Finish University rescinds honorary degree to Ethiopia’s PM

ESAT News (March 29, 2017)

The Tampere University of Technology in Finland rescinded the honorary doctorate degree it was scheduled to award to Ethiopia’s prime minister Halemariam Desalegn following a relentless campaign by Ethiopians in the Diaspora who believe a man at the helm of a brutal regime does not deserve such recognition.

A campaign by the Ethiopian community in Finland and all over the globe has forced the University to remove the announcement of the award from its website. The University simply informed the Ethiopian community that Hailemariam will not attend the event.

The Ethiopian community representatives in Finland last month wrote a letter saying the Prime Minister does not deserve such an award as he is part of regime that terrorizes its own people.

An alumnus of TUT, Hailemariam Desalegn graduated in 1992 with MSc in sanitation engineering.

In 2014, Azusa Pacific University (APU) withdrew the honor bestowed upon Hailemariam following a relentless campaigned by activists. The University said it withdrew the honor after thorough consideration of the human rights violation perpetrated by the Ethiopian regime to which Hailemariam is a key player.