University Founder
Daisaku Ikeda (1928-2023)
Founder, Soka University of America
Daisaku Ikeda was an educator, philosopher, prolific author, and peacebuilder whose efforts for the promotion of humanistic education, intercultural dialogue and exchange, and peace has received worldwide recognition. He was the president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) lay Buddhist association.
Ikeda founded the Soka school system on the conviction that humanistic, student-centered education is the foundation for developing global citizens and a peaceful, life-affirming society.
In Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Korea, the Soka school system extends from kindergarten to graduate study. In Brasil, a kindergarten, elementary school, and junior high school have been established, while, in Japan, the Soka education includes two co-ed elementary schools and high schools in Tokyo and Osaka, as well as Soka University and Soka Women’s College. In the United States Soka University of America offers both an undergraduate Liberal Arts liberal arts degree and an M.A. program in educational leadership.
Ikeda also founded many international non-profit peace and cultural institutions. These include the Institute of Oriental Philosophy, the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research, the Min-On Concert Association (promoting intercultural exchange through the performing arts), and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum.
In recognition of his contributions to education, culture, and peace, Ikeda was awarded many professorships from institutes of higher learning in more than 40 countries, including Moscow State University, the University of Bologna, Peking University, the University of Glasgow, the University of Nairobi, City University of New York, Delhi University, the University of Jordan, Panama University, and the University of Sydney. He was also the recipient of the national honors of some 20 countries, the United Nations Peace Medal, the International Tolerance Award of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and the Rosa Parks Humanitarian Award, among others.
Born in 1928 to a family that harvested edible seaweed for a living, he was in his early teens when Japan entered World War II in the 1940s. His direct experience of Japanese militarism and the horror and needless suffering of war left a profound mark and became the chief motivating factor of his later peace activism. His experience of the ultranationalism that characterized education in wartime Japan would also shape Ikeda’s belief in, and commitment to the value of humanistic education. The end of the war brought drastic change to Japanese society and its values. As Ikeda wrote, “The bizarre system of values drilled into us in the wartime years had been exposed as fraudulent and razed to the ground.”
At the age of 19, Ikeda met Josei Toda (1900-1958), who became his lifelong mentor. Toda was an educator and Buddhist philosopher. For his beliefs, during the war, Toda was sent to prison for opposing the policies of the militarist government. Inspired by Toda’s humane and compassionate character, his extraordinary insight into human nature and social phenomena, and his deep determination to bring about a positive transformation of society, Ikeda devoted himself to carrying forward his mentor’s ideas and vision. “Ninety-eight percent of what I am today,” Ikeda remarked, “I learned from my mentor.” Later, Ikeda graduated from Fuji Junior College (present-day Tokyo Fuji University).
Ikeda undertook a broad range of activities globally to promote education, peace, and human happiness. A key focus was the promotion of dialogue. Ikeda engaged in wide-ranging conversations with a diverse spectrum of individuals worldwide to build bridges of mutual understanding that transcend the divisions of ideology, nationality, religion, etc., and seek out viable solutions to global problems. His citizen diplomacy during the 1970s helped lay the groundwork for the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations and contributed to the easing of political tensions between China and the Soviet Union.
Ikeda held dialogues with more than a thousand leading figures in politics, education, academia, science, peace activism, business, and the arts. More than 50 of these dialogues have been published in book form and in multiple languages. These include dialogues with British historian Arnold J. Toynbee, former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, the distinguished Chinese novelist Jin Yong, the “father of peace studies” Johan Galtung of Norway, US-based futurist and economist Hazel Henderson, and the Nobel Peace Prize-winning scientists and peace activists Linus Pauling and Joseph Rotblat. The Toynbee-Ikeda dialogue, Choose Life, has been published in 28 languages.
A prolific writer, Ikeda’s publications range from philosophy to biographical essays to children’s literature. He was named poet laureate by the World Academy of Arts and Culture (1981) and World People’s Poet by the World Poetry Society Intercontinental (2007), which, in 1995, conferred its World Poet Laureate Award upon Ikeda. A tireless advocate for peace, Ikeda shared his vision of a peaceful world in lectures at many of world’s leading universities, including Moscow State University, Peking University, and Harvard University.
Among his many endeavors, Ikeda described the promotion of humanistic education as the culminating undertaking of his life. He continued to energetically pursue this vision into his 90s through many writings and proposals, dialogues, and constant encouragement of young people, whose development, he said, was his most significant source of joy.
Daisaku Ikeda passed away from natural causes at his residence in Shinjuku, Tokyo, on the evening of Nov. 15, 2023. He was 95.
SUA’s Founding Vision
Daisaku Ikeda recounted his answer to a question after his 1996 lecture at Columbia University Teachers College:
Messages to SUA, Aliso Viejo
Messages to SUA, Calabasas
Annual Peace Proposals
Even as we approach the second anniversary of the official declaration of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, variants continue to emerge, causing new waves of infection and creating challenging conditions in many countries. It is distressing to contemplate the reality of people around the world who, without solace or support, carry the wounds of lost health, livelihoods and purpose, or who anguish at the loss of family members or friends.
The world today is faced with a complex set of urgent crises that can only be described as unprecedented in the history of humankind. In addition to the increasing incidence every passing year of extreme weather events that reflect the worsening problem of climate change, the onslaught of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to threaten social and economic stability throughout the world.
Against a backdrop of deepening concern about the growing impact of global warming, the Climate Action Summit was held at the United Nations in September last year. Climate change represents a threat to all people living on Earth, both now and in future generations. Like nuclear weapons, it is a fundamental challenge on which the fate of humankind hinges.
Precisely because climate change is an issue that will leave no one untouched, it has the potential to catalyze heretofore unseen global solidarity and action. I would like to discuss the elements required to forge such a robust solidarity of action from the perspective of three commitments.
Last May, UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched the UN Disarmament Agenda in which he noted that total military spending was around eighty times the amount required to meet the humanitarian aid needs of the whole world. Now is the time to accelerate momentum toward disarmament. To this end, I propose three key themes that could support the effort to advance disarmament as a cornerstone of the twenty-first century.
The adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in July 2017 was a breakthrough in a field that has been marked by seemingly unbreakable impasse. So long as nuclear weapons exist the quest for a world of peace and human rights for all will remain elusive.
This year, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights commemorates its seventieth anniversary, and in this proposal, I would like to offer perspectives on a human rights-focused approach to resolving global issues. I believe that such an approach, rooted in concern for the life and dignity of each individual, can bring about the fusion of ethics and policy that is required for an effective response.
Sixty years have passed since my mentor, second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda (1900–58), issued his declaration calling for the prohibition and abolition of nuclear weapons.
At the core of his thinking was a vision of global citizenship rooted in the philosophy of respect for life’s inherent dignity as taught in Buddhism.
This is the conviction that no one should be subjected to discrimination, be exploited or have their interests sacrificed for the benefit of others. This resonates strongly with the United Nations’ appeal to the international community to create a world in which “no one will be left behind.”
All people have the right to live in happiness. The prime objective of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) movement is to forge an expanding solidarity of ordinary citizens committed to protecting that right and, in this way, to rid the world of needless suffering.
Our activities in support of the United Nations are a natural and necessary expression of this. In carrying out these activities we have taken a learning-centered approach, one that emphasizes the practice of dialogue and fostering an ethos of global citizenship.
One important function of learning is to enable people to accurately assess the impact of their actions and to empower them to effect positive change. Another is to bring forth the courage to persevere in the face of adversity. Educator and founding Soka Gakkai president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi termed this “the courage of application.” Such courage keeps us from being overwhelmed by our circumstances and enables us instead to create the kind of future we desire.
On the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), I would like to offer some thoughts on ways to generate greater solidarity among the people of the world for peace and humane values and for the elimination of needless suffering from the Earth.
The United Nations is working toward a new set of goals to follow the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and, last July, the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) released a proposal that expresses a commitment to inclusiveness, the determination to protect the dignity of all people without exception.
I would like to discuss three priority themes for promoting the achievement of these goals and, on a broader scale, accelerating efforts to eliminate misery from the face of the planet. This was the repeated desire of my mentor, Josei Toda, and remains the inspiration behind the activities of SGI members around the world.
To commemorate January 26, the anniversary of the founding of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), I would like to offer thoughts on how we can redirect the currents of the twenty-first century toward greater hope, solidarity and peace in order to construct a sustainable global society, one in which the dignity of each individual shines with its inherent brilliance.
In light of the increasing incidence of natural disasters and extreme weather events in recent years, as well as severe humanitarian crises caused by international and domestic conflicts, there has been growing stress on the importance of enhancing the resilience of human societies. In the broadest sense, resilience can be thought of in terms of realizing a hopeful future, rooted in people’s natural desire to work together toward common goals.
Reforming and opening up the inner capacities of our lives can enable effective reform and empowerment on a global scale. This is what we in the SGI call human revolution. Its focus is empowerment that brings forth the limitless possibilities of each individual. The steady accumulation of changes on the individual and community level paves the path for humanity to surmount the common issues we face.
Full text of 2014 peace proposal (PDF)
Efforts are currently under way to define a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a target date of 2030. As we debate these goals, we must face head-on the underlying ailments of human civilization in order to ensure that efforts to improve the human condition are more than mere stopgap measures—that they enable people struggling in the face of dire threats to recover the hope and strength needed to lead lives of dignity.
For this we need a spiritual framework that will bring into greater clarity those things we cannot afford to ignore, while ensuring that all that we do contributes to the larger objective of a global society of peace and creative coexistence.
If we picture such a society as an edifice, the ideals of human rights and human security are key pillars that hold it up, while the foundation on which these rest is respect for the dignity of life. For this to be a meaningful and robust support for other endeavors, it must be felt and experienced palpably as a way of life.
The economist Amartya Sen, a renowned advocate of the methods and approaches of human security, has emphasized “the dangers of sudden deprivation.” Such unanticipated threats can take the form of natural disaster and conflict, and can also arise from economic crises and rapid environmental degradation brought about by climate change. It is crucial that we respond vigorously to such threats, which can grievously undermine people’s lives, livelihoods and dignity.
It is the nature of disasters that they destroy those things that are most precious, necessary and irreplaceable to human life. They inflict the suffering of the loss of friends and family members, the destruction of homes and the shredding of the bonds of community. When disasters strike, society as a whole must be prepared to offer long-term support, sharing the responsibility to assist people in rebuilding their lives.
The treatise “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land,” authored by Nichiren (1222-82), whose teachings are the foundation of the belief of members of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), provides a useful framework for thinking about our contemporary world. Three aspects of this text are especially relevant in light of present-day conditions and the imperatives of human security: the philosophical stance that the highest priority of the state must be the well-being and security of ordinary people; a call for the establishment of a worldview rooted in a vital sense of our interconnectedness; and the insight that the greatest empowerment is realized when, through dialogue, we advance from a shared concern to a shared action-oriented pledge or vow.
Our contemporary society is becoming increasingly fragmented as traditional family and community bonds break down. This is closely linked to a failure of communication, a breakdown of language as words become devalued and degraded.
Few have analyzed the vulnerability of language to abuse as incisively as the French philosopher Henri Bergson, who, guided by the axiom primum vivere (first, live!), warned consistently of Western philosophy’s tendency to view everything through the lens of abstracted language and logic. Bergson’s optimism can supply a catalyzing vision of a hopeful future, helping to redirect the course of modern civilization. This is the aim shared by all those who uphold the ideals of humanism.
The essence of the Buddhist humanism practiced by the members of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) lies in the insistence that human beings strive to exercise their spiritual capacities to the limit, coupled with an unshakable belief in their ability to do this. It is on the basis of this faith in the unlimited creative capacities of human beings that we must address the concrete issues that face our world today. In this, it is vital to ensure that our responses are not overshadowed by the clash of national interests, and the United Nations must play a pivotal role in ensuring this.
We are living in an era marked by an absence of values, in which no measure of worth other than the monetary is recognized. Discussions of poverty and income disparity, for example, are cast solely in terms of monetary values, making them needlessly sterile and soulless.
Growing income disparities are an undeniable fact, and legal and systemic measures to create and maintain a social safety net are of course essential. However, these respond only to the symptoms, when more fundamental, curative measures are required. To ensure the genuine and lasting effectiveness of our response, a spiritual undergirding—a fundamental reevaluation of our priorities—is necessary.
We need to develop the awareness that the standard of values that judges human worth solely on the basis of economic capacity represents the effective absence of values. We need to ask ourselves why there is such pervasive pessimism and nihilism in advanced industrial societies.
When science and technology are divorced from the question of value, they are subject to no real control and potentially pose a deadly peril to human society. If this tendency is left unchecked, the consequences for humanity could be truly dire. The nightmare unleashed through the development of nuclear weapons technologies demonstrates all too clearly the immensity of the danger.
The impact of the “once-in-a-century” financial meltdown has now spread to engulf the whole world. There are growing signs that the current financial turmoil is undermining the real economy, bringing about a global recession and driving up unemployment.
The main cause of the crisis can be traced to the dominance of speculative financial assets, whose scale has been variously estimated at four times the cumulative value of world GDP. But the deepest root of the crisis is an unhealthy fixation on the abstract and ultimately insubstantial signifier of wealth-currency.
Currency itself has virtually no use value; it has only exchange value. The financial markets divest it of any meaningful connection to concrete goods and services; thus, as an object of human desire, it has no real or inherent limits.
The optimism that greeted the end of the Cold War and the prospect of the creation of a new world order quickly dissolved, to be replaced by an overriding impression of global disorder. While initiatives continue in the quest for new and more inclusive ways of ordering global affairs, these must be backed up by a constant and unrelenting effort to maintain and enhance freedom and democracy. But this is impeded by what might be termed a “slide toward fundamentalism,” which takes the forms of ethnocentrism, chauvinism, racism and a dogmatic adherence to various ideologies, including those of the market, as well as religious fundamentalism.
Restoring people and humanity to the role of central protagonist is the key to confronting and halting this slide toward fundamentalism. This requires a ceaseless spiritual effort and is the essence of the kind of humanism our times require. Buddhist humanism is inspired by the bedrock determination to respect all people—understanding that not only sectarian differences but also differences of ideology, culture and ethnicity are never absolute. These differences, like the order and organization of human society itself, are only relative and should be treated as flexible, fluid concepts to be constantly renegotiated.
What is required is that people—and not abstract principles—be accorded centrality. In the realm of religion this calls on us to tackle the challenge of the “humanization of religion.” We cannot permit this challenge to remain unanswered: to do so would be to allow religion to be a factor in conflict and war, to undermine its potential as a force for the construction of peace.
The year 2007 marks fifty years since the second president of the Soka Gakkai, Josei Toda, made an historic declaration condemning nuclear weapons as “an absolute evil’ and calling for their prohibition, stating he wished to rip out the claws that are hidden in their very depths.
His insight was rooted in the universal plane of human life, transcending differences of ideology and social system. It laid bare the essence of these apocalyptic weapons whose destructiveness could put an end to human civilization and even to humankind’s continued existence as a species.
Today, when the threat of nuclear proliferation continues to preoccupy the international community amid revelations about the black market in nuclear weapons technology and concerns surrounding the ultimate objectives of the nuclear development programs of North Korea and Iran, the significance, farsightedness and gravity of Toda’s declaration are strikingly apparent.
Much of the responsibility for the current situation must be laid at the feet of the states already possessing nuclear weapons. Any effective movement toward nuclear disarmament must be predicated on the sincere efforts of the existing nuclear-weapon states to disarm.
The year 2005 was marked by a series of devastating natural disasters, continuing terror attacks and conflict, and the threat of virulent new diseases. These issues affect every one of us, with no respect for political or geographical borders; they are an integral aspect of globalization. But the most effective search for solutions to these global problems starts with a focus on our immediate, individual realities.
The process of modernization has changed the way the individual interacts with the social and natural environment, as ties of relation with family, neighborhood and other communities unravel. While in one sense a pursuit of ever-greater freedom for the individual, this can lead toward the kind of unbridled individualism where untrammeled desire takes control. Certainly this can be seen as a root cause of some of the horrendous crimes that Japanese society has witnessed over recent years.
To avoid a slide into unbridled individualism, what is needed is to develop a robust character that can confront the changes in our society without becoming ensnared in greed and selfishness. This kind of robust individual is rooted in society, in relationships with others and in shared and mutual concerns. Religion can provide the framework for developing robust individuals—indeed, this is the primary mission of religion, as it strengthens the inner life while bringing people together in dynamic social interaction.
There has been an extraordinary heightening of tensions around the world since September 11, 2001. In many countries the priority accorded to national security has been used to justify curtailment of rights and freedoms, while energy and attention have been distracted from efforts to address such global issues as poverty and ecological degradation. How can we overcome the crises that face us?
There is, of course, no simple solution, but there is no need to fall into meaningless and unproductive pessimism. These problems are all caused by human beings, which means that they must have a human solution. I am convinced that so long as we do not give up we can be certain of finding a way out of the impasse.
The core of our efforts must be to bring forth the full potential of dialogue, to embrace dialogue as the sure and certain path to peace. Heartfelt, one-to-one dialogue is the essence of humanism. As ripples of dialogue multiply and spread, they have the potential to generate a sea change that will redirect the energies of dogmatism and fanaticism toward a more humanistic outlook.
In recent years, international society has been convulsed by new threats and divisive debate over how best to respond to them. We cannot turn a blind eye; at the same time, however, it is clear that an exclusive reliance on military force will not bring about a fundamental solution. There is also the impact on people’s hearts and minds: the failure of military action to produce a clear prospect for peace has left many with feelings of powerlessness and dread.
At best, attempts to break an impasse through military force or other forms of hard power respond to the symptoms of conflict; to the degree they plant further seeds of hatred they can in fact deepen and entrench antagonisms. I believe that no actions will gain the wholehearted support of people or bring about lasting stability and peace without an acute awareness of the humanity of others. What is needed is the spirit and practice of self-mastery—which I consider to be the very essence of civilization.
There appears to be a progressive erosion of people’s understanding of what it means to be human—how we define ourselves and how we relate to those different from us. Self requires the existence of other. It is by recognizing that which is different from and external to ourselves that we are inspired to exercise the self-mastery that brings our humanity to fruition. To lose sight of the other is thus to undermine our full experience of self.
The high hopes with which we greeted the start of the twenty-first century seem to have been replaced with a sense of frustration and hopelessness. Although the two key themes of the new century need to be the culture of peace and dialogue among civilizations, it appears we have yet to free ourselves from the negative legacy of the war- and violence-ridden twentieth century. The gap between the power of technology and the ethical standards needed to control this power seems to be widening irrevocably. Most disturbing is the sense that the world is turning its back on dialogue—the willingness to engage and talk that affirms the vitality of the human spirit.
I have consistently asserted that the mission of the SGI is a spiritual battle against those forces in the world—violence, authority, materialism—that violate human dignity. Specifically, the essence of this battle lies in never losing faith in the power of words, in remaining committed to dialogue under any circumstance. Our resolve is most severely tested when we are confronted with the type of adversary that prefers violence to discussion. Nevertheless, we must not be silent: We must exert all our strength of the spirit to press forward with dialogue.
It was particularly bitter that 2001, the first year of the new century, was marred by the tragic September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. This incident was diametrically opposed to the spirit of dialogue, tolerance and coexistence that so many people have been seeking.
Yet to permit this incident to impact us in a lasting and negative way would be to play into the perpetrators” hands. The goal of terrorism is to thrust people into chaos and confusion, to fan fear and mistrust; it is vital that we never succumb to these emotions. We must rather bring forth the power of the human spirit in even greater measure, surpassing and exceeding the magnitude of the threat that faces us.
Many people have been pondering the question of whether any form of dialogue or engagement is possible with those who remain hidden behind the veil of anonymity. What can people of good will do, how are they to respond to ruthless, cold-blooded acts of evil?
At the start of a new century, it is natural that humankind question what we achieved in the last century and what we can expect of the next.
The twentieth century has seen commendable progress in the fields of science and technology, improvements in health, and advances in human rights. On balance, however, it has been a time of unprecedented tragedy and human suffering, marked by appalling and ceaseless war and conflict, an era of wanton disregard for human life. The advances and progress made in the twentieth century were virtually all material and physical. With regard to the inner realm of the human spirit, it seems undeniable that the era was marked by regression rather than advance. Moreover, the progress of modern science has been premised on a mechanistic view of nature as the object of manipulation and control, essentially separate from humanity. The ties among people and between people and the cosmos are being severed, trapping humanity in a state of spiritual isolation.
The problems confronting humankind are daunting in their depth and complexity. While it may be hard to see where to begin—or how—we must never give in to cynicism or paralysis. We must refuse the temptation to passively accommodate ourselves to present realities, but must embark upon the challenge of creating a new reality.
The human spirit is endowed with the ability to transform even the most difficult circumstances, creating value and ever richer meaning. When each person brings this limitless spiritual capacity to full flower, and when ordinary citizens unite in a commitment to positive change, a culture of peace—a century of life—will come into being.
Humanity is charged with the task of not merely achieving a “passive peace”—the absence of war—but of transforming on a fundamental level those social structures that threaten human dignity. Efforts to enhance international cooperation and the fabric of international law are, of course, necessary, but even more vital are the creative efforts of individuals to develop a multilayered and richly patterned culture of peace, for it is on this foundation that a new global society can be built.
How, then, are we to go about the task of creating an enduring culture of peace? What is really meant by a culture of peace?
Academic Honors
Over the last five decades, Daisaku Ikeda has received 203 honorary doctorates, 196 honorary professorships, and has been named an honorary president twice (for a total of 401 academic honors) from higher education institutions worldwide.
- May 1975, Moscow State University, USSR
Honorary Doctorate - April 1981, National University of San Marcos, Peru
Honorary Professor - May 1981, Sofia University, Bulgaria
Honorary Doctorate - June 1984, Peking University, China
Honorary Professor - June 1984, Fudan University, China
Honorary Professor - February 1987, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Honorary Professor, Faculty of Law and Political Science - March 1990, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - March 1990, University of Guanajuato, Mexico
Professor Emeritus - November 1990, Wuhan University, China
Honorary Professor - January 1991, University of Macau, Macau
Honorary Professor - April 1991, University of the Philippines, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Laws - May 1991, University of Palermo, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - January 1992, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Distinguished Visiting Professor - June 1992, Ankara University, Turkey
Honorary Doctorate of Social Science - October 1992, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China
Honorary Research Professor - December 1992, University of Nairobi, Kenya
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - February 1993, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - February 1993, National University of Lomas de Zamora, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - February 1993, National University of Lomas de Zamora, Argentina
Honorary Professor, Faculty of Law - February 1993, National University of Córdoba, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - February 1993, National University of Asunción, Paraguay
Honorary Doctorate - February 1993, University of São Paulo, Brazil
Honorary Visiting Professor - March 1993, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - March 1993, University of DelValle, Bolivia
Honorary Doctorate - November 1993, Shenzhen University, China
Honorary Professor - January 1994, Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region Museum, China
Honorary Professor - May 1994, International University in Moscow, Russia
Honorary Doctorate - June 1994, University of Bologna, Italy
Honorary Doctorate - June 1994, University of Glasgow, UK
Honorary Doctorate - August 1994, Xinjiang University, China
Honorary Professor - November 1994, Xiamen University, China
Honorary Professor - September 1995, University of the North, South Africa
Honorary Doctorate of Education - November 1995, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - November 1995, University of Macau, Macau
Honorary Doctorate of Social Sciences - March 1996, University of Hong Kong
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - April 1996, Xinjiang University, China
Honorary President - June 1996, University of Denver
Honorary Doctorate of Education - June 1996, University of Havana, Cuba
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - August 1996, University of Ghana, Ghana
Honorary Doctorate of Laws - November 1996 Far Eastern Federal University, Russia
Honorary Doctorate of International Education - November 1996, Sun Yat-sen University, China
Honorary Professor - February 1997, Jilin University, China
Honorary Professor - March 1997, De La Salle University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (International Education) - May 1997, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - May 1997, Shanghai University, China
Honorary Professor - October 1997, Inner Mongolia University, China
Honorary Professor - November 1997, National University of Mongolia, Mongolia
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - February 1998, University of the City of Manila, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - March 1998, University of Morón, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - April 1998, Institute for High Energy Physics, Russia
Honorary Doctorate
- February 1998, University of the City of Manila, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - March 1998, University of Morón, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - April 1998, Institute for High Energy Physics, Russia
Honorary Doctorate - April 1998, Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - May 1998, Kyung Hee University, Republic of Korea
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy - July 1998, Chung Cheong College, Republic of Korea
Honorary Professor - July 1998, Ricardo Palma University, Peru
Honorary Doctorate - July 1998, Association of Doctors of Education, Peru
Honorary Doctorate - November 1998, Yanbian University, China
Honorary Professor - November 1998, Nankai University, China
Honorary Professor - November 1998, University of Northern Paraná, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - December 1998, University of Delhi, India
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - January 1999, University of Flores, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - April 1999, Sichuan University, China
Honorary Professor - April 1999, Federico Villarreal National University, Peru
Honorary Doctorate - May 1999, Jeju National University, Republic of Korea
Honorary Doctorate of Korean Language & Literature - June 1999, Private University of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Honorary Doctorate - July 1999, Northeastern University, China
Honorary Professor - August 1999, Institute of Oriental Languages and Cultures, Kyrgyzstan
Honorary Professor - September 1999, National University of Central Peru, Peru
Honorary Doctorate - September 1999, Hunan Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - October 1999, National University of Lomas de Zamora, Argentina
Honorary Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences - October 1999, National University of Comahue, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - December 1999, Nanjing University, China
Honorary Professor - January 2000, St. Petersburg State University, Russia
Honorary Doctorate - January 2000, University of Delaware
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters - January 2000, Queens College, City University of New York
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters - January 2000, University of Guam, Guam (USA)
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters - February 2000, Angeles University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - February 2000, Central University for Nationalities, China
Honorary Professor - February 2000, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, China
Honorary Professor - February 2000, National University of Nordeste, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - March 2000, Northeast Normal University, China
Honorary Doctorate - March 2000, Yakutsk State University, Sakha Republic (Russia)
Honorary Professor - April 2000, Latin American Technical University, El Salvador
Honorary Doctorate - April 2000, Inner Mongolia Art Academy, China
Preeminent Honorary Professor - April 2000, Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath Institute of Sanskrit Learning, India
Honorary Doctorate (Mahamahopadhyaya) - May 2000, Mongolian Institute of Literature and Social Work, Mongolia
Honorary Rector - May 2000, Beijing Administrative College, China
Honorary Professor - June 2000, Yunnan University, China
Honorary Professor - August 2000, South China Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - August 2000, Bundelkhand University, India
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - September 2000, University of Zulia, Venezuela
Honorary Doctorate - September 2000, University of Panama, Panama
Honorary Doctorate - October 2000, Bundelkhand University, India
Honorary Lifetime Professor in the Ambedkar Institute of Social Sciences - November 2000, Siam University, Thailand
Honorary Doctorate of Public Administration - November 2000, Tonga Institute of Education and Tonga Institute of Science and Technology, Tonga
Honorary Professor, Education - November 2000, University of Sydney, Australia
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - November 2000, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - December 2000, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (China)
Honorary Doctorate of Social Science - December 2000, Mongolian University of Arts and Culture, Mongolia
Honorary Doctorate - January 2001, V.B.S. Purvanchal University, India
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - February 2001, Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, China
Honorary Professor
- April 2001, Northwest University, China
Honorary Professor - April 2001, Anhui University, China
Honorary Professor - May 2001, Carlos Albizu University, Puerto Rico (USA)
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in Behavioral Sciences - May 2001, Kharakhorum University, Mongolia
Honorary Doctorate - June 2001, Fujian Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - June 2001, Huaqiao University, China
Honorary Professor - July 2001, Jinan University, China
Honorary Professor - July 2001, Northern Marianas College, Northern Mariana Islands (USA)
Honorary Professor - October 2001, Soochow University, China
Honorary Professor - October 2001, Liaoning Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - October 2001, University of Southern Philippines, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - November 2001, Guangzhou University, China
Honorary Professor - December 2001, Gyeongju University, Republic of Korea
Honorary Professor - December 2001, Changwon National University, Republic of Korea
Honorary Doctorate of Education - December 2001, Ahmet Yesevi Kazakh-Turkish International University, Kazakhstan
Honorary Professor - February 2002, Technological University of Santiago, Dominican Republic
Honorary Doctorate - February 2002, National Institute of Art and Design, Uzbekistan
Honorary Professor - March 2002, Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, China
Senior Research Professor - March 2002, Gregorio Araneta University Foundation, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - March 2002, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Honorary Professor - April 2002, Liaoning University, China
Honorary Professor - April 2002, Morehouse College, USA
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters - April 2002, Qingdao University, China
Honorary Professor - April 2002, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, India
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - May 2002, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters - May 2002, Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, China
Honorary Professor - June 2002, Moscow State University, Russia
Honorary Professor - June 2002, Nanjing Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - June 2002, Sorabol College, Republic of Korea
Honorary Professor - August 2002, Himachal Pradesh University, India
Honorary Doctorate of Literature - September 2002, Renmin University of China, China
Honorary Professor - October 2002, University of Science and Technology of China, China
Honorary Professor - November 2002, Zhejiang University, China
Honorary Professor - November 2002, Shihihutug Law School, Mongolia
Honorary Doctorate - November 2002, Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics, Ukraine
Honorary Doctorate - December 2002, Dong-A University, Republic of Korea
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy - December 2002, Shanghai International Studies University, China
Honorary Professor - December 2002, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, China
Honorary Professor - January 2003, Bharathidasan University, India
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - February 2003, National University of Piura, Peru
Honorary Doctorate - March 2003, Chinese Culture University, Taiwan
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy - April 2003, Dalian University of Foreign Languages, China
Honorary Professor - April 2003, University of Columbia del Paraguay, Paraguay
Honorary Doctorate of Social Sciences - September 2003, Jorge Basadre Grohmann National University, Peru
Honorary Doctorate - October 2003, Northwest Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - October 2003, Kwangju Women’s University, Republic of Korea
Honorary Professor - October 2003, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Honorary Professor - December 2003, Chapman University, USA
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters - December 2003, Zhaoqing University, China
Honorary Professor
- January 2004, Arctic State Institute of Culture and Art, Sakha Republic (Russia)
Honorary Professor - February 2004, Rabindra Bharati University, India
Honorary Doctorate of Literature - February 2004, Mineral Area College, Park Hills, Missouri
Honorary Professor, Humanities - March 2004, National Prosecutors College of P.R.C., China
Honorary Professor - March 2004, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
Honorary Doctorate of Agricultural Sciences - April 2004, Buryat State University, Buryat Republic (Russia)
Honorary Professor - April 2004, Londrina State University, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - May 2004, University of San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca, Bolivia
Honorary Doctorate - May 2004, China University of Petroleum, China
Honorary Professor - June 2004, Capitol University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - June 2004, Shanghai Sanda University, China
Honorary Professor - July 2004, University of Jordan, Jordan
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters - September 2004, University of Guadalajara, Mexico
Honorary Doctorate - September 2004, Fujian Academy of Social Sciences, China
Honorary Professor - October 2004, Changchun University, China
Honorary Professor - October 2004, Qufu Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - November 2004, Osh State University, Kyrgyzstan
Honorary Professor - November 2004, Paekche Institute of the Arts, Republic of Korea
Honorary Professor - December 2004, Otgontenger University, Mongolia
Honorary Doctorate - January 2005, Northern Marianas College, Northern Mariana Islands (USA)
Honorary President - January 2005, Enrique Guzmán y Valle National University of Education, Peru
Honorary Doctorate - February 2005, Minsk State Linguistic University, Belarus
Honorary Professor - March 2005, Batangas State University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Pedagogy - April 2005, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, China
Honorary Professor - April 2005, National University of Itapúa, Paraguay
Honorary Doctorate - May 2005, Beijing Language and Culture University, China
Honorary Professor - May 2005, “State College of Philosophy, Science and Letters of Cornélio Procópio”, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - June 2005, Huazhong Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - July 2005, Guangxi Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - September 2005, Mongolian Academy of Sciences Institute of Philosophy, Sociology and Law, Mongolia
Honorary Professor, Philosophy - September 2005, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
Honorary Doctorate - October 2005, East China University of Science and Technology, China
Honorary Professor - October 2005, Braca Karic University, Serbia and Montenegro
Honorary Doctorate - December 2005, Academy of Security, Defense, and Law Enforcement, Russia
Professor - December 2005, Symbiosis International Educational Centre (Deemed University), India
Honorary Doctorate of Literature - January 2006, Ural State University, Russia
Honorary Doctorate - February 2006, National University of Laos, Laos
Honorary Professor, Humanities - March 2006, Pampanga Agricultural College, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - April 2006, Hunan University, China
Honorary Professor - April 2006, National Technical University of Ukraine, Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Ukraine
Honorary Doctorate - May 2006, East China Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - May 2006, Nanjing Arts Institute, China
Honorary Professor - May 2006, Visva-Bharati, India
Honorary Doctorate of Literature (Deshikottama) - June 2006, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, China
Honorary Professor - June 2006, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (USA)
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters - June 2006, Los Angeles Southwest College (USA)
Honorary Professor in Arts - June 2006, Shaoguan University, China
Honorary Professor - June 2006, Dongshin University, Republic of Korea
Honorary Doctorate of Public Administration - July 2006, Maejo University, Thailand
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Administrative Science - September 2006, Catholic College of Economic Science of Bahia, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - October 2006, Beijing Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - November 2006, University of Rizal System, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - December 2006, Dalian University of Technology, China
Honorary Professor
- February 2007, Dongju College, Republic of Korea
Honorary Professor - February 2007, Guizhou University, China
Honorary Professor - March 2007, Baikal National University of Economics and Law, Russia
Honorary Professor - March 2007, Rafael Belloso Chacín University, Venezuela
Honorary Doctorate - March 2007, Santa María University, Venezuela
Honorary Doctorate of Laws - March 2007, University of Palermo, Italy
Honorary Doctorate of Communication Sciences - April 2007, Brazilian Academy of Philosophy, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - April 2007, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters - April 2007, Harbin Engineering University, China
Honorary Professor - April 2007, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - May 2007, Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences, China
Honorary Professor - May 2007, Southern Taiwan University of Technology, Taiwan
Honorary Doctorate of Engineering - May 2007, Russian State University for the Humanities, Russia
Honorary Doctorate - June 2007, National University of El Santa, Peru
Honorary Doctorate - July 2007, Yakutsk State Agricultural Academy, Sakha Republic (Russia)
Honorary Professor - July 2007, Far Eastern State Technical University, Russia
Honorary Professor - September 2007, University of Southeastern Philippines, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Education - October 2007, Shaanxi Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - October 2007, University of Humanistic Integration, Mexico
Honorary Doctorate of Human Sciences - October 2007, Ingá University, Brazil
Honorary Professor - October 2007, China Youth University for Political Sciences, China
Honorary Professor - October 2007, Mongolian State University of Education, Mongolia
Honorary Doctorate - November 2007, Wenzhou Medical College, China
Honorary Professor - December 2007, Shanghai Normal University, China
Honorary Lifetime Professor - January 2008, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Honorary Doctorate - January 2008, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Management - January 2008, Laguna State Polytechnic University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Humanities - March 2008, Hunan University of Science and Technology, China
Honorary Professor - March 2008, I. Arabaev Kyrgyz State University, Kyrgyzstan
Honorary Doctorate - March 2008, Jiaying University, China
Honorary Professor - April 2008, Tula State Pedagogical University named after L.N.Tolstoy, Russia
Honorary Professor - April 2008, Hebei University, China
Honorary Professor - May 2008, Yanan University, China
Lifetime Professor - May 2008, Eastern Liaoning University, China
Honorary Lifetime Professor - June 2008, Changchun University of Technology, China
Honorary Professor - June 2008, Anhangüera University, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - June 2008, Italo-Brazilian University, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - July 2008, Benguet State University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - July 2008, Chungyu Institute of Technology, Taiwan
Honorary Professor - July 2008, Tainan University of Technology, Taiwan
Honorary Professor - September 2008, Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Education in Ancient Learning, Culture and World Peace - October 2008, Universidad de Manila, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - October 2008, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Mongolia
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - December 2008, Dalian University, China
Honorary Professor
- January 2009, Uzbekistan State Institute of Arts, Uzbekistan
Honorary Professor - February 2009, Open University Malaysia, Malaysia
Honorary Doctorate of Arts (Humanities) - March 2009, University of Aquino-Bolivia, Bolivia
Honorary Doctorate - March 2009, University College South, Denmark
Honorary Doctorate - April 2009, Korea Maritime University, Republic of Korea
University Professor - April 2009, Issyk-Kul State University, Kyrgyzstan
Honorary Professor - April 2009, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China
Honorary Professor - April 2009, Henan Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - May 2009, Queen’s University Belfast, UK
Honorary Doctorate of Laws - May 2009, Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics, China
Honorary Professor - June 2009, Southern Luzon State University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - July 2009, Federal University of Rondônia, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - September 2009, Hongik University, Republic of Korea
Honorary Doctorate of Literature - September 2009, Asia International Open University (Macau), China(Macau)
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy - September 2009, Maranhão School of Government, Brazil
Honorary Professor - September 2009, Silva e Souza Integrated College, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate of Architecture and Urban Engineering - October 2009, University of Indonesia, Indonesia
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy and Peace - October 2009, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, China
Honorary Professor - October 2009, Dalian Polytechnic University, China
Emeritus Professor - October 2009, Yakutsk Teacher-training College No. 1, Sakha Republic (Russia)
Honorary Professor - November 2009, Southwest Jiaotong University, China
Honorary Professor - November 2009, Xi’an University of Technology, China
Honorary Professor - November 2009, Ningxia University, China
Honorary Lifetime Professor - December 2009, Yu Da University, Taiwan
Honorary Professor - December 2009, Enrique Díaz de León University, Mexico
Honorary Doctorate - December 2009, Xi’an Peihua University, China
Honorary Professor - January 2010, Guam Community College, USA
Honorary Professor - January 2010, Anhui University of Science and Technology, China
Honorary Professor - February 2010, Fine Arts Institute, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan
Honorary Doctorate - February 2010, Xi’an International University, China
Honorary Professor - March 2010, Guangdong University of Business Studies, China
Honorary Professor - March 2010, Bicentennial University of Aragua, Venezuela
Honorary Doctorate of Education - March 2010, Bicentennial University of Aragua, Venezuela
Honorary Professor - March 2010, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
Honorary Professor - March 2010, Ramon Magsaysay Technological University, Philippines
Centennial Honorary Professor - April 2010, Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts, Armenia
Honorary Doctorate - April 2010, Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, China
Honorary Professor - April 2010, Xinjiang Medical University, China
Honorary Professor - April 2010, Guangxi Arts Institute, China
Lifetime Honorary Professor - April 2010, Shaoxing University, China
Honorary Professor - May 2010, Université Laval, Canada
Honorary Doctorate of Education - May 2010, Tsinghua University, China
Honorary Professor - May 2010, Beijing City University, China
Honorary Professor - June 2010, Ningbo University, China
Honorary Professor - June 2010, Zhejiang Ocean University, China
Honorary Professor - June 2010, George Mason University, USA
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - July 2010, National Taiwan University of Arts, Taiwan
Honorary Professor - July 2010, National University of Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Honorary Professor - August 2010, University of Malaya, Malaysia
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - August 2010, Osh Humanitarian Pedagogical Institute, Kyrgyzstan
Honorary Professor - August 2010, Osh Agricultural Institute, Kyrgyzstan
Honorary Professor - September 2010, Pedro de Valdivia University, Republic of Chile
Honorary Doctorate - October 2010, University of Southern Mindanao, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - November 2010, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters - November 2010, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Amazonas, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - December 2010, Dalian Maritime University, China
Honorary Professor - December 2010, São Paulo Metropolitan University, Brazil
Honorary Professor - December 2010, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - December 2010, National Formosa University, Taiwan
Honorary Doctorate - December 2010, Konyang University, Republic of Korea
Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration
- January 2011, Macao Polytechnic Institute, China(Macau)
Honorary Professor - March 2011, Kyrgyz-Russian Academy of Education, Kyrgyzstan
Honorary Professor - May 2011, Macau University of Science and Technology, China(Macau)
Honorary Professor - May 2011, Hainan Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - July 2011, Chungju National University, Republic of Korea
Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration - July 2011, Pangasinan State University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - September 2011, Pukyong National University, Republic of Korea
Honorary Doctorate of International and Area Studies - September 2011, University of Zambia, Zambia
Honorary Doctorate of Laws - October 2011, Central Luzon State University, Philippines
Honorary Lifetime Professor - October 2011, Jinggangshan University, China
Honorary Professor - October 2011, University of Buckingham, UK
Honorary Doctorate of Letters - November 2011, Jimei University, China
Honorary Professor - November 2011, Russian State University of Trade and Economics, Russia
Honorary Doctorate - December 2011, Termez State University, Uzbekistan
Honorary Professor - January 2012, Central University of Finance and Economics, China
Honorary Professor - March 2012, Bishkek Humanities University named after K.Karasaev, Kyrgyzstan
Honorary Doctorate - March 2012, Bataan Peninsula State University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - March 2012, Private Technological University of Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Honorary Doctorate - April 2012, Taipei College of Maritime Technology, Taiwan
Honorary Professor - May 2012, Technological University of Peru, Peru
Honorary Doctorate - May 2012, Technological University of Peru, Faculty of Law, Political Science and International Relations, Peru
Professor Emeritus - May 2012, Guizhou Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - June 2012, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
Honorary Professor, College of Arts - June 2012, Bohai University, China
Honorary Professor - September 2012, University of Guelph, Canada
Honorary Doctorate of Laws - September 2012, Dom Bosco College of Higher Education, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - October 2012, Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan
Honorary Professor - November 2012, National Experimental University of Táchira, Venezuela
Honorary Doctorate - February 2013, Amazonian University of Pando, Bolivia
Honorary Doctorate - February 2013, Kyrgyz-Chinese Humanitarian Economic Institute, Kyrgyzstan
Honorary Professor - March 2013, Nueva Vizcaya State University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - April 2013, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Honorary Doctorate of Social Science - August 2013, Thammasat University, Thailand
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy - September 2013, Yerevan State University, Armenia
Honorary Doctorate - October 2013, Aklan State University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - October 2013, Dalian Art College, China
Honorary Professor - November 2013, Peruvian University of the Americas, Peru
Honorary Doctorate - November 2013, University of the Humanities, Mongolia
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - November 2013, Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, Russia
Honorary Doctorate - February 2014, National University of Villa María, Argentina
Honorary Professor Extraordinary - March 2014, Satyendra Narayan Sinha Institute of Business Management, India
Honorary Professor - April 2014, Isabela State University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - May 2014, Tianjin Foreign Studies University, China
Honorary Professor - May 2014, National University of Engineering, Peru
Honorary Doctorate - July 2014, Harbin Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - September 2014, Yakutsk Teacher-training College, Sakha Republic (Russia)
Honorary Professor - September 2014, University of the East, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - October 2014, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, China
Honorary Professor - November 2014, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, Russia
Honorary Doctorate
- February 2015, Kyrgyz Russian Slavic University, Kyrgyzstan
Honorary Doctorate - April 2015, Madurai Academy of Social Sciences, Republic of India
Honorary Professor of Social Sciences - May 2015, North Korea Graduate University, Korea
Honorary Professor - May 2015, Foshan University, China
Honorary Professor - July 2015, University of Autonoma del Beni, Bolivia
Honorary Doctorate - July 2015, University of Castelo Branco, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - September 2015, University of Kyongnam, Korea
Honorary Professor of pedagogy - November 2015, Chien Kuo University, Taiwan
Honorary Lifetime Professor - November 2015, Jagran Lakecity University, Republic of India
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - June 2016, Bhopal-Barukara University, Republic of India
Honorary Doctorate of Literature - March 2016, Uzugen Technical Education University, Kyrgyzstan
Honorary Doctorate - August 2016, National University of Tucuman, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - December 2016, DePaul University, USA
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - Mary 2017, Federal University of Acre, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - June 2017, Hunan University of Technology, China
Honorary Professor - August 2017, National University of San Marcos, Peru
Honorary Doctorate - August 2017, Valenca College of Higher Education, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - October 2017, NIHON GAKKO, Republic of Paraguay
Honorary Professor of Pedagogy - November 2017, Hubei University, China
Honorary Professor - January 2017, University of Alcalá, Spain
Honorary Professor of Pedagogy - February 2018, University of Cuenca del Plata, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - March 2018, Chihlee University of Technology, Taiwan
Honorary Professor - March 2018, Integrated Faculties of Jacarepaguá, Brazil
Honorary Professor - April 2018, National University of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - June 2018, Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - June 2018, Cagayan State University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities - July 2018, Chung Hua University, Taiwan
Honorary Professor - October 2018, Beijing Film Academy, China
Honorary Professor - October 2018, Huaiyin Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - October 2018, Eastern University, Argentina
Honorary Doctorate - June 2019, Central University of Venezuela, Venezuela
Honorary Doctorate - August 2019, Federal University of Sergipe Campus São Cristóvão, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - August 2019, The Federal University of Amazonas, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - August 2019, The Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - September 2019, National University od Jujuy, Argentina
Honorary Professor - September 2019, Manav Rachna University, India
Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy - October 2019, National University of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan
Honorary Doctorate - November 2019, Changchun Normal University, China
Honorary Professor - November 2019, Jaipur National University, India
Honorary Doctorate - November 2019, XIM University, India
Honorary Doctorate - February 2020, Central Mindanao University, Philippines
Honorary Doctorate of Educational Business Management - November 2020, Federal University of Piaui, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - December 2021, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil
Honorary Doctorate - April 2022, Birsa Agricultural University, India
Honorary Professor - April 2022, Chungbuk National University, South Korea
Honorary Professor of Pedagogy - May 2022, University of Minnesota, USA
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities
Lectures
Daisaku Ikeda has received invitations to lectures at many universities and academic institutes around the world, including Harvard University, L’Institute De France, Moscow State University, Peking University and the Brazilian Academy of Letters. In these lectures Mr. Ikeda addresses a wide diversity of themes, usually with particular reference to the history and cultural heritage of his audience. Examples include “Toward a World without War: Gandhism and the Modern World” at the National Museum, New Delhi, India (1992); “A New Silk Road from the Cradle of Civilization” at Ankara University, Turkey (1992); “Leonardo’s Universal Vision and the Parliament of Humanity” at the University of Bologna, Italy (1994); and “Thoughts on Education for Global Citizenship” at Teachers College, Columbia University, U.S.A (1996). The full list of addresses is given below.
“The fundamental nature of culture is accord and harmony. It is diametrically opposed to force, especially the force of arms. While military power threatens humanity and imposes controls from without, culture arises from within the human mind as a liberating force…The flowering of culture is the only way to liberation against military might and political power.”
“The creative life makes a new breakthrough, achieves self-renewal, every day, always attuned to the original rhythm of the universe, and by so doing it brings about a complete transformation.”
“Political and economic exchange will be important, but the ties joining the hearts of the peoples of both countries are even more so….such bonds are made possible by the splendor of culture urging the human spirit toward eternity and universality. Education, meanwhile, opens up the infinite potential of the human soul and nurtures the bonds of equality and fellowship. Cultural and educational exchange will provide the basis for truly eternal ties between our two peoples.”
“Only those with farsighted open-mindedness can aspire to globalism. The ability to strike a balance between one’s own interest and those of other nations-or, at a deeper level, between the individual and the universal-is the mark of the world citizen.”
“The universalism of modern science is not genuine universalism. In an abstract and self-defining world disconnected from values and meaning, a culture based on science and technology may be both pervasive and uniform, but is no more than the skin of the fruit. It does not touch the sum total of human life.”
“The Greater self of Mahayana Buddhism is another way of expressing the openness and expansiveness of character that embraces the sufferings of all people as one’s own. This self always seeks ways of alleviating the pain and augmenting the happiness of others, here, amid the realities of everyday life. Only the solidarity brought about by such natural human nobility will break down the isolation of the modern self and lead to the dawning of new hope for civilization.”
“Leonardo’s life itself captured the unique freedom and vigor of the Italian Renaissance. Perhaps what allowed Leonardo to achieve such freedom was his mastery of the self. He himself wrote, ‘you can have neither a greater nor a lesser dominion than that over yourself.’ This was his first principle, upon which all others were based. Self-mastery allowed him to respond flexibly to any reality.”
“The endpoint in the development of knowledge isolated from human concerns is the weaponry of mass destruction. At the same time, it is knowledge also that has made society comfortable and convenient, bringing industry and wealth. The task of education must be fundamentally to ensure that knowledge serves to further the cause of human happiness and peace. Education must be the propelling force for an eternally unfolding humanitarian quest.”
- April 1974, UCLA
“Toward the Twenty-First Century” - May 1975, Moscow State University, USSR
“A New Path to East-West Cultural Exchange” - April 1980, Peking University, China
“Toward a New Vision of ‘The People’: Observations on China” - March 1981, University of Guadalajara, Mexico
“On the Mexican Poetic Spirit” - May 1981, University of Sofia, Bulgaria
“A Harmonious Fusion of the Cultures of East and West” - June 1983, University of Bucharest, Romania
“Standing at the Crossroads of Civilizations” - June 1984, Peking University, China
“The Great Path to Peace: A Personal Observation” - June 1984, Fudan University, China
“People as the Protagonists of History” - June 1989, L“ Institut de France, France
“Art and Spirituality in East and West” - March 1990, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
“The Cosmopolitan Spirit in a Land of Cultural Fusion” - May 1990, Peking University, China
“The Path of Education, the Bridge of Culture: A Personal Observation” - January 1991, University of Macau, Macau
“A New Global Awareness” - April 1991, University of the Philippines, Philippines
“Peace and Business: Toward a Universal Spirit of Fairness and Justice” - September 1991, Harvard University
“The Age of “Soft Power“ and Inner-Motivated Philosophy” - January 1992, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
“The Chinese Humanist Tradition” - February 1992, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, India
“Toward a World without War: Gandhism and the Modern World” - June 1992, Ankara University, Turkey
“A New Silk Road from the Cradle of Civilization” - October 1992, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China
“The Twenty-First Century and East Asian Civilization” - January 1993, Claremont McKenna College
“In Search of New Principles of Integration” - February 1993, Brazilian Academy of Letters, Brazil
“The Hopeful Dawn of a Humanistic Civilization” - September 1993, Harvard University
“Mahayana Buddhism and Twenty-First Century Civilization” - January 1994, Shenzhen University, China
“The Infinite Horizons of Humanism” - May 1994, Moscow State University, Russia
“The Human Being: A Magnificent Cosmos” - June 1994, University of Bologna, Italy
“Leonardo’s Universal Vision and the Parliament of Humanity” - January 1995, East-West Center, USA
“Peace and Human Security: A Buddhist Perspective for the Twenty-First Century” - June 1995, Ateneo de Santander, Spain
“Toward the Dawn of Twenty-first Century Civilization” - November 1995, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
“Homage to the Sagarmatha (Everest) of Humanism: The Living Lessons of Gautama Buddha” - June 1996, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Los Angeles
“Makiguchi’s Lifelong Pursuit of Justice and Humane Values” - June 1996, Teachers College, Columbia University
“Thoughts on Education for Global Citizenship” - June 1996, University of Havana, Cuba
“Building a Great Spiritual Bridge to the New Century” - October 1997, Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies, India
“A New Humanism for the Coming Century” - March 2007, Palermo University, Italy
“From the Crossroads of Civilization: A New Flourishing of Humanistic Culture”