Diplomat Francesc Vendrell honorary doctorate

Dr. Vendrell has been Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and Special Envoy of the UN and the European Union to different conflicts in the world. Now he teaches at the School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University in Bologna.

The dean of Blanquerna FCRI, Dr. Josep Maria Carbonell, referred to him as a "universal Catalan", "Vendrell is one of those universal Catalans and truly represents, without artifice and without resorting to hyperbole, the vocation of a secular spirit that illustrates the virtues associated with restraint and sobriety, the search for agreement and understanding as the primary value of relationships between humans and their organizations, from all different kinds of representative groups to States themselves."

Dr. Vendrell’s speech focused on explaining the categories of disputes, in some of which he has intervened personally. He explained that there are two vital conditions for finding solutions: "The conviction of the warring parties that they can not resolve the conflict militarily, and the second point is when there is a window of opportunity that can be used for a period of time."

The rector of the University Ramon Llull, Dr. Josep Maria Garrell, said that this is the second honoris causa that the University Blanquerna FCRI has proposed. "While the first, awarded 10 years ago, was to a giant of the field of journalism (Ryszard Kapuscinski), now is the time for another huge personality in the field of international relations. It is no coincidence that these proposals are rooted in the two banners that the School has in its name: communication communication and international relations."