The University of Ottawa honoured His Excellency Rudolf Schuster, President of the Slovak Republic. President Schuster, who was in Ottawa for a private visit, received an honorary doctorate from University Chancellor Huguette Labelle.
A civil engineer and author of numerous books on a variety of subject, Rudolf Schuster became the first elected president of Slovakia in 1999.
His links to the University of Ottawa date back to his time as ambassador of Czechoslovakia to Canada. During his time in Ottawa, he was a strong supporter of the establishment of the Chair in Slovak History and Culture at the University of Ottawa. In June 2002, President Schuster opened a major University of Ottawa conference entitled “The Slovak Republic: a decade of independence.”