TED University awards Honorary Doctorate to Armin Laschet
Armin Laschet was presented with a Doctor Honoris Causa (honorary doctorate) degree at a ceremony held at TED University Kolej Campus on February 9.
TED University awarded its first honorary doctorate to German politician Dr. Armin Laschet in recognition of his contributions to the integration of Turkish citizens, his stance against racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and discrimination, his contribution to the peace process in the Middle East, his efforts on environment and sustainability, his commitment to the legacy of European integration and his service to academia to the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Jürgen Schulz, German Ambassador to Turkiye, Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, Head of the EU Delegation to Turkiye, Selçuk Pehlivanoğlu, President of the Turkish Education Association, Walter Glos, Turkiye Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, academics and administrative staff of TED University attended the ceremony held at TED University Kolej Campus.
In his opening speech, TEDU Rector Prof. Dr. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu said, “As you know, universities have three important missions: education, research and societal impact. As a university that comes from a well-established educational community, we put special emphasis on the third mission by integrating education and research. In this context, we have a very strong commitment to UN SDGs. In fact, it is our ambition that the students graduating from our institution can cope with global challenges and dilemmas facing us. Because we firmly believe in the mission of a sustainable future.”
The ceremony continued with speeches by Selçuk Pehlivanoğlu, President of the Turkish Education Association and Member of the Presidential Education and Training Policies Committee, and Jürgen Schulz, Ambassador of Germany to Turkey.
Expressing his pride in representing an institution with 96 years of history, Selçuk Pehlivanoğlu said, "We support 50 thousand students through TED schools across the country. We have focused activities that improve social cohesion in times of crisis and disaster. TED University illuminates our path with the power of knowledge in the light of science. Mr. Laschet's dialogue, understanding and dedication to fostering cooperation between different societies has left a great and unforgettable impact on our society. We are gathered here today to celebrate Mr. Laschet's achievements."
In his speech, Ambassador Jürgen Schulz mentioned Armin Laschet's qualities under three headings and expressed how proud he was.
Prof. Dr. Levent Akdeniz, Dean of TEDU Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, presented Armin Laschet his honorary doctorate diploma, while Rector Prof. Dr. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu presented his regalia.
Emphasizing his pleasure to be under the roof of TED University and the importance of the diploma presented to him, Armin Laschet said, "TED University is a young university, but the TED ideal is based on Mustafa Kemal's doctrine that you can change a country with education. This is an ideal I have followed all my life. It is also important that it is located in the capital. We should strengthen our ties and continue our cooperation in the future."
A figure dedicated to building an inclusive and accepting Germany
Dr. Armin Laschet has been a member of the Bundestag since 2021. He has adopted an inclusive and accepting immigration policy, proposed an education system that offers equal opportunities for all, rejected stereotypes that certain ethnic origins or religious affiliations are doomed to educational struggles, emphasized the essence of the " Rising Republic" vision, and argued that equal opportunities for individuals should be based on their current residence and not on their country of origin.
In the Foreign Affairs Committee he is responsible for Russia, Turkey, Israel and the Abraham Accords countries. Dr. Armin Laschet is also Vice-President of the Parliament of the Council of Europe.