It was Wizards Day at Oxford today and Aung San Suu Kyi was the chief wizard. She finally received her honorary degree from
Oxford University at todays Encaenia ceremony.
Suu Kyi, making her first
visits outside of her native country in 24 years, was awarded an honorary
doctorate in civil law in 1993 but was unable to collect it until today, due to being under house arrest
in Myanmar. She studied philosophy, politics and economics at St. Hugh's College
in Oxford between 1964 and 1967. After a time working in New York and Bhutan,
she lived in Oxford for many years with her late husband, the Tibet scholar
Michael Aris, and their sons Alexander and Kim. Yesterday she celebrated her 67th
birthday.
Encaenia is the ceremony at which the University of
Oxford awards honorary degrees to distinguished men and women and commemorates
its benefactors. It is held annually on the Wednesday of ninth week during
Trinity Term.On the morning of the
ceremony, the Heads of Colleges, university dignitaries and honored guests assemble,
in full academic dress, in one of the colleges, where they enjoy Lord Crewe's
benefaction of peaches, strawberries and champagne. They then walk through the
streets in procession to the Sheldonian Theatre on Broad Street.
The University dignitaries
enter the theatre in procession; those who are to receive honorary degrees wait
in the Divinity School where they sign their names in the Honorary Degrees
Book. They are then escorted into the theatre. Once the Chancellor
has opened the proceedings, each honorand is introduced by the Public Orator
with a speech in Latin and admitted to his or her new degree by the Chancellor.
The Orator then delivers the Creweian Oration on the events of the past year
and in commemoration of the University's benefactors.
As with so many traditions
in Oxford, the Encaenia ceremony is beloved and hundreds lined the streets to
get a glimpse of the procession. The
crowds roared with Aung San Suu Kyi walked by.
She graciously stopped to shake hands with Oxford students, much to the
dismay of security. She is stunningly beautiful!
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| Professors heading to the Encaenia |
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| The procession |
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| The University Chancellor has the gold trimmed gown |
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| Walking toward the Sheldonian |
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| Past the Bodleian Library |
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| Aung San Suu Kyi carrying the poppies |
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| And entering the main gate at the Bodleian |
