On the morning of November 5, an honorary doctorate conferment ceremony was held at the Hongda Hall on the Qishan campus for Her Excellency Ibu Megawati Soekarnoputri, the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia (RI). Present at the ceremony were HE Megawati Soekarnoputri, Dr. Budi Gunawan, Chief of the Indonesian State Intelligent Agency, Mr. Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian Ambassador to China, Prof. Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono, Former Chief of the Indonesian State Intelligent Agency, Prof. Purnomo Yusgiantoro, former Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Prof. Rokhmin Dahuri Ismail, former Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, families and friends of HE Megawati Soekarnoputri, Mr. Chen Chuxin, Standing Member of the CPC Committee of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Fujian Provincial People’s Government and Vice Chair of the Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries of Fujian Province, leaders of FNU including Prof. Li Baoyin, Prof. Wang Changping, Prof. Ye Shen and Prof. Lai Hairong, and heads FNU’s relevant functional departments, colleges and the Indonesian Research Center, as well as representatives of faculties and students. The ceremony was hosted by Prof. Lai Hairong, Vice President of FNU.
Professor Li Baoyin, Party Secretary of the University Council, stated in his speech that FNU and Indonesia have had extensive collaboration and achieved fruitful results in people-to-people communication, academic research, teaching Chinese as a foreign language and Confucius Institutes development. HE Ibu Megawati Soekarnoputri has long been committed to promoting China-Indonesia exchanges and made significant contributions to the friendship between China and Indonesia and the economic and cultural exchanges between Fujian Province and Indonesia. In recognition of her vision and her important contributions to the relations between China and Indonesia, FNU decided to award her the Honorary Doctorate. He also expressed the hope that HE Ibu Megawati Soekarnoputri would bring the educational and cultural exchanges between FNU and Indonesia to a new height, so that the two sides could work together to contribute more to the development of the Belt and Road Initiative and the common good of the people of both countries.
Professor Wang Changping, President of FNU conferred an Honorary Doctorate Degree to HE Ibu Megawati Soekarnoputri and moved the tassel on her cap. Prof. Li Baoyin then presented a gift to Dr. Megawati Soekarnoputri on behalf of FNU.
HE Ibu Dr. Megawati Soekarnoputri delivered a keynote speech after the conferment. She remarked that FNU as one of the most prestigious universities in China has made outstanding contributions to the development of scientific knowledge, technology, innovations and economy in China. She also expressed that she was sincerely proud and honored to receive the honorary degree from FNU. She gave an in-depth explanation of the relationship between economic diplomacy and political diplomacy. She pointed out that China is one of the world’s economic centers, and China’s presence, with its wisdom and power, is clearly needed in facing the complexity of the world’s problems. She recognized that the Honorary Doctorate Degree awarded to her carried a moral message in itself, one that she would cherish and take as a power to promote diplomatic practice and safeguard world peace and prosperity.
After the ceremony, HE Ibu Dr. Megawati Soekarnoputri and her party visited the Indonesian Research Center of FNU.
(Translated by Wang Yimei, Reviewed by Liang Li’e)
