Thursday, May 26, 2011

...the honeree

Thailand university to honor Aquino


By GENALYN D. KABILING
May 26, 2011
Manila Bulletin

BANGKOK, Thailand — President Aquino will become the first Asian leader to receive an honorary doctorate in Economics from the prestigious Kasetsart University of Thailand.



The President, on a two-day official visit here, will be bestowed with such honor for his laudable policies and programs on enhancing economic growth during a ceremony on Friday here.




"He's the first one," Professor Vudtechai Kapilakanchana of Kasetsart University said, referring to Aquino, the first President in Asia to receive such doctorate degree. "In the old days, we gave the doctoral degree to the President of Finland, and the President of Peru.....this is our honor to have you receive that doctoral degree from Kasetsart University," the professor added.

Vudtechai said the honorary doctorate degree will be conferred on President Aquino for having done a "lot of things in the area of the economy" when he was a lawmaker and for his "policy of focusing on the economy for the well being of the Filipino people" as the country's duly elected leader.

Aquino, an economics graduate from the Ateneo de Manila University, has received a number of honorary doctorate degrees on law and economics since he assumed office last year.

Vudtechai said the Kasetsart University, establised in 1943, is considered the pioneer school of agriculture in Thailand. The university courses were later expanded to other fields of learning.

"We can say that in the field of agriculture, we are number one. We're also number one in agro-industry as well as in the field of veterinary medicine and computer and software engineering," he said.

He also cited that the Kasetsart University has maintained close relations with the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, Laguna in recent years.

"We sent a lot of staff to study there... Right now, I think we have Philippine students in our university...it is also our main policy to have foreign students in our university," he added.

He also highlighted the importance for Asian countries such Thailand and the Philippines to focus on agriculture because of their respective suitable lands, and climate.

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