Keio University presented Honorary Degree of Doctor upon H. E. Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the President of the Republic of Indonesia
Conferring Ceremony of the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Media and Governance upon His Excellency Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, was held on November 27th, 2006 starting on 2:50 p.m. at the Public Speaking Hall on Mita campus of Keio University.
The memorable ceremony, presided by Professor Lynn Thiesmeyer of Faculty of Environmental Information, proceeded with the citation by Professor Tomoyuki Kojima, Dean of the Faculty of Policy Management. Professor Yuichiro Anzai, President of Keio University, conferred the degree and made a congratulatory address followed by a memorial speech by Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yhdhoyono, the President of the Republic of Indonesia in the end.
President Susilo Bambang Yhdhoyono is the first President in Indonesia’s history directly elected by the public in 2004. He has contributed to political stabilization and economical development of Indonesia based on the platform built upon four pillars: “more peaceful, more just, more prosperous, and more democratic”. In addition to enhancing the influence of Indonesia among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as one of the great powers in the region, President Yhdhoyono has diplomatically endeavored of developing favorable relationship between Indonesia and Japan. President Yhdhoyono is also an enthusiastic academic individual as he enrolled in doctorial course at Bogor Institute of Agriculture during his service of government official and campaign of the presidency acquired his Ph.D.
Keio University currently has fifteen students from Indonesia mostly in graduate schools (as of May, 2006). SOI (School on Internet) Asia project, which is led by Professor Jun Murai, Vice President of Keio University, has developed distant learning applications for the advanced usage of the Internet, aiming to contribute on research and development of Internet and on the higher education development in Asian countries since 2001. As of October 2006, this project has twenty-two universities and research institutes partners in twelve countries in Asia, including five universities in Indonesia, and has deployed the distribution of live lectures and cultivation of human resources of Information Technology. During the time of the Indian Ocean Tsunami resulting from the earthquake that shook the island of Sumatra, SOI Asia project has contributed by commencing support activities, in the form of distance learning, to assist in the recovery of Syiah Kuala University, whose course works were unable to continue because of the loss of many faculty members.
