Get To Know The Campus That Gives Megawati The 9th Honorary Degree

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI) Megawati Soekarnoputri again received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa (DR HC) in the field of humanity. This degree was awarded by Soka University Tokyo, Japan, on December 8, 2020.

The Soka University Chancellor, Yoshinisa Baba, presented the honorary title directly at the Soka Friendship Award. Yoshihisa assessed that Megawati's figure had an important role in creating political stability in Indonesia.

"We are honored and happy to be able to confer Doctor Honris Causa to Ms. Megawati. In Indonesia, there are more male politicians than women. The position of president is dominated by men but she is brave and is the first woman to become president," said Yoshihisa, quoted from her written statement. .

This is the awarding of Megawati's ninth title to receive a Doctor Honoris Causa. Previously, Megawati had also obtained DR HC degrees from eight universities, both from Indonesia and abroad.

The eight universities are DR HC from Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan (2001), Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russia (2003), Korea Maritime and Ocean University, South Korea (2015).

Then Padjadjaran University Bandung (2016), Padang State University (2017), Mokpo National University, South Korea (2017), Institute of Domestic Government (2018), and Fujian Normal University, China (2018).

Soka University, Japan

Soka University was founded by Daisaku Ikeda in Hachioki, Tokyo in 1971. As quoted from its website, this campus has a mission, among others, as a place of highest education in the field of humanity and the birthplace of a new culture, as well as being a bastion of human peace.

Thousands of students have been recorded as having studied at the Soka University campus. According to student data until May 2016, this campus has received 8,000 students, including those who are continuing the postgraduate program.

Quoting from the official website, Soka University has eight faculties including economics, business administration, law, literature, education, science and engineering, nursing and the arts.

Not only local students. Soka University also has a fairly extensive educational network. Where they have student exchange programs with more than 180 universities in 54 countries. This makes Soka University listed as one of the campuses with the largest student exchange program in Japan.

The large number of students who come from abroad is a distinct advantage for this campus. The diversity of students there may be the capital of the campus so that it was successfully designated as one of the Top Global campuses by the Japanese Government through its Ministry of Education making it in September 2015.

Prospects and Possibilities for Japan's 2019 G20 Osaka Summit International Conference Live Broadcast! | Soka University https://t.co/qOOemQfaS6

- Soka University (@SokaUniversityJ) December 7, 2018

The role of Daisaku Ikeda

Soka University's prestige is quite good because of the interference of its founder, Daisaku Ikeda. He is quite influential in Japan. Because Ikeda is the president of Soka Gakkai International (SGI).

Quoted from various sources Soka Gakkai is a new religious movement in Japan which refers to the writings of a Buddhist monk who lived during the Kamakura period (1185-1333). The movement currently has followers of 12 million people from 192 countries in the world.

Daisaku Ikeda founded SGI in 1975. As a philosopher, educator, writer and poet, Ikeda was a charismatic figure in the eyes of his followers. The man who was born on January 2, 1928, in Tokyo, Japan, was determined for the rest of his life to work for peace and uproot the root causes of strife between people.

Since the 1970s, Ikeda has been conducting dialogue between individuals with various backgrounds (great figures from all over the world in the fields of humanity, politics, religious traditions, culture, education, and various academic fields).

Apart from Megawati, there are three Indonesian figures who have received doctor honoris causa from Soka University. They are the fourth President of the Republic of Indonesia Abdurrahman Wahid, the sixth President of the Republic of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and the 10th and 12th Vice Presidents of the Republic of Indonesia Jusuf Kalla.