Asif J. Chaudhry, vice president of WSU’s Office of International Programs and WSU Pullman vice chancellor, was recently awarded the title Doctor Honoris Causa of Ovidius University in Constanta (UOC), Romania.
Former ambassador to the Republic of Moldova with a long career in the U.S. government, including leadership positions at the Pentagon and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Chaudhry is also a dyed-in-the-wool Coug, having earned his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from WSU in 1988.
Ovidius University, a prominent university in the Black Sea region, conferred the award in recognition of Chaudhry’s extensive contributions in promoting and supporting democratic reforms and introduction of free market economic systems in Eastern and Central Europe in the post-Soviet era.
At the recognition ceremony in Romania, Emanuel Plopeanu, dean of the faculty of history and political science of the UOC , said, “We appreciate Dr. Chaudhry’s outstanding contributions in promoting democratic values, prosperity and freedom regionally and globally, but especially in Eastern Europe. We note that his work has always been guided by the values that Ovidius University promotes, that he is a worthy example for future generations of students to follow, and that he is a persistent and dedicated campaigner for the development of collaboration between the two higher education institutions.”
WSU and Ovidius University are also developing plans to collaborate on security issues through a Black Seas Studies Project, which includes a Black Sea Security Forum, an Ovidius-WSU Security and Development Institute and potential affiliation opportunities with more than 90 research institutes that are part of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium.
