The honorable Guy VERHOFSTADT

The honorable Guy VERHOFSTADT was awarded the prestigious title of Doctor Honoris Causa of NUPSPA (SNSPA), Bucharest, Romania

Friday, November 8^th, 2013, within the calendar of events dedicated to the European Citizenship Week at the Romanian National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (NUPSPA), The Aula Magna of the Central University Library of Bucharest  hosted  the ceremony dedicated to granting the title of “Doctor Honoris Causa” of  NUPSPA (SNSPA Bucharest) to Guy VERHOFSTADT MEP, the Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. It is well known that the European Parliament (EP) is a key institution representing the citizens of the European Union (EU).

Doctor of Law (1975), Prime Minister of Belgium, heading three separate governments over the course of nearly ten years (1999-2008), President of the EU Council (2001, second half-year), elected to the European Parliament in June 2009, Guy VERHOFSTADT is the Author of remarkable books, such as: “The United States of Europe” ( 2006), “The New Age of Empires” (2008), and “Emerging from the Crisis: How Europe can Save the World” (2009).

Within the specific academic atmosphere framed by the beautiful music and lyrics of “Gaudeamus Igitur”, the eternal symbol of university life, Professor Alina BÂRGĂOANU, Rector of NUPSPA, opened the ceremony which enjoyed a qualified audience, and a youthful enthusiasm, characteristic of the NUPSPA students, enthusiasm of thinking and learning about the actual serious EU and World matters. The Ceremony was attended by His Excellency, Philippe BEKE, Ambassador of Belgium in Romania, Professor Remus PRICOPIE, Minister of National Education, Mrs. Ramona Nicole MĂNESCU, Minister of Transports (and a NUPSPA alumna, who read the Laudatio), Professor Vasile SECĂREŞ, Former Rector and Founder of NUPSPA (who gave a challenging speech on this very special occasion), Professor Iordan Gheorghe BĂRBULESCU, President of NUPSPA Senate (who read the contents of the Diploma in Latin), Professor Paul DOBRESCU, Former Rector of NUPSPA (and Author of the Forewords of the two books launched before the ceremony in the „Carol I” Lecture Room), Sorin DRAGNEA, Chief Secretary of NUPSPA, other representatives of NUPSPA academic community, and the last but not the least distinguished Guests Members of the European Parliament and of the Romanian Parliament, and representatives of other Institutions.

The acceptance speech “Lectio Prima” given by Guy VERHOFSTADT with his well-known competence, refinement, and intellectual vigor totally captured his audience’s attention, confirming the proper listeners’ perception of the message concerning – to quote from one of the forewords made by Professor Paul DOBRESCU – “the need to openly analyze the issues that cannot be avoided and to inaugurate a new direction approach that Europe and its citizens have a strong need for.

The honorable Guy VERHOFSTADT was awarded the prestigious title of Doctor Honoris Causa of NUPSPA (SNSPA), Bucharest, Romania