Dr Daisaku Ikeda, President, Soka Gakkai International (SGI), receives Honorary Doctorate from India’s Manav Rachna University

New Delhi: Manav Rachna University (MRU), a leading Indian private university, conferred an honorary doctorate to Soka Gakkai International (SGI) President Daisaku Ikeda, on Monday at New Delhi’s Dr Ambedkar International Centre. This was in recognition of Dr Ikeda’s spectacular contribution towards global peace and building a humane society.

Amidst a well-attended gathering including educationists and other prominent citizens, Minoru Harada, president of Soka Gakkai, received the honorary doctorate degree on behalf of Dr Ikeda from Dr Prashant Bhalla, President of Manav Rachna Educational Institutions. Talking about Dr Ikeda’s path-breaking peace initiatives, Dr Bhalla, who is also Chancellor, MRU (Manav Rachna University) said, “We at Manav Rachna, had a close tryst with some of his profound philosophies while reading about his works.” He quoted from a speech delivered by Dr Ikeda at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies in New Delhi in October 1997, “Education makes us free .
It is through education that we are liberated from powerlessness, …Education enables us to look beyond superficial difference to perceive the great earth, the
great sea of life that sustains us all.” He said further, “Observing his illustrious credentials in making world a better place to live in, his spectacular contribution to creation of a culture of peace in the field of humanities, and taking human happiness to the next level, Manav Rachna University considers it an honour and a privilege to confer Doctor of Philosophy, Honoris Causa upon Dr Daisaku Ikeda.”

In his acceptance speech, read out by President Harada, Dr Ikeda emphasized the importance of education: “The ultimate goal of education is the happiness and growth of each individual.” And that, “Wisdom, creative ingenuity, and relentless effort exerted in the field of education has the power to draw the outlines of a new
future for humanity and for our planet, beyond all limitations.” Bharat Soka Gakkai Chairperson, Vishesh Gupta echoed this sentiment and said, “In one of his essays titled ‘Why Education’, Dr Ikeda says, ‘I consider education to be the culminating undertaking of my life. That is because the victory of education means the victory of the people’.” He added that it was a matter of great pride that Manav Rachna University recognized Dr Ikeda’s extraordinary achievements to build peace and create a truly humane society.

The conferral ceremony was attended by key representatives of the SGI, which had a large delegation of Youth. Manav Rachna University was represented by key functionaries including Dr N. C. Wadhwa, Director General, MREI (Manav Rachna Educational Institutions); Prof. (Dr.) Sanjay Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, MRIIRS (Manav
Rachna International Institute Of Research and Studies); Prof. (Dr.) I.K. Bhat, Vice Chancellor, MRU (Manav Rachna University) and Prof. (Dr.) Sangita Banga, Dean Academics, Manav Rachna University.

Manav Rachna University (MRU) is a leading State Private University established under the aegis of Manav Rachna Educational Institutions. MRU has been ranked 4th among the Emerging Engineering Institutes of the country (The Times Engineering Survey 2018). The quality of education is guided by global best practices and a culture of academic excellence promoting research, innovation and entrepreneurship. It has 55 global academic collaborations and over 80 Innovation & Incubation Entrepreneurial Ventures.
Daisaku Ikeda is the President of Soka Gakkai International is a peace builder, philosopher and prolific writer. He is a recipient of around 390 honorary doctorates from universities across the globe. In India, he has been the recipient of 15 academic honours including honorary doctorates/professorships from the University of Delhi, Rabindra Bharati University, Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan, Himachal Pradesh University and Bharathidasan University, among several others.
Recognizing his contribution to peace, Dr Ikeda has been conferred with over 800 honorary citizenships. Among the various awards and accolades, he has also been conferred the UN Peace Award in 1983.

For more information on SGI President Dr Daisaku Ikeda, please visit: http://www.daisakuikeda.org SGI, (Soka Gakkai International) has over 12 million members in 192 countries and territories around the world. At the core of its movement for peace, is the ideal of education for global citizenship. This is education in the
broadest sense of the word as it embraces cultural exchange and direct interactions with people. SGI organizations seek to advance the search for common values such as tolerance and coexistence despite differences and to strengthen our sense of common humanity.
For more Information on SGI, please visit: https://www.sgi.org/ BSG (Bharat Soka Gakkai) is the Indian affiliate of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI). It has a membership spread across 300 towns and cities in India. Coming from all walks of life, BSG’s members believe that a fundamental change in a single individual (‘human revolution’) can bring about a great transformation in society. The organization seeks to create an environment of peace through cultural, educational and community-related activities. What sets these initiatives apart is the humanistic sprit of reaching out through ‘heart to heart’ dialogue.