Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters conferred on His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Ta’isi Efi
On this first anniversary of the conferment of the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters upon His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Ta’isi Efi at the University of St Andrews on the 25th June 2019, we send our deepest respects and fondest wishes. More than ever we need reminders of the extraordinary serendipities that come when people and ideas recognise, value and connect with each other. Faafetai.
“It is a great honour to receive this award. But, in truth, the honour belongs to my forebears. It is they who had gathered and passed on to successive generations like mine, their history, culture, customs and usage, which is now ours. The most significant challenge for Indigenous peoples all over the globe is how to keep our Indigenous knowledges alive and thriving alongside the best in the world. When our theologies and philosophies are taken seriously by the top universities in the world, there is much to celebrate and be grateful for.”
His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Ta’isi Efi, Acceptance Speech for Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa, University of St Andrews, 25 June 2019
Alofa’a
Centre for Pacific Studies
Laureation Address: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/graduation/2019/laureation-addresses/tui-atua/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iT-a7pcPfk