Former Moroccan Foreign Minister Receives Honorary U.S. Degree
Mohamed Benaissa, former foreign minister of Morocco, received a snowy winter welcome upon arriving in Minnesota recently. As a graduate of the University of Minnesota, he was returning to receive an honorary doctor of law degree for public service. In spite of the frigid weather conditions, Benaissa called the journey an emotional occurrence.
The degree he received is a crowing glory for a lifetime of achievement. A doctor of law degree symbolizes public service endeavors that aim towards the betterment of society. As a whole, the University of Minnesota awards 235 honorary doctorate degrees. Of this number, only 91 have been the prestigious doctor of law degrees. This places Mohamed Benaissa in a prestigious class of select individuals.
Benaissa’s journey to the University began with a Fulbright Scholarship award, which he utilized to earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1963. Since that time, he returned to the states in 1998. This time his position was Morocco’s ambassador to the United States. Here, he reflected on all that his educational path through the University of Minnesota afforded him. Benaissa reflected on how his educational career provided perspective into his diplomatic career later in life.
It was this perspective that Benaissa returned to during his honorary degree award speech. He reflected on the ways student life played out when he was a college student in the early 1960’s. Student life at the university was a melting pot of diversity. Different cultural backgrounds and beliefs came together not for imposing individual values on others but for working towards educational goals. This benefited Benaissa later in life as he assumed the roles of Moroccan ambassador to the United States and later as Moroccan foreign minister.
It is this viewpoint that earned Benaissa the honorary degree from the University of Minnesota. The head of the nominating committee, C. Eugene Allen, described Benaissa’s work as exceptional service to his hometown and to the world. He exuded the perfect mix between pride in one’s country and the realization for the need in cross-cultural understanding. This is something all global leaders could benefit from.
Benaissa refers to the cordial relationship between Morocco and the United States as a perfect example of cross-cultural understanding. He feels these two countries exhibit ideal levels of respect for one another. Both bring diverse cultural backgrounds to the table yet are able to find a way to work together for the good of both countries. To quote Morocco’s King Mohammed VI: “The world suffers not from a clash of civilizations; the world suffers from ignorance of civilizations.”
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by Sam Mitchell
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