Amma at International Forums
Honorary Doctorate Award to Amma from the State University
of New York
The State University of New York (SUNY) will Amma with an Honorary Doctorate
in Humane Letters at a special ceremony to be held on May 25 at its
campus in Buffalo.
SUNY is bestowing the doctorate upon Amma in recognition of her tireless
efforts on behalf of global peace, for her commitment to education and
for the far-reaching impact of her charitable organizations in relieving
poverty and human suffering in India and around the world.
SUNY confers honorary degrees to "recognize excellence and extraordinary
achievement in the fields of public affairs, the sciences, humanities
and the arts, scholarship and education, business and philanthropy and
social services which exemplify the mission and purpose of the University;
to honor meritorious and outstanding service to the University, the
State of New York, the United States, or to humanity at large; to recognize
individuals whose lives and significant achievements should serve as
examples of the University's aspirations for its students."
The announcement from this University describes AMMA "as a distinguished
and beloved spiritual leader and humanitarian, Amritanandamayi Devi
is known throughout the world as "AMMA" and esteemed internationally
for her tireless efforts on behalf of global peace, for her commitment
to education and for the far-reaching impact of her charitable organizations
in relieving poverty and human suffering in India and around the world.
Her renowned charitable foundation, Mata Amritanandamayi Math, leads
and supports humanitarian projects and services ranging from housing
assistance, medical care, financial assistance and legal advice for
the needy, to support for schools, orphanages and educational institutions.
She is founder and chancellor of Amrita University in India, a prominent
institution that SUNY has partnered with since 2006 to offer dual-degree
programs at the master's level in management and computer science, with
additional programs in medicine, social work and photonics in development.
She is the recipient of numerous honors, including the James Park Morton
Interfaith Award of the Interfaith Center of New York and the Gandhi-King
Award for Non-Violence presented by the World Movement for Non-Violence."
SUNY is a renowned public university with 64 campuses across the state
of New York. Its four main centers are in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo
and Stonybrook. Its total student body is 440,000 students.