Two leading American academics have been honoured by St Andrews University.
Professor Nannerl Keohane and her husband, Professor Robert Keohane, who is professor of public and international affairs at Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, were both given the honorary degree of doctor of letters.
Political philosopher Nan Keohane is formerly the president of Wellesley College and Duke University.
In her laureation, Professor Katherine Hawley said Nan Keohane had turned her theoretical knowledge and practical wisdom to the public good, as a leader of major American universities.
In 1981 she became 11th president of her alma mater, Wellesley, and the college flourished under her leadership.
In 1993 she was poached to become the first female president of Duke University. She drew on her vast storehouse of experience to write two books about ethics, leadership and higher education.
“It is especially appropriate that we honour Nan Keohane as we celebrate the achievements of all our new graduates, for she, more than most of us, has thought deeply about what a university education is for; and she has set the bar high for those of us on the stage and behind the scenes who collaborate with our students to make that education possible,” Professor Hawley said.
In his laureation to Robert Keohane, Professor Nicholas Rengger said: “It goes without saying that it is not given to many scholars to completely reshape their chosen corners of the scholarly world. Some do, of course, succeed in contributing an influential body of work that genuinely shifts the centre of gravity of a field or part of one, but it is a rare achievement.
“Robert Keohane, however, has done that not once, not even twice, but four times.”
He went on to say that it was, perhaps, his fascination with puzzles and anomalies which helped make his work so creative and influential.
It was in recognition of his outstanding contributions to political science and international studies, over nearly 50 years, and in the confident expectation of many more still to come, that the honour was conferred.
Addressing the graduands yesterday, Professor Richard English told the young men and women the intelligence, disciplined hard work and dedication which lay behind what they had achieved at St Andrews were hugely impressive.
He reflected on three important ways of taking forward “some of the riches gained by having studied and learned at a great university such as this” never stop reflecting on what they had learned, be ambitious in the ideas they took with them and continue to be absorbed and excited by the most serious scholarly books and arguments.