12 Feb. 2009
The Universidad Europea de Madrid confers an honorary doctorate on Juan Antonio Samaranch
The Universidad Europea de Madrid has conferred an honorary doctorate on Juan Antonio Samaranch today in recognition of “his important personal and professional accomplishments as well as his contributions toward the promotion of the values of sport in general and, in particular, the values inherent in the Olympic movement, in the improvement of education around the world and his contributions toward the development of society”, says Agueda Benito, Vice-chancellor of the Universidad Europea de Madrid.
Many famous people wished to be present with the current honorary life president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at this special event, including both Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, the mayor of Madrid, and Don Luis Bassat, Juan Antonio Samaranch’s sponsor and also holder of an honorary doctorate from the Universidad Europea de Madrid.
Universal Humanist
“This conferment recognises the accomplishments of this universal humanist, whose work has had a marked impact upon society”, states Agueda Benito, who furthermore mentions that, with the conferment of this honorary doctorate, the Universidad Europea de Madrid also wishes to “demonstrate its support toward sport, both in respect of the values that sport promotes as well as the important contributions of sport to the achievement of outstanding social advances”.
Among the greatest successes achieved by Juan Antonio Samaranch during his 21 years as president of the IOC are the participation of South Africa with a multi-racial team in the Barcelona Games in 1992 and the fact that both North Korea and South Korea paraded side by side in the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games held in Sydney and Athens. “It was the country’s radical change, including changes in its political regime, as it went from being a military dictatorship to a democracy. We are extremely proud of this fact”, affirms Juan Antonio Samaranch.
The honorary life president of the IOC has demonstrated his “profound appreciation for the honour bestowed upon him with the conferment of the honorary doctorate from the Universidad Europea de Madrid”. Furthermore, he mentions that “this title bestowed upon me should be made to the Olympic Movement, because it is the Olympic Movement that has managed to spread its principles to the most remote parts of the globe”.
The value of sport
“The Olympic Games is part of the struggle for a world at peace, in which friendship and comprehension prevail around the world”, states Juan Antonio Samaranch, as well as affirming that “there is no other movement that currently has the same influence as the Olympics”.
For her part, Agueda Benito affirms that “important values such as those that are learned from sport are heavily present in the educational philosophy of the Universidad Europea de Madrid”. She also highlights “the important work” that the School of Physical Education and Sports Science is undertaking to that end.
The honorary doctorate that the Universidad Europea de Madrid has today conferred on Juan Antonio Samaranch adds to the list of honorary distinctions that have, in previous years, been conferred on the researchers Valentín Fuster, Joan Rodés and Pedro Alonso; the architect Miguel Fisac; the publicist Luis Bassat; the writer Mario Vargas Llosa, and the lawyer Antonio Garrigues Walter, among others. “The purpose of these honorary distinctions is to recognise not only work performed to a high standard, but also work that has a real impact on society”, concludes Agueda Benito.