1989 Fredericton Encaenia
Ahrweiler, Helene
Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
Orator: Patterson, Stephen E.
Image
Image Caption
L to R: Helene Ahrweiler, Lady Violet Aitken
Second Image Caption
Source: PR-Encaenia, 1989
Citation:
ENCAENIA, MAY, 1989
HELENE AHRWEILER
to be Doctor of Laws
It is fitting, on this the two hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution, that the University of New Brunswick should recognize the event by honoring one of France’s most distinguished educators, Dr. Helene Ahrweiler, the Chancellor of the Universities of Paris. In doing so, we remind ourselves of the important ties our province has with France, and of the traditions our University, as one of Canada’s oldest, shares with the oldest universities in the world, among which is the University of Paris.
But it is the breaking of tradition rather than its perpetuation that make this honorary degree significant. For in reaching across the Atlantic for a symbol of our ties to France, we selected not a man who epitomizes things French but rather a woman who was born in Greece and who defied convention by rising to the top of French academe. Helene Ahrweiler is a product of our time: she represents a revolution only now achieving the fulfillment of its ideals of equality and advancement based on merit.
After her youth in Athens, where she was born and educated, she went to the University of Paris to pursue her interest in history. There, she earned her doctorate, producing an outstanding thesis on the political history of medieval Byzantium. Subsequently published under the title Byzance et la Mer, her work showed how medieval Greeks relied on naval supremacy in the Mediterranean to maintain their empire. Not only did the book win her international praise, but with its publication she was appointed professor in the Sorbonne and director of the centre for research into Byzantine history and civilization. In a prolific scholarly career, she wrote more books, numerous articles, and edited several important collections in medieval and Byzantine studies. And she did this while becoming even more involved with increasingly demanding administrative responsibilities, first as a director of her department and then, in rapid succession, as vice-president and then president of the Sorbonne, vice-president of the Conference of University Presidents, and most recently rector of the Academy, Chancellor of the Universities of Paris, and Vice-President of the Conseil Superieur de l’Education Nationale.
More than a brilliant scholar and administrator, Helene Ahrweiler is a truly remarkable woman. Devoted to the promotion of the arts as well as to the development of humanistic studies, she has won an enviable reputation both within and without France. In recognition of her achievements, she has been appointed to the most prestigious academies of Greece, Britain, Belgium, Germany, and Bulgaria. She has been honored by universities in five countries and with awards of distinction from seven or eight other nations. France itself has bestowed on her several of its most prestigious honors.
It is a special delight for us that Helene Ahrweiler has previously visited Canada where she has participated in scholarly conferences and where she has both admiring colleagues and close friends. On the occasion of this welcome return, we are honored to celebrate the values and directions so well epitomized by this brilliant woman whose career has broken new ground every inch of the way. In her presence, the Revolutionary slogan "liberté, egalité, fraternité" takes new meaning. More precisely, she has bent the concept of fraternité into a new and –- may we say –- more acceptable shape. Moreover, Dr. Ahrweiler’s advancement to one of France’s most prestigious academic positions is in itself a lesson that a confident mature nation might usefully teach an adolescent and less secure one. The lesson is that excellence is a worthier goal than national self-consciousness, merit a more reliable mark of leadership than distinction of language or ethnicity, and civilization a nobler cause than culture.
In the spirit of the academy which knows no national boundaries, we salute Dr. Helene Ahrweiler –- teacher, scholar, and woman of the new age –- and thank her for allowing us to include her among the graduates of this University.
From: Honoris Causa - UA Case 70, Box 2
HELENE AHRWEILER
to be Doctor of Laws
It is fitting, on this the two hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution, that the University of New Brunswick should recognize the event by honoring one of France’s most distinguished educators, Dr. Helene Ahrweiler, the Chancellor of the Universities of Paris. In doing so, we remind ourselves of the important ties our province has with France, and of the traditions our University, as one of Canada’s oldest, shares with the oldest universities in the world, among which is the University of Paris.
But it is the breaking of tradition rather than its perpetuation that make this honorary degree significant. For in reaching across the Atlantic for a symbol of our ties to France, we selected not a man who epitomizes things French but rather a woman who was born in Greece and who defied convention by rising to the top of French academe. Helene Ahrweiler is a product of our time: she represents a revolution only now achieving the fulfillment of its ideals of equality and advancement based on merit.
After her youth in Athens, where she was born and educated, she went to the University of Paris to pursue her interest in history. There, she earned her doctorate, producing an outstanding thesis on the political history of medieval Byzantium. Subsequently published under the title Byzance et la Mer, her work showed how medieval Greeks relied on naval supremacy in the Mediterranean to maintain their empire. Not only did the book win her international praise, but with its publication she was appointed professor in the Sorbonne and director of the centre for research into Byzantine history and civilization. In a prolific scholarly career, she wrote more books, numerous articles, and edited several important collections in medieval and Byzantine studies. And she did this while becoming even more involved with increasingly demanding administrative responsibilities, first as a director of her department and then, in rapid succession, as vice-president and then president of the Sorbonne, vice-president of the Conference of University Presidents, and most recently rector of the Academy, Chancellor of the Universities of Paris, and Vice-President of the Conseil Superieur de l’Education Nationale.
More than a brilliant scholar and administrator, Helene Ahrweiler is a truly remarkable woman. Devoted to the promotion of the arts as well as to the development of humanistic studies, she has won an enviable reputation both within and without France. In recognition of her achievements, she has been appointed to the most prestigious academies of Greece, Britain, Belgium, Germany, and Bulgaria. She has been honored by universities in five countries and with awards of distinction from seven or eight other nations. France itself has bestowed on her several of its most prestigious honors.
It is a special delight for us that Helene Ahrweiler has previously visited Canada where she has participated in scholarly conferences and where she has both admiring colleagues and close friends. On the occasion of this welcome return, we are honored to celebrate the values and directions so well epitomized by this brilliant woman whose career has broken new ground every inch of the way. In her presence, the Revolutionary slogan "liberté, egalité, fraternité" takes new meaning. More precisely, she has bent the concept of fraternité into a new and –- may we say –- more acceptable shape. Moreover, Dr. Ahrweiler’s advancement to one of France’s most prestigious academic positions is in itself a lesson that a confident mature nation might usefully teach an adolescent and less secure one. The lesson is that excellence is a worthier goal than national self-consciousness, merit a more reliable mark of leadership than distinction of language or ethnicity, and civilization a nobler cause than culture.
In the spirit of the academy which knows no national boundaries, we salute Dr. Helene Ahrweiler –- teacher, scholar, and woman of the new age –- and thank her for allowing us to include her among the graduates of this University.
From: Honoris Causa - UA Case 70, Box 2
Citations may be reproduced for research purposes only. Publication in whole or in part requires written permission from the author.