We’re delighted to report that on Monday, June 4th, our Principal Hugh Segal received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws.
Here’s the citation below:
Mr. Chancellor, by the authority of the Senate, I have the pleasure to present to you, that at your hands he may receive the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa
Hugh David Segal
Iconic presence in the public life of Canada, and in the nation’s political discourse, for over four decades;
Principal of Massey College and Senior Fellow of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto;
Proud graduate of the University of Ottawa;
Associate Cabinet Secretary to the Premier of Ontario, and part of the provincial delegation to the negotiations that led to the patriation of the Canadian Constitution and the creation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms;
A former Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, who would join the Senate of Canada as a passionate and principled voice for a vigorous foreign and defense policy, as evidenced by his role as Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Special Committee on Anti-Terrorism;
Who, as Canada’s Special Envoy for Commonwealth Reform and as a member of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group, helped make the case to the organization’s leadership for a modern Commonwealth that acted as a champion for human rights and civil society;
Whose commitment to social justice has made him one of the nation’s leading proponents for a universal basic income for all Canadians, and whose comprehensive report informs pilot projects already underway in Ontario;
And whose work with programs within the Queen’s Department of Political Studies, the School of Policy Studies and the Smith School of Business have been critical in linking research and development programs with the wider policy world;
Who has been equally generous in his support of charitable organizations that support the broader Kingston community;
Fierce defender of civility amid the heat and light of civic discourse, whose voice of compassionate conservatism has resonated across the political spectrum; a witty and compelling orator whose ability to captivate and impact knows few parallels;
Officer of the Order of Canada, Member of the Order of Ontario, Honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy, Chair of the NATO Association of Canada, and recipient of honorary doctorates from the Royal Military College of Canada and the University of Ottawa;
An inimitable presence whom we are privileged to welcome back to Queen’s, proud to bestow this, our highest award.
