2022年11月1日、カンボジア王国政府のハン・チュン・ナロン教育大臣がご臨席のもと、石澤所長に贈呈される「王立プノンペン大学名誉博士号(歴史学・人文学)」授与式が、プノンペン大学のカンボジア日本人材開発センター（CJCC）「Angkor Kizuna」ホールにおいて挙行されました。
当日は、王立プノンペン大学の理事長、理事、学長、副学長、教職員約100名、日本語学科等の学生150名に加え、日本側からは三上正裕閣下（駐カンボジア特命全権大使、現ベルギー国駐箚兼北大西洋条約機構日本政府代表部在勤特命全権大使）、亀井温子様（JICAカンボジア事務所所長）、上智大学カンボジア・ソフィア会（会長：エク・ブンタ カンボジア王国政府文化芸術省副局長、上智大学大学院・地域研究専攻博士前期課程1999年修了）など関係者が駆けつけ、350名収容の会場は満席となりました。
名誉博士号授与式は、カンボジア国家斉唱から始まり、祝辞に立ったナロン大臣は
「石澤先生は、上智大学国際奉仕活動（ソフィア・ミッション）として、約40年間にわたり、カンボジアでアンコール・ワットの遺跡保存修復、人材養成、調査・研究等を推進し、その活動はアセアンを含め国際的に高い評価を得てきた」とその功績を称えました。称号記授与にあたりナロン大臣は「今後もカンボジア王国およびプノンペン大学に対する文化的、学術的貢献を担うふさわしい人物として、王立プノンペン大学名誉博士号を授与する」と結び、石澤所長および上智大学との今後の協働活動に期待を寄せました。
次に、石澤所長は受諾記念講演「上智大学国際奉仕活動（ソフィア・ミッション）をカンボジアで実践―人間を取り戻す難民救済と民族の誇りを取り戻す遺跡救済―」をカンボジア語通訳（ラオ・キム・リァン上智大学研究員）を交えて行いました。
J.ピタウ上智大学長が開始した「インドシナ難民に愛の手を」のカンボジア難民支援募金活動（1979年）、アンコール・ワットの保存修復とカンボジア人保存官の育成のためシェムリアップ市内に建設した上智大学アジア人材養成研究センター（1996年）、アンコール遺跡のISO14001（環境マネジメント）認証取得のための人材養成活動（2003－2006年）、世紀の大発見となったカンボジア人保存官候補者たちによる、バンテアイ・クデイ遺跡での274体の仏像発掘（2001年）、これらの仏像を展示する「シハヌーク・イオン博物館」の建設(2007年)、そしてアセアン９カ国とカンボジアの国際交流拠点となっている現在のアジア人材養成研究センター他を写真により詳細に紹介しました。そして「遺跡の保存修復から始まった私たちの国際協力は、カンボジアの人たちと強固な信頼関係を結んできた。カンボジアには「知」の遺産がたくさんあり、私たちはそれらを学びながら、日本の「知」を語るという姿勢を貫いてきたからである。私たちの国際奉仕活動に賛同くださった、多くの日本人や外国人のみなさんに感謝申し上げたい。」と結びました。
最後に、石澤所長へお祝いの花束がオム・ラヴィ プノンペン大学副学長 （上智大学大学院・地域研究専攻博士後期課程2002年修了）から手渡され、授与式は終了しました。
プノンペン大学は、2020年に迎えた創立60周年を記念して、名誉博士号をフン・セン首相、マレーシア連邦マハティール首相、そして石澤所長へ同時に授与する予定でしたが、新型コロナの感染拡大により延期されてきました。2022年８月5日、同大はカンボジア王国政府のフン・セン首相へ名誉博士号を授与し、この度引き続いて石澤所長へ名誉博士号が授与されました。
プノンペン大学は初めての日本人名誉博士誕生を記念して、キャンパス内にあるフン・セン図書館に「石澤良昭教授コーナー」を新設し、カンボジアと日本、そして上智大学との新たな絆の懸け橋としました。今後多くの学生が石澤所長の功績に学び、高い志を持ってカンボジアから世界へ羽ばたいていくことが期待されています。
※本学と王立プノンペン大学（学長CHET Chealy氏）は「交換留学協定」と「学術交流協定」を締結しています。
CHETプノンペン大学長から名誉博士号式服授与
在プノンペン日本大使館がFacebookで速報した写真 左からナロン教育大臣、石澤所長
名誉博士号授与式後、かけつけてくれたカンボジア・ソフィア会一同に囲まれ笑顔の記念撮影 石澤所長の後ろがオム・ラヴィ副学長（本学OG）
プノンペン大学フン・セン図書館内に新設された「石澤良昭教授コーナー」。上部のプレートには「Professor Ishizawa YoshiakiSection 」と記銘されている。
On November 1, 2022, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Hang Chuon Narong, Minister of Education of the Kingdom of Cambodia, a ceremony to confer an Honorary Doctorate (History and Humanities) was conducted for the Director Dr. Yoshiaki Ishizawa, at the Angkor Kizuna Hall of the Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC), at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
On the day of the event, the head of the board of Trustees as well the Trustees themselves, the President, Vice President, Directors, and about 100 faculty members and 150 students of the Japanese language department and other departments of the Royal University of Phnom Penh, assembled to fill the 350 seats in the venue. On the Japanese side were present His Excellency Mr. Masahiro Mikami (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Cambodia, and at the present time Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Belgium as well as Permanent Representative of Japan to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization), Ms. Atsuko Kamei (Director of the JICA Cambodia Office), and members of the Sophia Alumni Association of Cambodia. (The President of the Alumni Association of Cambodia is Mr. Ek Bunta, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Culture and Arts of the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and a 1999 graduate of the Master’s Program of the Graduate School of Area Studies of Sophia University).
The ceremony began with the singing of the Cambodian National Anthem. In his congratulatory address, His Excellency Minister Narong highly extolled the achievements of Dr. Ishizawa by asserting, “Professor Ishizawa has promoted the conservation and restoration of the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia for about 40 years, as part of the worldwide service activities of Sophia University (activities of the Sophia Mission), and also activities like human resource development, surveys, research, and so on. Such activities have been highly acclaimed worldwide by many nations, including the nations of ASEAN.” After conferring the title, His Excellency Minister Narong concluded by expressing his hopes of future collaborative activities with the Director Dr. Ishizawa and Sophia University, by stating, “We are awarding him an honorary doctorate from the Royal University of Phnom Penh, as a person who will continue making cultural and academic contributions, both to the Kingdom of Cambodia and the University of Phnom Penh.”
Following this Dr. Ishizawa delivered a commemorative lecture of acceptance, entitled, “Realizing the International Volunteer Activities of Sophia University (Sophia Mission) in Cambodia – Aiding Refugees for the Restoration of Humanity and Saving the Ruins for the Restoration of National Pride.” This was translated into Cambodian by Mr. Lao Kim Liang (a researcher of Sophia University).
The fund-raising campaign for the assistance of Cambodian refugees that was initiated in 1979 by J. Pittau the President of Sophia University, namely, “Extending hands of Love to Indo-Chinese Refugees,” the Sophia Asia Center for Research and Human Development that was erected in 1996 at Siem Reap city for the conservation and restoration of Angkor Wat and training of conservation officers, the activities of human resource development that were undertaken for the Angkor ruins in order to acquire the ISO 14001 (environmental management) certification (2003~2006), the excavation of 274 statues of the Buddha at the Banteay Kdei ruins by Cambodian conservation candidates, which was a leading discovery of the century (2001), the construction of the Sihanouk Aeon Museum to display those Buddha statues (2007), and the current Sophia Asia Center for Research and Human Development which serves an international exchange base for Cambodia and the nine nations of ASEAN, were introduced in detail via photographs. Dr. Ishizawa concluded by declaring, “Our international cooperation that began with the conservation and restoration of ruins, has built up strong relationships of trust with the people of Cambodia. This is because Cambodia has been endowed with a great deal of ‘Knowledge,’ and while we learn from the Cambodians, we continue to maintain our attitude of speaking of Japan’s ‘Knowledge.’ I would like to express my gratitude to the many Japanese and foreigners who have supported our international activities of service.”
Finally, Dr. Ishizawa was offered a congratulatory bouquet by Ms. Oum Ravi, Vice President of Phnom Penh University (and former student at Sophia University’s Graduate School of Area Studies Doctoral Program, 2002), and this being done the ceremony came to a close.
In 2020, in order to commemorate the 60th anniversary of its establishment, the University of Phnom Penh had decided on simultaneously conferring honorary doctorates on their Excellencies Prime Minister Hun Sen, Prime Minister Mahathir of Malaysia, and Dr. Ishizawa, but the event had to be postponed due to the spread of COVID-19. Nevertheless however on August 5, 2022 the university awarded an honorary doctorate to Prime Minister Hun Sen of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and this was followed by an honorary doctorate to Dr. Ishizawa.
Within the Hun Sen Library of the Phnom Penh University campus lies the ‘Ishizawa Yoshiaki Corner,’ which was created in remembrance of the first honorary doctorate conferred on a Japanese. It serves as a bridge connecting Cambodia, Japan, and Sophia University, and it is our hope that many students will learn from Dr. Ishizawa’s accomplishments, and fly out into the world with high aspirations.
* Our university and the Royal University of Phnom Penh (whose President is CHET Chealy), have signed a “Student Exchange Agreement” as well as an “Academic Exchange Agreement.”
Receiving the Honorary Doctorate Ceremonial Uniform from President Chet of Phnom Penh University.
Photograph posted on Facebook by the Embassy of Japan in Phnom Penh. From the left are the Minister of Education Narong and Dr. Ishizawa.