Her Majesty Queen Sofía has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by CEU San Pablo University, in recognition of her significant contribution to the promotion of culture and the arts, for her extraordinary commitment in the field of social welfare, as well as for a lifetime of exemplary dedication and commitment to Spain and the Spanish people. CEU USP thus becomes the first private Spanish university to receive the Queen's acceptance to join the faculty of its university community, which she enriches with her unquestionable merits.
Queen Sofía thanked the award of the Honorary Doctorate, saying that she felt "very honoured by the distinction that has just been granted to me."
University rector Rosa Visiedo expressed her satisfaction at the incorporation of Her Majesty Queen Sofia to the faculty of “our university community in the area of Humanities, a pillar of our academic offering and a true hallmark of the CEU educational project. This appointment emblematically reflects the identity of our university, in a condensed expression of our spirit, of the soul that animates our institution: preparing people to assume an active role in public life and have a positive impact on society”, she said.
Visiedo mentioned the links between Her Majesty and the university, which “unite us, strengthen us and give meaning to this appointment”, such as the vocation of service to society “through the training of young university students, research, and the transfer of knowledge to the business sector and the social fabric”; the love of Spain, “with a constant dedication to our country, winning the admiration, respect and affection of all”; and exemplarity, “an inseparable condition of being a university student, based on humility, to recognize how much there is still to know and accompanied by the necessary generosity to give everything without expecting anything in return.”
The rector recalled how, 30 years ago, the royal couple presided over the first opening ceremony of the university, CEU’s inauguration as a private university after 60 years of existence as a university college. “Your Majesty, today, you return here to join our faculty, although in a certain way you were already part of it. Welcoming you again is a good excuse to renew our firm commitment to service through study, teaching and research.” And she concluded by pointing out how “the Aula Magna in which we find ourselves, from today on, will bear your name and will remind us, now and always, of the honour that you have granted us.”
The president of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences and Professor of Political Science at CEU, Benigno Pendás, praised the Queen in his speech, describing Doña Sofía as “an example of firmness in the convictions and values that support the family and the vocation to serve others”. He also emphasised her “valued tireless work in favour of disadvantaged social groups, as well as her cooperation in development in matters of the health and education of children”.
The event was closed by the Grand Chancellor of the University, Alfonso Bullón de Mendoza, who recalled that “of all the women who formed part of the Transition to Democracy, the most outstanding was Her Majesty Queen Sofía”. At the same time, he emphasised that “in our University we have always prided ourselves on trying to train not only excellent professionals, but also excellent people. And there is nothing better for this than to incorporate into our faculty someone who, like Her Majesty Queen Sofía, can serve as an example of full and unconditional dedication in the always exciting task of building a better world”.