Secretary-General Marks Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Twenty-Fifth Charter Day

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the twenty-fifth annual Charter Day ceremony at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) in Madison, New Jersey, delivered by Cristina Gallach, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, today:

It gives me great pleasure to greet Fairleigh Dickinson University’s twenty-fifth annual Charter Day ceremony.  Fairleigh Dickinson has been a strong supporter and advocate of the United Nations.  Its leadership and scholarship, personified by thoughtful observers such as Peter Sammartino and Michael Adams, have enriched the global debate on the issues of our times.

I had the privilege to receive an honorary degree from Fairleigh Dickinson in 2008.  At the time I noted that internationalism has been at the heart of the university’s curriculum for decades, with students making field trips to the newly established United Nations in the 1940s.  I am pleased to note that FDU continues to be a trailblazer in global education and an incubator of global citizenship, helping to prepare young people for life in an increasingly interdependent world. 

FDU was the first university in the world to gain special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and the first university to become a member of UN Academic Impact initiative, a global network of universities that support UN values and goals.  

Fairleigh Dickinson’s UN Pathways Programme has introduced students to hundreds of UN ambassadors through campus talks and videoconferences.  It also played a founding role in the International Association of University Presidents, with which the United Nations also enjoys close and productive ties.

I congratulate this year’s Charter Day honouree, Mark W. Harris, who has been a champion of international education for more than four decades.  As President and Chief Executive Officer of ELS Educational Services, he plays a key role in sponsoring the “Many Languages, One World” essay contest.  This year’s contest, organized with the UN Academic Impact, will bring 70 winners from 42 countries to a global youth forum at the United Nations next month.  By helping students expand their linguistic horizons and sensitivity to global issues, the contest is an empowering experience, and the United Nations is proud to be part of it.

My sincerest thanks to Fairleigh Dickinson for advancing UN ideals and objectives.  As the United Nations marks its seventieth anniversary, I am encouraged to know that the Organization will continue to benefit from FDU’s strong support.