President of GFDD and FUNGLODE Leonel Fernández Receives Honorary Degree from Paris University for Solidarity with Haiti after 2010 Earthquake

On Monday, the President of the University of Paris VIII, Dr. Danielle Tartakowsky, congratulated the former President of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Leonel Fernández, when she awarded him the degree of "Doctor Honoris Causa" for the strong support he offered to the Haitian people following the earthquake that devastated the capital and much of Haiti in January of 2010.

Dr. Tartakowsky highlighted that Fernández not only demonstrated
great solidarity with the Haitian people from the first moments of the tragedy, but also made an impassioned appeal to the international community to come to Haiti’s aid.

Explaining the reasons why the University of Paris decided to award the honorary degree to Fernández, Tartakowsky said that it was a great honor for the academic institution that the former Head of the Dominican State had accepted the distinction. She stressed that, according to University
tradition, the recognition should have been awarded when Fernández was President, but because of various reasons that did not take place. "Now is a good opportunity, because the recognition is given not because he is a President, but because of what he is and all he has done," she stated.

As part of her speech, Tartakowsky said that Fernández represents values ​​that the University of Paris VIII has tried to defend throughout its existence, among which she cited solidarity and the promotion of educational and technological development, which she considers a fitting way to combat violence and ignorance. In addition, the French academic
congratulated Fernández for his efforts in associating political action with theoretical debate, the reflection of the intellectuals and researchers, the development of knowledge, the strengthening of public policies and the insertion of the Dominican Republic in the international context.

For his part, former President Fernández thanked the academic community for the distinction he had received, and described the University of Paris VIII as an institution of
international renown, open to students from all backgrounds, which makes it a scenario that is particularly sensitive to the challenges of the XXI century."How could I not to feel deeply grateful to receive this honor from a University in which many Professors have taught, as well as French intellectuals such as Michel Foucault, Jacques Lacan and Robert Castel, to name a few?" Fernández stated.

"Receiving this degree from an institution of
higher education that is characterized by a spirit of democratization of knowledge production and by the knowledge rooted in the challenges and opportunities of today’s world, is a great honor for me," he said.

Afterward, he expressed the empathy he has felt from a very early age for French literature. In this regard, he said that he has always regarded the French language and French universities as straightforward paths to access knowledge and cultural
diversity.

The former President also noted that Dominican students have traveled to France for more than a century to study medicine and law, a phenomenon, he said, that has made Paris a mecca for Dominican intellectuals.

Along the same lines, Fernández recalled that during the next to last year of his administration, the Dominican Republic was accepted as an observer by the International Organization of la Francophonie, which is a step forward in the
efforts he had made to insert his country in the region and the world. "Today we can say with satisfaction and enthusiasm that there is an increasing number of agreements and institutional relationships that have been signed between the French and Dominican institutions of higher education, which are all vital links to help young people achieve their dreams of completing their education at a French university," he said.

He said that FUNGLODE and GFDD,
non-governmental organization of which he is President, have signed numerous agreements with French educational institutions, thereby demonstrating the commitment of that organization to participate in the development of cultural and academic exchanges between France and the Dominican Republic.