Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne will on Thursday, June 8 receive an Honorary Doctor of Medical Science Degree from the American University of Antigua School of Medicine during its graduation ceremony in Newark, New Jersey.
The ceremony, which will see 250 students graduating from the institution, will include five Antiguan students receiving their degrees, according to an Antigua and Barbuda government statement.
It said Browne is “deeply humbled” to receive the honorary degree, “and will carry it with pride and humility, knowing that it is a testament to the value of contributing not only to Antigua and Barbuda but to the one people of our one earth.”
“He said that he shares the award with the people of Antigua and Barbuda, for it is the people of Antigua and Barbuda who have provided a safe, crime-free environment for the students of the University to live and study,” the statement said.
Browne said: “It is their collective contributions that resulted in the meteoric rise of Antigua and Barbuda, like a Phoenix from the ashes, to become one of the best performing economies in this hemisphere.”
After being conferred with the honorary doctorate, Browne will address over 2,000 guests at the New Jersey Performing Arts Centre in Newark, where the ceremony will be held.
“He is expected to speak of his own experiences as a child growing up in poverty stricken areas in Antigua and the contributions healthcare has made towards his survival,” the statement said.
“He is also expected to announce new initiatives in the promotion of medical tourism and additional government collaboration with the American University of Antigua School of Medicine,” it added.
The American University of Antigua School of Medicine was founded in 2003 and commenced its inaugural classes with nine students in 2004.
Today, the university has more than 2,500 students, the statement said.
