BSL Honoris Causa
Each year BSL awards Honoris Causa degrees to one or more individuals who have made outstanding achievements in the field of business/ and or entrepreneurship. The recipients are invited to the Graduation ceremony to greet the BSL graduates and address the audience.
Honoris Causa 2011
BSL awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree to Ms. Sung-Joo Kim in recognition of her exceptional achievements in business and representation of the empowerment of women. Sung-Joo Kim is a Chairwoman and CEO of Sungjoo Group and MCM Holdings AG. Internationally known and respected for her accomplishments in business, she has successfully launched and acquired exclusive franchise rights for several globally renowned brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel, Marks & Spencer and MCM for the Korean market, positioning Korea as a leader in the luxury sector. Ms. Sung-Joo Kim was also selected as one of the “1997 Global Leaders of Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, ranked as one of the “7 Most Powerful Women in Asia” by Asiaweek and nominated among the “Top 50 Women to Watch” by The Wall Street Journal.
The Honorary Degree of BSL this year was received also by Claude Nicollier first Swiss astronaut, in recognition of his exceptional achievements in the field of spatial research and engagement for a sustainable future. He was selected to be in the first group of European astronauts in 1978 and took part in four NASA missions, totalling more than one thousand hours spent in space. During his impressive career, Claude Nicollier has received the Yuri Gagarin Gold Medal from the International Aeronautical Federation in 1994, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 1999, the Robert J. Collier Trophy from the National Aeronautic Association.