Honorary Doctorate awarded to SG Ban Ki-moon

The University of Groningen awarded South-Korean diplomat and politician Mr. Ban Ki-moon with an Honorary Doctorate on 17 October 2018. The former Secretary General of the United Nations was promoted with the Honorary Doctorate by our Rector Elmer Sterken, for his outstanding achievements as Chair of the Global Commission on Adaptation and his societal contributions in the field of peacekeeping and the development of the Paris Agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon’s Honorary Doctorate awarding took place during an academic ceremony at the Martinichurch, under formal representation from the City of Groningen, the Province of Groningen, the University Medical Hospital (UMCG) and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences (HUAS). A selected number of seats was made available for youth, students and other inhabitants of Groningen.

Climate change

As UN Secretary-General (January 2007 to December 2016) Ban Ki-moon has given global warming one of the highest priorities on the international agenda. Worldwide recognition is given to former SG Ban as the most important factor of success of the UN Climate agreement as signed in 2015 by heads of state. In anticipation of the agreement led by Ban, President Obama of the United States and President Xi from China reached an agreement under on the reduction of the emission of greenhouse gases.

Millennium Development Goals

Furthermore Ban Ki-moon has made a strong case for the in the year 2000 formulated Millennium Development Goals and was key in the creation of the so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which have also been endorsed by heads of state in 2015.
Rector Elmer Sterken: “As a University we have also embraced the Sustainable Development Goals. This is reflected in the strategic societal themes Healthy ageing, Energy and Sustainable Society. We have a long tradition in scientific research in the field of climate challenges at large. Over the last years special attention has been given to climate adaptation. Our researchers operate in international networks and are an important building block of the global mission of the newly established climate adaptation center. The center will be established in the most sustainable educational building of the Netherlands: the Energy Academy building of the University of Groningen.”

This film was projected during the ceremony:

Global Center on Adaptation

During the UN Climate Summit in Bonn last November 2017 the climate adaptation institute was erected by Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure and Water). The Center will be established in the Dutch cities of Groningen and Rotterdam. In the presence of the Global Center on Adaptation CEO Patrick Verkooijen, Ban Ki-moon has opened the Groningen headquarters also on 17 October 2018, located in the Energy Academy building on the Zernike campus.