The award ceremony was held in the afternoon of Wednesday, August 14, at the UNA San Lorenzo Campus. The university was represented by the university rector, Dr Pedro Gerardo Gonzale, and several other high-ranking Paraguayan authorities were in attendance.

President Ma received his honorary doctorate in acknowledgment of his intellectual, social, and political efforts, and of the important contribution of his government has made to Paraguay’s most renowned institution of higher learning.

The Vice-Rector of the National University of Asuncion, Prof. Amado Franco Navoni, the person responsible for recommending that President Ma’s receive this honor, gave a speech emphasizing the forward-thinking trajectory and accomplishments of Taiwan’s head of state, and all the contributions that the government of Taiwan has made to the Republic of Paraguay.

In his acceptance speech President Ma pointed out the secret of Taiwan’s economic development is based on education. There are now 162 institutions of higher learning in Taiwan, fifty of which have opened 198 English programs to attract foreign students. He then introduced 2 members of his delegation to the audience: Prof. Guu Yuan-kuang, President of the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, and Dr. Lee, Tsu-der, Chairman of Taipei Medical University. Both institutions enjoy excellent sister university relationships with UNA and both have been working very actively carrying out exchange programs.