Honorary doctorate for Graça Machel: fund for female students from South Africa

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Honorary doctorate for Graça Machel: fund for female students from South Africa

10:02 CAT | 05 Mar 2021

Graça Machel receives her honorary doctorate online: she attended the ceremony via a livestream from her home in Mozambique on 8 February 2021. [Photo: Leiden University]

On the occasion of the conferral of an honorary doctorate to children’s rights activist Graça Machel, a fund has been established that will enable two female students from South Africa to come and study in Leiden.

Dean of Leiden Law School Joanne van der Leun made the announcement during the 446th Dies Natalis of Leiden University [february 8, 2021], following the conferral of the honorary doctorate to Machel.

Machel was nominated for the honorary doctorate by professors of children’s rights Ton Liefaard and Julia Sloth-Nielsen. Machel has dedicated the greater part of her life to children’s rights, fighting against child marriages and the use of children in armed conflict. She is currently the Director of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.

Advocate for peace and child rights

‘Graça Machel’s role as a leading advocate for peace, human rights and child rights has been of fundamental importance to improving the long-term prospects of women and children,’ said Liefaard just before the honorary doctorate was conferred. ‘Leiden Law School is convinced that Ms Machel will continue to serve as a beacon to many of our students and researchers here in Leiden and The Hague because for many of them she is a role model, an icon, not just in Africa but all around the world.’

After Machel’s words of acceptance, it was the turn of Joanne van der Leun, Dean of Leiden Law School, to pay tribute to the new honorary doctor. She did so by announcing a fund in Ms Machel’s name that will enable two female students from South Africa to come and study in Leiden each year.

During this year’s dies natalis, Graça Machel receives an honorary doctorate. She is a children’s rights activist and president of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. #dies21 pic.twitter.com/rnepPYwhNR

— Leiden University (@UniLeidenNews) February 8, 2021

Voor in het archief: een piepklein cortège loopt over het besneeuwde Rapenburg naar de Pieterskerk voor onze dies natalis in coronatijd. Hopelijk volgend jaar weer met alle hoogleraren en veel studenten! https://t.co/4LwKki1Ocd

— Universiteit Leiden (@UniLeiden) February 8, 2021

GMT founder Graça Machel today soon after officially receiving the title of “Doctor Honoris Causa” from the University of Leiden @UniLeidenNews, and through the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,@HennyFdeVries. #Congratulations. https://t.co/IUxR4hGEDD

— GracaMachelTrust (@G_MachelTrust) March 3, 2021

Source: Leiden University