kan). Mr. Armitage, who served as United States Deputy Secretary of State under the administration of George W. Bush, made enormous contributions to stabilizing international relations, in particular those between the United States and Japan, through his engagement in an array of activities and negotiations in countries throughout the world, but primarily those in Asia. The decision to confer Mr. Armitage with the honorary doctorate was also based on his tremendous contributions to education and research through dialogues with researchers and students.

Mr. Armitage entered the venue for the conferral ceremony accompanied by the chorus of the Wagner Society. Professor Toshihiro Nakayama of the Faculty of Policy Management served as the master of ceremonies and Professor Jun Murai, Dean of the Graduate School of Media and Governance, read the citation. Next, President Akira Haseyama conferred the Doctorate Honoris Causa on Mr. Armitage, with Mr. Armitage responding to his subsequent congratulatory address with his own words of thanks.

Afterwards, a commemorative lecture titled "My Journey in Vietnam, the Middle East, and Japan: A Message to Future Generations" was given by Mr. Armitage in the South School Building Hall. In it, he spoke about the events which led to his enlisting in the United States Navy and experiences while serving in the Vietnam War, as well as the lessons imparted by these experiences. During the question and answer session which followed his address, Mr. Armitage graciously and methodically responded to each and every one of the unrelenting questions posed to him by students until the very end of the scheduled time.