FVR conferred Honorary Doctorate by J.F. Oberlin University Tokyo
Former President Fidel V. Ramos was conferred an Honorary Doctorate by J.F. Oberlin President Toyoshi Satow.
Former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in International Studies by J.F. Oberlin University President Toyoshi Satow at ceremonies held on 03 August 2011 at the J.F. Oberlin University Yotsuya campus.
In his remarks at the ceremony, President Ramos conveyed his sympathies to the Japanese people who are facing the aftermath of the Great East Japan earthquake. He expressed his confidence that the “Japanese nation and its capable and highly-disciplined people will rise from this massive tragedy stronger than ever before.” He also said that the events since March 11 “have reminded people around the world to become more caring, sharing, and daring for each other.”
President Ramos said that as the world faces numerous challenges such as disasters, volatile food and energy supplies, poverty, and global warming, greater emphasis is needed on building state capacities, strengthening institutions, and promoting efficiency and teamwork. In this context, he stressed the important and higher role of educational institutions such as J.F. Oberlin University to nurture and embrace the planet’s most important assets—“educated…and empowered people.”
Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez, Madame Maria Teresa L. Lopez, officers, and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo also attended the conferment ceremony.
J.F. Oberlin University (named after Lutheran pastor and philanthropist Jean Frederic Oberlin) is a private, bilingual, co-educational institution founded in 1946 by Yasuzo Shimizu, an alumnus of Oberlin College in Ohio, USA. Committed to the idea of “internationalism”, J.F. Oberlin University offers programs with “a practical understanding of other countries and people and an international outlook to enable [its students] to interact and play constructive roles in a globalized setting.” J.F. Oberlin University has a number of Filipino students and it also has an agreement for academic exchange with the Ateneo de Manila University.
While in Tokyo, President Ramos also addressed and co-chaired the “Emerging Markets Forum Asia 2050 Book Launch Seminar” held on 01 August 2011 and hosted by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).
The ASIA 2050 book is a comprehensive, well researched study that forecasts the outcomes of economies in 49 Asia-Pacific economies by 2050. The Emerging Market Forum (EMF) is a non-profit initiative organized in 2005 by the Washington-based Centennial Group to fill the need the need for an international platform that will bring together government and corporate leaders and top officials of regional and global institutions for a high-level dialogue on key socio-economic, environmental, and political issues facing emerging markets and providing actionable recommendations.
The incumbent co-chairs of the EMF are President Ramos, Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda, Former IMF Managing Director Michael Camdessus, and CAF-Latin American Development Bank President Enrique Garcia.
