VIPs that graced Santo Tomas...

[Tom A. Saiyan]

Last year, binisita ni Dr. Mahathir Mohamad ang the royal and pontifical university...




Ex-premier of Malaysia named 'honorary professor'

FORMER Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad was named "honorary professor" of UST on Monday for speaking up on behalf of the developing world.

Mahathir, whose 22-year rule ushered Malaysia into prosperity, upheld democratic ideals but said democracy must have limits and government leaders must be incorruptible. "Too much democracy undermines democracy itself," Mahathir said after accepting the rare honorary professorship from Asia's oldest and only Pontifical university.

Newly installed Rector Magnificus Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. paid tribute to Mahathir's economic legacy, noting that the Malaysian leader spoke out against unfair divisions between rich and poor nations.

Mahathir's speech at the Medicine Auditorium was billed the "Neo-Centennial Lecture." Mahathir received the professor's medallion and diploma from Dagohoy, who was accompanied by Graduate School Dean Lilian Sison and Regent Fr. Jose Antonio Aureada, O.P.

"You opened the country to foreign investment, reformed taxation, reduced trade barriers, and privatized numerous state-owned enterprises, besides creating world-class physical infrastructure," Mahathir's diploma states. "Under your guidance and leadership, Malaysia played a more active role in the international arena by acting as the voice for the developing nations in Asia and Africa."

Mahathir, 86, is known for his "New Development Policy" which contributed to poverty reduction. His "Vision 2020" served as Malaysia’s economic development blueprint.

"A professorship is usually given to somebody with high academic achievement, but it can also be given to an external scholar who has extensively distinguished himself in the international level — in terms of leadership, achievement, and distinction," Sison told the Varsitarian.

Sison said Mahathir was supposed to deliver the keynote speech during the Quadricentennial year’s international conference on poverty alleviation, but his hectic schedule did not allow it.

Former recipients of the honorary professorship were Yuan Tseh Lee, president of the International Council of Science and 1985 Nobel laureate in chemistry; and Msgr. Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, chancellor of the Vatican's Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Science. Yuji Vincent B. Gonzales with reports from Reden D. Madrid


Tapos sinundan naman agad ni Queen Sofia ng Espanya... yung bansa sa Europa...





UST welcomes Queen Sofia

QUEEN Sofia of Spain visited the University this morning to renew ties and look back at UST's history as a "royal" and "pontifical" institution.

Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P., Vice Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P., and Secretary General Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P. welcomed the queen ahead of a wreath-laying ceremony at the statue of the founder, Msgr. Miguel de Benavides, O.P.

A marker was unveiled at the Museum of Arts and Sciences to commemorate Queen Sofia’s visit to the University. She also visited the Heritage Museum beside the newly renovated Archives section at the Miguel de Benavides Library.

University archivist and historian Regalado Trota-Jose said the queen was overwhelmed with UST's archival collection.

“We were only able to present six books that serve as ‘gems’ of the archives section,” he said. “She (Queen Sofia) was very much interested with what she saw especially our ‘Babaylan’ book which is somehow similar to the Indian Sanskrit.”

Among the historic documents shown to the queen were the Foundation Act of 1611 and the 1624 and 1785 Royal Decrees, he said. UST was under the patronage of the Spanish monarchy during Spanish colonial rule, having obtained "royal" status in 1785.

Father Cabading said the queen’s visit was proof of the historical and cultural ties between the University and Spain.

“[The purpose of the visit is] to renew ties with the University, understanding that the University had been part of the patronage of the Spanish crown,” Cabading said.

This was the second visit of Queen Sofia to UST, after her visit in 1974 when she was still the Princess of Asturias.

The Spanish queen is on a five-day visit to the Philippines, her longest visit to the country. Maria Luisa A. Mamaradlo with reports from Bernadette D. Nicolas and Nikka Lavinia G. Valenzuela


Queen Sofia gets royal welcome at UST
By Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star) Updated July 07, 2012

Queen Sofia of Spain, who concluded her state visit to the Philippines yesterday, described her visit as wonderful and a good experience.

“I had a wonderful time. Very wonderful people, so friendly. Really it’s been a big experience for me,” she said in an interview with local cable news channel GNN.

Wearing a beige-colored blouse and skirt, the 73-year-old Queen of Spain smiled and waved back to the crowd of high school and college students of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) yesterday morning.

UST-Office of Public Affairs director Associate Professor Giovanna Fontanilla said that the queen “was glad with the warm reception of the Thomasian community.”

Even when students and media workers broke through the security arranged by the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and school security guards in order to get a closer photograph of her, the Queen was unfazed.

She kept a smile on her face and waved to the crowd.

Professor Fontanilla believed that, “For her (Queen) it was okay. She is a queen with a kind heart and she wanted to be with the people... You can really sense that. (There was an instance when) we gesture to her to come and she finds time to stop. She stops to talk to people.”

Yesterday was not the first time that Queen Sofia visited UST and her presence reinforced the ties of the school to Spain that once colonized the Philippines. UST carries the title “royal university.”

In honor of her visit, UST installed a marker in the main building.

The marker partly read, “In the spirit of an enduring educational and cultural heritage shared between the University and Spain.”

She added that her visit to the school was significant especially since UST recently celebrated its 400 years and just launched its neo-centennial.

The Queen, accompanied by the rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, joined the wreath-laying ceremony at the Miguel de Benavides Statue. Benavides was the third archbishop of Manila and founded UST.

She also visited the UST Library, particularly the archives that store important documents of the university, such as those dating back to the Spanish era.

She also met with the Dominican priests, Spanish Dominican fathers, college deans and some of the administrators and officers of the Circulo Hispano Thomasino.

www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=824917&publicationSubCategoryId=68


Nabisita na rin ang Pamantasan ng Santo Tomas ng ambassadors ng iba't-ibang bansa, ng US Secretary of State at siyempre ng Santo Papa... parang gusto ko na maniwala na talagang 'pinagpala' ang Santo Tomas...

[sheldoncooper]

Sana pumunta din si Pope Francis sa ust. I was in high school when JP II visited for world youth day. Sobrang nakakaiyak ang presence nya. Di ko maexplain.

[Tom A. Saiyan]

US Seretary of State visit November 2009

[bahamut]

Now that confirmed na yung visit ni Pope Francis next year, hopefully dumaan siya ng UST.

[Tom A Saiyan]

Asa ka pa... siguradong gagawinn lahat ng ADM na this time sa campus nila pupunta si Pope Francis... tandaan mo Heswita si Pope... kahit sa Vatican may politika...

[TA Saiyan]

Her Royal Highness Queen Sofia of Spain...

[Tom A Saiyan]

[disitas]

TeamUKG at the royal and pontifical university...




Courtesy of UKG facebook

[Tomas Aiyan]

Peace prize honorees call on Rector

THE 12TH Gusi Peace Prize laureates paid a courtesy call on UST Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. last Nov. 26 at the Main Building to “explore the possibility of establishing linkages.”

The 17 recipients include a Thomasian, former Architecture and Fine Arts dean Yolanda Reyes who credited the University for her success in the field.

Dagohoy said the laureates' presence in the University was a “great and prestigious gift.”

“As a Catholic University, it’s our privilege to welcome and acknowledge their presence. Many of them are actually connected with universities abroad so I think this is a great opportunity to explore the possibility of establishing linkages and tie-ups with our counterparts in Africa and Europe,” Dagohoy said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

The annual Gusi Peace Prize is a Manila-based award-giving body that recognizes individuals or groups worldwide that have contributed to the attainment of peace and respect for human dignity through their achievements in the fields of the academe, scientific research and discovery, physiology or medicine, chemistry, physics, journalism, philanthropy or humanitarianism, economics, cinematic excellence, performing arts, visual arts, engineering technology, religion, politics, poverty alleviation, literature, cultural heritage, architecture, and others.

Aside from Reyes, other laureates this year are Rajkeswur Purryag, president of Mauritius; Emil Constantinescu, former president of Romania; Arnold Ruutel, former president of Estonia; Al-Saddig Al-Saddig Abdel Rahman Al-Mahdi, former prime minister of Sudan; Prof. Abdelmadjid Amrani of Algeria; Catherine Dupe Atoki of Nigeria; Prof. Agni Vlavianos Arvanitis of Greece; Francisco Plancarte of Mexico; Dr. Glen Martin of the United States; Dr. Raoul Weiler of Belgium; Dr. Igor Kondrashin of Russia; Aboubakar Abdoulah Senghore of Gambia; Dr. Orhan Guvenen of Turkey; Malek Jandali of Syria; Prof. Frans Jacobus Viljoen of South Africa; and Prince Abdullah Karim Fahd of Saudi Arabia.

Reyes, who was dean of the College of Architecture and Fine Arts from 1991 to 2000, said that more than her training in UST, Christian values helped mold her character as an architect.

“I am what I am because of this University. I continue to uphold the teachings of Christian life that I have learned from the University,” she said.

Reyes co-designed the Beato Angelico Building, the Thomas Aquinas Research Center, the Benavides Cancer Institute, and the Caleruega Retreat Center in Batangas.

Former Sudanese premier Al-Mahdi said he was pleased to visit the oldest university in Asia. “It feels [good] to find out that it is not only restricted to Catholics or to people of the Philippines,” the Sudanese laureate said.

Nigerian women’s rights activist Atoki said the Gusi prize puts a spotlight on the human rights campaign in the African Union. “It’s an international recognition for the African Uniton in the fight for the human rights of the African continent,” said the Nigerian laureate.

The Gusi Peace Prize was founded by Barry Gusi, who wanted to honor his late father Gemeniano Gusi, a World War II guerrilla.

The Gusi Peace Prize Foundation “envisions itself to approximate the honor and respect accorded to the Nobel Peace Prize of Norway, and the Pulitzer of the United States of America.” Jon Christoffer R. Obice

[nayiasamot]

Russian Chief Justice Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Lebedev visiting Santo Tomas...




Credits to owner


Russian chief justice visits campus again
By Rafael L. Antonio

FOR THE second time, Russian Federation Supreme Court Chief Justice visited the Asia’s oldest university last June 15.

Chief Justice Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Lebedev, together with Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Nikolay Rishatovich Kudashev, had his exchange of pleasantries with Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., Rector of the University, along with other UST officials in the Rector’s Board Hall at the Main Building.

De la Rosa toured Lebedev at the UST Museum of Arts and Sciences, Quadricentennial Square, and Miguel de Benavides Library.

A reception followed at the Faculty of Civil Law lobby which was spearheaded by Faculty of Civil Law dean Nilo Divina and Fr. Isidro C. Abaño, O.P., director of the Office for Quadricentennial Highlights and Activities.

In 2006, Lebedev received Doctor of Laws, honoris causa from UST for “embarking on the development and improvement of the Russian judicial system,” said in an interview with the Varsitarian by former Faculty of Civil Law dean Alfredo Benipayo, who petitioned for Lebedev’s conferment.

“Justice accessibility should be served by guaranteeing judicial protection of rights and freedom of every person,” said Lebedev during the Global Forum on Liberty and Prosperity in 2006.
Before he became chief justice in 1989, Lebedev was chairman of the Moscow City court from 1986 to 1989 and chairman of the Zheleznodorozhny District People’s Court from 1977 to 1984. He finished his bachelor of laws at the Moscow Lomonosov State University in 1968.

The University grants the “honoris causa” or honorary degree to those who made remarkable contribution in their respective fields. Among the recipients were former presidents Manuel Quezon, Sergio Osmeña, Sr., Manuel Roxas and Corazon Aquino, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, and retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Feria.

www.varsitarian.net/news/20110618/russian_chief_justice_visits_campus_again

[disitas]

GMA personalities visit USTe...

[Tomas Aiyan]

Popstar's Homecoming...



Credits to owner

[Nayi Asimot]

Pati si Pnoy hindi nakatiis na hindi bisitahin ang royal and pontifical campus...

[nayiasamot]

at talagang bumalik pa...

'P-Noy' in UST '400 years of quality Christian education' cited By Cliff Harvey C. Venzon

President Benigno Aquino III paid tribute to UST for its “noble mission” of instilling Catholic values among its students along with the “high quality of education” it provides. He also congratulated the University for producing alumni “who have learned to balance their intellect on an unshakable foundation of morality.”

Speaking at the 10th Biennial Conference of the International Council of the Universities of St. Thomas Aquinas (Icusta) last January 26 at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church, Aquino praised the University for 400 years of “quality Christian education.”

“For four centuries, [UST] has upheld the traditions of excellence and integrity, known to many as the Thomasian spirit, which now resides in the hearts and minds of our leaders and professionals,” the President said. “You have also opened the doors to our guests and shown them not just our well-known hospitality, but our capability to host important, international gatherings.”

“The University of Santo Tomas has educated the best this country has to offer. But when we look back at the long list of distinguished individuals this institution has produced, it is not merely education that sets them apart, but principles,” Aquino said. “This university has made it its noble mission to instill Catholic principles to each of its students while, at the same time, giving them a high quality of education.”

“It is no surprise that among those who serve our countrymen at the highest levels—presidents, senators, Supreme Court chief justices, saints, martyrs, and even artists—many are Thomasians—people who have learned to balance their intellect on an unshakable foundation of morality,” he added.

“I think this is what Thomasians around the world share in common—the ability to excel in their chosen field and contribute to the welfare, not just of their country, but of the world,” Aquino also said.

Noting the change in the social, cultural and spiritual environment of the 21st century, Aquino said Catholic institutions must work harder in honing student with the necessary knowledge and skills required to produce competitive citizens.

“UST has always been an exemplar of what we ask of our educational institutions. Through your efforts, we are hoping that Filipinos across the archipelago can all exhibit the qualities of your graduates,” he said.

President Aquino also cited Icusta for its commitment to academic excellence.

“For almost two decades, you have shown the world your commitment to international diversity by instilling a love of and a passion for truth, while pursuing academic excellence and practicing a life of faith,” Aquino said.

Reform in higher education

Recognizing the mismatch between job openings and courses offered in schools, Aquino announced that the government had declared a moratorium on new higher education institutions (HEI) offering business administration, nursing, teacher education, and hotel and restaurant management courses, pointing that numerous graduates of these courses are “hard-pressed to find jobs.”

“The Commission on Higher Education has also started to take action to review and fix the HEI systems in the country to make them more efficient, such as forging greater ties between HEIs and employers, which will ease the burden of job -hunting on new graduates,” he said.

Aquino also challenged the youth to reinforce their enthusiasm for a “better Philippines.”

“This is a task that is heaped on all of our backs—a task that seemed much heavier under the darkness of the previous years. But daylight is upon us,” he said.

[Unending grace...]

Hindi kayo naniniwalang pumunta ng Santo Tomas si Blessed John Paul II? Itong sa inyo!


USTexhibitsBlessedJohnPaulrelicsandmemorabilia,historicpapal documents
By Brylle B. Tabora | Philippine Daily Inquirer

Closing its year-long celebration of its 400th anniversary, the University of Santo Tomas will mount an exhibit on the life and times of Blessed John Paul II, who had visited UST twice, in 1981 and 1995, reaffirming UST’s status as a Pontifical University.

UST Rector Magnificus Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, O.P., will open the exhibit “Ad Januam Coeli [To the Gate of Heaven]: A Commemorative Exhibit on Blessed John Paul II and the University of Santo Tomas” on Jan. 25, 4:30 p.m., at the UST Museum of Arts and Sciences.

De la Rosa himself was first-term rector of UST in 1995 when he welcomed the Pope to the campus on the occasion of the World Youth Day celebration in Manila and UST’s hosting of the International Youth Forum, the youth leaders’ conference component of the WYD.

Curated by Regalado Trota-José, commissioner of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and UST Archivist, the exhibit features some of the late Pontiff’s rare relics and memorabilia, especially those associated with his two UST visits.

Also exhibited are photos, documents and memorabilia of Karol Wojtyla, the Christian name of John Paul II, when he was a priest in Poland before becoming a bishop.

The exhibit will include an enamel cross used by the Pope during his 1995 visit.

Also on exhibit will be the two papal chairs especially designed by UST artists for his 1981 and 1995 visits.

The 1995 chair was used by Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, the special papal legate sent by Pope Benedict XVI last year during the opening of the UST Quadricentennial celebration.

A monstrance the Holy Father once used, lent to the UST exhibit by Malolos Bishop and UST Central Seminary alumnus José Oliveros, will also be displayed.

Also on exhibit will be the Popemobile, the high-security, bullet-proof papal vehicle especially made by Francisco Motors for the 1995 visit.

A small section will feature the Pope’s death in 2005 and his beatification last May by Pope Benedict.

Another section is titled “The Pontiff of UST.”

Papal Bulls across history

Also to be exhibited are the Papal Bulls and other ancient documents from the UST Archives and UST Heritage Library that historically establish the links between UST and the Holy See.

In 1619, Pope Paul V authorized the granting of degrees of Philosophy and Theology to all colleges administered by the Dominicans in the Occidental Indies.

In 1645, Pope Innocent X raised Santo Tomas to the rank of university.

In 1785, the title Royal was given by Charles III in recognition of the loyalty of the Dominicans and UST students to Spain during the war against England.

In 1902, UST was given the title Pontifical by Leo XIII, making UST only the second to be accorded the honor in history (after the Gregorianum of Rome) and even ahead of Angelicum (Blessed John Paul’s alma mater) and other European institutions.

And, in 1947, UST was given the title The Catholic University of the Philippines, by Pius XII.

The Papal Bulls and edicts reaffirm UST’s reputation as the oldest university in Asia.

Although Blessed John Paul visited UST twice, Pope Paul VI was actually the first pope in history to visit the Manila university.

In 1970, Pope Paul VI, in the first papal visit to the Philippines, delivered his address to the Filipino youth at UST.

Paul VI made special mention of UST: “We wish to express first of all our great esteem for the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas. It is a university which is one of the most renowned for the richness of its history, one of the most important in number of students, and one of the most well-known for the care it devotes to education of high quality.”

In 1981, Pope John Paul II made his first papal visit to the country and gave his address to the Filipino youth at UST, which he called “an illustrious university.”

Later at the Rizal Park, he beatified Lorenzo Ruiz, the Filipino protomartyr of the 17th-century persecutions in Japan, and his companion-martyrs, nearly all of whom were alumni of UST. It was the first beatification outside of Rome in history.

During his 1995 visit, John Paul II spoke even more warmly about UST.

“As a Pontifical university, Santo Tomas has a special right to the Pope’s attention,” the Pope said. “In fact, this is the third visit of a pope to the oldest university in Asia: Pope Paul VI came here in 1970; I came in 1981 and now God gives me the grace of being here again to meet the ‘university world’ of the Philippines.”

Other relics

Also on exhibit will be relics of Dominican saints.

On display will be the commemorative stone for the beatification of Fra Angelico, the Dominican and Renaissance master whom John Paul II beatified and made Patron Saint of Artists. The UST campus building housing the College of Fine Arts and Design and the College of Architecture is now named after Beato Angelico.

Photos of martyrs of Japan and Vietnam, including San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod, all of whom were beatified by the late Pope, will also be seen in the exhibit.

“The Dominican fathers have thought about giving thanks to Blessed Pope John Paul II, especially now that he is beatified,” said Trota-José.

He added that UST has always been warmly associated with the Holy See, especially Blessed John Paul II, and an exhibit of papal memorabilia and relics would be a fitting close to the UST Quadricentennial and a send-off as well, as UST enters its fifth century.

Last Wednesday, Trota-José toured his fellow NCCA commissioners to the exhibit and other UST landmarks that have been declared by the National Museum as National Cultural Treasures and by the National Historical Institute as National Historical Treasures.

Leading the NCCA Commission in the UST tour was NCCA chair Felipe de Leon Jr.

“Ad Januam Coeli [To the Gate of Heaven]: A Commemorative Exhibit on Blessed John Paul II and the University of Santo Tomas” will run at the UST Museum until Feb. 10. It is open to the public.

Call the UST Public Affairs Office at 7313544 or 4061611 loc. 8315.

[Alladin]

aba! Pati si Amba mukhang gusto makita ang USTe...

[Dancin' Saiyan]

Pati pala si Marian binisita ang national cultural heritage...




Credits to feistymomma

[Konnichi wa]

The UST-College of Science is privileged to have hosted the Academic Visit of Prof. Yuji Imazumi, Vice President and Trustee of Nagoya City University, and Prof Naohide Hirashima, Dean and Professor of Cellular Biophysics at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science, NCU last December 2-3, 2014.

sana sa susunod Todai naman...

[No ID No Entry!]

No ID, no entry: Pope Francis given UST identification card
Julliane Love de Jes‎us INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—It seems like even a pope is not exempted from the University of Santo Tomas’ “No I.D. No Entry” policy.

As Pope Francis made a historic visit to the 400-year-old Catholic institution for the first time, he took home an official UST identification card as one of the many tokens he received during his visit.

The ID card, complete with his full name Jorge Mario Bergoglio and a special number 16112015-001, was handed to him by a boy before the Pope delivered his message to over 24,000 representatives from the country’s youth sector who filled the UST football field.

The young boy put the ID lace on the Pope, who lowered his head and warmly accepted it. Unlike the common UST IDs that feature a 1 x 1 size photo, the identification card of His Holiness is filled by a picture of him smiling and his hand raised in a wave.

The ID gives the 78-year-old Argentinian Pontiff an “Administration” position.

This is the third time a Pope visited the UST, which was granted the “pontifical” title by Pope Leo XIII in 1902. The UST, situated in Sampaloc, Manila, is the lone pontifical university in Asia.

Being given the title means the institution has “a special mission of spreading the Gospel and promoting the teachings of the Catholic Church.”



Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net/666105/no-id-no-entry-pope-francis-given-ust-identification-card#ixzz3PXj06YgR
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[ASAP Live]

Aba! Nag-show ba ang ASAP ng ABS-CBN sa USTe? Sina Jed Madela, Jaime Rivera, Angeline Quinto at Darren Espanto sa may UST granstand ito, ah...




Credits to Darren

[#Willkommen]

GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO THE PHILIPPINES

German Ambassador to the Philippines – Mr. Thomas Ossowski paid a courtesy call on the Rector of the University of Santo Tomas, Rev. Fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy, O.P. on March 13, 2015.



Source: UST Quadri

[#Bienvenue]

CANADIAN BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

Canadian Bureau for International Education – Mr. George Khoury (in gray coat) and Ms. Anne Christensen (in blue dress) tour around the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School with Assoc. Prof. Karen Santiago, Ph.D (in white), associate director of Office for International Relations and Programs for a possible partnership between the University’s graduate school and the different graduate schools in Canada on March 19, 2015.




Source: UST Quadri

[UMAC]

The 15th Annual University Museums and Collections International Conference

ICOM-UMAC Chair Hugues Dreyssé together with the Rector of the University of Santo Tomas Rev. Fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy, O.P. and the 2015 UMAC International Conference Chair Fr. Isidro Abaño, O.P. before the opening ceremonies of the 15th University Museums and Collections International Conference at the University of Santo Tomas.





Source: UST Quadri

[Turkish academicians]

PTARC Vice President Mr. Mehmet KÖSE (extreme left), PTARC Expert Mr. Ahmet Alemdar and PTARC Head of Department of Institutional Relations and Communication Ahmet Atabaş (third and fourth from left respectively) of the Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry paid a courtesy call on the Rector of the University of Santo Tomas, Rev. Fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy, O.P. on May 13, 2015.


Source: UST Quadri

[#royal]

[Tom A. Saiyan]

Dolce Amore stars at Santo Tomas...

[Tom A. Saiyan]

Political personalities galore at Santo Tomas...