MANILA – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been conferred an honorary doctorate from the University of the Philippines (UP).
Anwar was handed the Doctor of Laws degree from the prestigious institution at the UP Diliman campus theatre in Quezon City this morning, in conjunction with his two-day official visit to the country.
The prime minister was cited as a scholar on Filipino national icon Jose Rizal and as an internationally acclaimed expert on economics, democracy, freedom, governance, Islam, and democracy, as well as the need for accountability.
The conferment of the doctorate was facilitated by Commission of Higher Education Chairperson J. Perospero E. De Vera III, and UP President Atty. Angelo A. Jimenez.
After the conferment, Anwar delivered his lecture, titled “30 Years from 'Asian Renaissance: Strategic Takeaways from Asean” to an audience consisting of academicians, diplomats, government officials, media members, and UP students.
Per a press release, UP public affairs vice-president Jose Wendell Capili said Anwar has been a devoted scholar on the life, works, and teachings of national Filipino icon Jose Rizal.
Capili noted that Anwar’s interest in Rizaliana was furthered by his frequent visits to the university under the tutelage of the late UP historian and UP Diliman College of Arts and Sciences dean Cesar Adib Majul.
“Aside from that, Anwar is respected for his principled stance against corruption and his management of the Malaysian economy during the Asian financial crisis,” Capili said. – The Vibes, March 2, 2023
