On 25 June 2016 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon received an honorary doctorate from the University Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, a member of the United Nations Academic Impact since 2012.
In his , the Secretary-General encouraged students to become active global citizens and make use of the precious gift of exceptional education by find[ing] ways to help those less fortunate and by reach[ing] out to those who are in constant suffering. ?A significant number of the Sustainable Development Goals address issues concerning youth, and Mr. Ban stressed that the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is currently working more than ever before with young people and on their behalf.
Seeking to align higher education institutions with the principles and values of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAI was launched by the Secretary-General in 2010. With more than 1200 members worldwide, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAI has grown enormously in the last few years, establishing hubs in leading institutions around the globe. The University Paris 1 Panth¨¦on-Sorbonne in France serves as the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAI hub for Human Rights, including freedom of inquiry, opinion, and speech.