Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean to be awarded for her outstanding accomplishments. Dalhousie university recognises outstanding achievement through the awarding of honorary degrees. These special honours recognise leadership or service to society, contributions to a field or discipline of study or non-academic achievement, or outstanding achievement at or contributions to the university. Michaëlle Jean is an award-winning journalist, presenter and news anchor in both French and English. An immigrant from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, who overcame tremendous obstacles to build a distinguished career in journalism and humanitarianism. She served as Canada’s 27th Governor General and Commander-in-Chief from 2005 to 2010 — the first individual of African descent to hold Canada’s highest vice-regal office.
She served as Chancellor of the University of Ottawa, recently completed a four-year term as Secretary General of La Francophonie and founded the Michaëlle Jean Foundation to fund youth-led community and civic initiatives.
Among her numerous ranks and recognitions from countries around the world, Michaëlle Jean is a Member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, a Companion of the Order of Canada, Commander of the Order of Military Merit, and winner of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Canada Award. She has also received honorary degrees from nearly 20 universities.