SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has received total of 254 honorary doctorates
and academic titles from academic institutions and organizations around
the world to the present. From the Philippines, 15 universities and colleges
have bestowed honorary doctorate upon him. In this page, each honorary
doctorate that President Ikeda has received from the Philippines is introduced.
Vol.7: Capitol University (June 6, 2004)
University's Campus
Pleasant and comfortable environment
Capitol University conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities upon President
Ikeda. The conferment ceremony was held after the general meeting of Soka
Gakkai in Tokyo on June 6, 2004.
On Capitol University Capitol University was founded in 1971, by Madame Laureana San Pedro Rosales,
a great educator as well as a survivor of the Bataan Death March, one of
the worst atrocities of the Pacific War. She has established many educational
institutions including Capitol University in Mindanao Island. Capitol University
carries a mission of fostering a “total person.”
The Summary - President Ikeda's Speech Today, June 6, is the 133rd birthday of the Soka Gakkai’s founding president
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, who died in prison as a consequence of his opposition
to Japanese military government during World War II. I would like to offer
this honor from Capitol University to my illustrious predecessor.
In April of 1942, the Japanese Army perpetrated the Bataan Death March wherein they forced the American and Filipino prisoners as well as civilians to walk nearly 100 kilometers without sufficient water or rest; they relentlessly killed those who collapsed on the spot. As many as 20,000 people are believed to have been killed by this brutality. Madame Rosales, surviving this hellish march with her mother and siblings, made a firm vow: Education is crucial; I will dedicate my life to fostering the development and growth of people who can contribute to world peace! Overcoming every difficulty, she established the university dedicated to the happiness and peace of all humanity.
Victory is simply never accepting defeat, no matter what. Being undefeated is victory. Never give up, never losing hope – that is the key to winning and the essential philosophy of all experts in the art of happiness. Let us advance together with our revered teachers from Capitol University in creating a world free of war, violence, and killing and filled instead with profound respect for the value and dignity of life.
