President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga, visited today the Leicester University in United Kingdom.
At a special ceremony, this university awarded President Jahjaga the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws.
At an address held on this occasion, President Jahjaga stated:
Honourable President,
Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor
It gives me immense pleasure and so many emotions to return to Leicester University after nearly a decade to receive this Honorary Degree from a place that showed to me that learning is a life-long quest, inspired me with leadership and taught me courage. They have been the three pillars on which I have leaned on and the three values that guide me as the President of Kosovo, a position that today I carry with great pride.
I know that as you sit wearing your gowns and caps graduation feels like a relief. There are no longer all-nighters to pull and no exams to fret over.
And in a way it is, because the inspiration that is instilled in you by the wonderful mentors, by the great faculty of this university makes you impatient to take up challenges to become the agents of change in your communities.
And rest assured that you CAN be that change, that your dreams are reachable. And as Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Liberian President once said: “If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough.” So, dear class of 2015, DREAM BIG!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I embellish the journey of my country. I completed my education under harsh repression, in makeshift schools that were a crucial part of our civil resistance and helped us survive and defeat a regime that violated every single human right, including the right to education.
I went to school as artillery burned the villages and towns of Kosovo, because I and my generation were determined to build a new, different kind of Kosovo, where all its people, regardless of ethnicity, regardless of gender and their faith, would live with equal rights and responsibilities in the country they call home.
That day came in 1999 after a brutal war, and while many of us did not have the skills to lead our country from the destruction we inherited to prosperity, we were embraced by universities, just like this one, which opened their doors to us, broke our isolation and gave us the chance to learn so that we could become the change we wanted to see in our country. We remain forever thankful.
We have rebuilt Kosovo from a war-torn place to a vibrant democracy. And Kosovo today is more than an episode of our common human history. It is our joint success story.
Dear Mr. President, Chancellor, Vice Chancellor
Dear students and distinguished families and guests,
I am deeply moved by this honor, and I dedicate it to my country and its people, who never cease to amaze me with their strength and resilience.
I come here from a historic meeting for my country. I was honoured by the exceptional reception at the Royal Court by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to whom I expressed my country’s gratitude for the role Great Britain has played in establishing peace in Kosovo. I and the people of Kosovo cherish this friendship.
Honourable friends,
In a world in which our values are being constantly challenged, we must stand together around the ideals that define us. We must seek inclusiveness. We must inspire change to allow for development. In a world in which we want to all live together, we must seek equality. This we must do in partnership.
Please remember this as you take on the next challenge to help your communities thrive and our societies become the examples we wish them to be.
I wholeheartedly thank you!