Invitation to Attend the Ceremony for the Conferral of the Honorary Title of Doctor Honoris Causa upon Dr. Yohei Sasakawa
HM The Rector of Gdynia Maritime University, Professor Adam Weintrit, invites you to attend the ceremony for the conferral of the honorary title of Doctor honoris causa upon Dr. Yohei Sasakawa on 27 January 2026 at 11:00 am in the Tadeusz Meissner Auditorium in the University’s main building on Morska Street.
Gdynia Maritime University awards the title of Doctor honoris causa to individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the advancement of science, culture, the economy, maritime education, or public life. On 27 January 2026, the University will celebrate the conferral of the distinguished title of Doctor honoris causa upon Dr. Yohei Sasakawa.
Dr. Yohei Sasakawa is a figure of exceptional authority, combining a vision of responsible leadership with tangible action undertaken in the service of peace, sustainable development, and cooperation among nations. His activities, carried out through The Nippon Foundation, have for decades contributed to the advancement of maritime education, the protection of the ocean environment, maritime safety and security, and the building of bridges of understanding between the cultures of the East and the West.
His global fight against leprosy, together with the stigma and social discrimination associated with the disease, is a cause to which he has been deeply committed for more than forty years.
Gdynia Maritime University, faithful to its mission of educating intellectual and professional elites for the maritime economy and transport sector, acknowledges with the highest esteem the contribution of Dr. Yohei Sasakawa to strengthening the role of knowledge, dialogue, and responsibility in the global maritime domain. These values are fully aligned with the mission of our University. (...)
The conferral of the title of Doctor honoris causa is not only an act of honoring the extraordinary achievements of the Laureate, but also a symbol of friendship, respect, and cooperation between academic communities and institutions working for the future of the seas and oceans.
A fragment of the foreword by HM The Rector of GMU to the commemorative publication.
The ceremony will begin at 11:00 in the Tadeusz Meissner Auditorium in the University’s main building.
Following the opening ceremony, a speech will be made by HM The Rector of Gdynia Maritime University, Professor Adam Weintrit. A laudatio will then be given by the promoter of the procedure for the conferral of the honorary doctorate, Professor Janusz Mindykowski. The presentation of the Doctor honoris causa diploma will be followed by a talk by the Honorary Doctor, Dr Yōhei Sasakawa.
