President of Costa Rica Oscar Arias Sanchez Receives Honorary Doctorate from Our University!

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez, who came to our country at the official invitation of our President Abdullah Gül, received an honorary doctorate from our university.

Oscar Arias, who won the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to achieve lasting peace in Central America, received the title at a ceremony held at Bahçeşehir University's Beşiktaş Campus on 24 November 2009. Dr. Arias holds nearly 50 honorary doctorates from universities such as Harvard and Princeton.

President of Costa Rica Oscar Arias Sanchezserved as president between 1986 and 1990, and with the 2006 elections took office for the second time. Winner of the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize, Oscar Arias Sanchez was awarded the prize, in the words of the Nobel Committee, "for his great role in bringing peace to Central America and in the signing of the Guatemala Peace Plan of 7 August 1987, and for his contribution to ending the civil war in the region, rooting democracy, deepening cooperation between states and peoples, and advancing freedom and equality for all". Our university, which runs reconciliation programs such as the Countering Extremism program for global peace and supports individuals and institutions working for peace at every opportunity, is proud to present an honorary doctorate to this statesman, a man of peace, and thereby makes a new contribution to its constructive activities in this field.

This is the first time Dr. Arias receives this title from a university in Türkiye, and Dr. Arias is also the first person ever to be awarded an honorary doctorate by Bahçeşehir University.

Before the ceremony, a cooperation protocol was also signed between the Costa Rica University for Peace and Bahçeşehir University. With this protocol, Bahçeşehir University added a new institution to its partner institutions around the world and carried its approach to education to Latin America as well. After the signing ceremony, University for Peace Rector John J. Maresca gave a speech.