Sultan receives honorary doctorate
Portuguese university honours Sharjah Ruler for promoting culture, literature and history
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The University of Coimbra in Portugal has honoured His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, with an honorary doctorate in recognition of his efforts to support culture, literature and history.
The University of Coimbra described Dr Shaikh Sultan as “the man who brings cultures together”. The university was established in 1290 as one of the first 15 European universities. It is in the World Heritage Sites List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
The honorary doctorate is the university’s highest scientific and honorary degree and honours personalities who have made exceptional contributions in the scientific, literary or cultural fields. Since its inception, the university has bestowed the honour on 190 personalities.
Honouring ceremony
Dr Shaikh Sultan also met members of the University Senate and scientific council, and toured the university campus. In a speech at the honouring ceremony, he said: “I am truly honoured to receive the prestigious Honoris Causa Doctorate Degree from the University of Coimbra. Some years ago, I spent some time at the Municipal Library of Porto examining the diary of Vasco da Gama’s first trip to India. More recently, five years ago, the Lisbon Academy of Sciences gave me the honour and elected me to the membership of the Academy. With today’s added honour from the University of Coimbra, my ties to Portugal are stronger and forever lasting.”
University officials pointed out that under Dr Shaikh Sultan, Sharjah has become an incubator of the world’s most important humanitarian and cultural events, and commended the Sharjah Ruler’s literary, cultural and historical publications.
Dr Shaikh Sultan has already been awarded 17 honorary certificates and doctorates and holds many honorary positions.