Honorary
Award |
Leeds Met bestows honorary doctorate on football legend
Brazilian World Cup legend, Socrates, received an Honorary Doctorate from Leeds Metropolitan University during the University’s graduation ceremonies on Friday 26 November.
Dr Socrates, who captained Brazil in the 1982 and 1986 World
Cups, also has a medical degree. He will share the stage at the
ceremony with the outgoing Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University,
Leslie Silver OBE, who was Chairman of Leeds United, 1982 – 1995.
Both men will congratulate Leeds Met’s graduands who will
receive their awards from the University during two days of celebration
at the Headingley Campus.
On receiving his award, with the aid of a translator, Socrates said:
"I am sorry for not speaking English but I can understand everything. I have learned that here there is love from people and I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I would like to have words to express myself in English to let you know how thankful and honoured I am with this title.
Today I have found the Chancellor is a football addict like myself and I would like to share with him the same passion he has got for the university because it is here society sees men, good men, being made who will contribute to this world. Thank you very much."
Dr Socrates will follow in the footsteps of sporting heroes
Dame Mary Peters
DBE, Brendan
Foster MBE and Ian
McGeechan OBE who each received honorary doctorates from Leeds Met during the
University’s graduation ceremonies in July 2004.
Leeds Met boasts a strong sporting tradition dating back to 1933 when Carnegie College was launched on the site of its Headingley Campus, where Socrates has been staying during his visit to Yorkshire.
Famous sporting graduates include Brendan Foster, former Olympic long-distance runner, and Ian McGeechan, who won 32 caps for Scotland at rugby union and went on to coach the Scotland team. Famous sporting students include seven members of the Leeds Rhinos squad who won the Tetley Super League Grand Final Championship, including Captain Kevin Sinfield and ‘Man of the Match’ Matt Diskin.
Leeds Met recently announced that it will sponsor the 2005 Rugby League World Club Challenge, which will officially be known as the ‘Carnegie World Club Challenge’, between reigning Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos and Australian NRL Premiers Canterbury Bulldogs at Elland Road on 4 February. This is the first time an educational organisation has supported a major Rugby League event in this way.
In a further boost to its reputation for sporting and educational excellence, Leeds Met has appointed of one of the country’s foremost academics in the field of sports and physical education. David Kirk, who is currently Loughborough University’s Professor of Physical Education and Youth Sport, will join the University as the new Dean of its renowned Carnegie Faculty of Sport and Education in the New Year.
Socrates is here in the UK as a guest of Simon Clifford and
Brazilian Soccer Schools. For further information please visit:
www.icfds.com
