U of C to award Aga Khan with honorary degree

The University of Calgary will be giving the Aga Khan its highest academic honour next month.

Deborah Yedlin, chancellor for the university, announced Monday that the Aga Khan will be given an honorary degree from the university at a ceremony Oct. 17 because of his “strong ties” with the school and his work with “social development and cultural networks.”

“From international partnerships and exchanges, to programs launched right here in Calgary that bring our communities together, so many of us have benefited from his vision for a more integrated and understanding society around the globe,” Yedlin said in a statement.

The Aga Khan visited Calgary in May to mark 60 years as the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslim community, whose members come from across Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.

Honorary degrees are awarded by the U of C for “extraordinary achievement in community” and “national or international services” to individuals whose “notable achievements and community service merit recognition.”

The Aga Khan received his title in 1957 and is the founder of the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of non-denominational agencies working to support education, agriculture, health care and other developmental initiatives in more than 30 countries.

The university said its Doctor of Laws honorary degree can be awarded for outstanding contributions in any field, including the arts, business, scholarly pursuits and volunteerism.