PM conferred honorary doctorate by NYU

Outgoing Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Wednesday was conferred Doctor of Humane Letters by the New York University, said the University and the government communication department.

“A stalwart opponent of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she has been an outspoken advocate for her nation joining the NATO alliance. She has been credited with steady and effective leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is a member of the vanguard of a new generation of European leadership. She was the first member of her family to go to college,” the New York University pointed out in its announcement.

Marin was appointed Prime Minister of Finland in December 2019, the youngest person, at the time of her appointment, ever to serve as a head of any government, the announcement said, adding that first elected to Parliament in 2015, she is leading a parliamentary coalition entirely headed by women and a majority-woman cabinet.

“I am deeply grateful to receive this honorary degree and I am very proud to share this occasion with my fellow honorary doctorates Carolyn Bertozzi, Misty Copeland and Freeman Hrabowski, who inspire me with their contributions to our world,” Marin said addressing the university’s Commencement in New York City.

The Premier said that she wanted a society where everyone would have equal rights and opportunities and wanted to strengthen the education system so that every child could pursue their dreams.

“Coming from a rainbow family I wanted to see a society where everyone could love whomever they wanted. I wanted to see renewed legislation on equal marriage and ensure human rights for all genders. I wanted to close the gender pay gap, and I wanted to see parents, mothers and fathers, to share their family leave more equally so that women could follow their career ambitions same as men,” Marin added.