President of Madagascar visits campus, meets with business leaders
Janel Shoun |
More than 1,000 Lipscomb students, along with visitors from the Nashville community, greeted the Malagasy visitors with signs, song and enthusiastic cheers. The high school and concert choruses performed the Malagasy and U.S. national anthems and a hymn. Students from elementary, middle and high school presented gifts to the President and first lady, including a framed print of the Burton Building by the Spirit of Nashville artists. In his speech, President Ravalomanana challenged the students present to "think big" and to cherish their opportunity to receive a quality education. He invited Lipscomb students and Nashville residents to visit Madagascar and join him in projects to strengthen their relationship and help bring significant growth to his country. “We are just like you,” President Ravalomanana told the students. “We have the same abilities; the same aspirations. But the resources available to out students are much less. They have to start working at a young age…. “Fighting poverty has to become the responsibility of all nations, not just because of our Christian values, but to prevent war and terrorism,” he said. According to the World Bank, the average income of a Malagasy citizen is only $290 per year and more than two-thirds of the population (68.7%) living below the poverty line. President Ravalomanana and his entourage, including First Lady Lalao Ravalomanana, his son Tojo Ravalomanana, and Malagasy Ambassador to the U.S. Jocelyn Radifera and his wife, toured the campus, including the newly renovated $10.1 million Burton Health Sciences Center, the home of Lipscomb’s new College of Pharmacy beginning this summer. The President noted that his country is in great need of facilities to manufacture generic drugs to supply his nation with medicine. A few years ago the President’s administration began a program to send Malagasy citizens to America for a college education. Malagasy students trained in health care fields such as pharmacy and nursing would be especially valuable to his nation.
To see more photos of the Presidential visit, click here.
President Ravalomanana and Lipscomb President L. Randolph Lowry talk in the co-campus Starbucks in the student center.
On a tour of the newly renovated Burton Health Sciences Center, Pharmacy Dean Roger Davis discusses Lipscomb's new College of Pharmacy.
The First Ladies of Madagascar and Lipscomb converse during a welcoming convocation with David Lipscomb Campus School students.
Starbucks coffee, Lipscomb sweatshirts, a Spirit of Nashville print and more than 1,000 screaming students and staff greeted Marc Ravalomanana, President of the Republic of Madagascar, to the Lipscomb campus Thursday. Even the weather withheld its worst to make the President's visit a positive one.
| President Ravalomanana was delighted with the Lipscomb apparel available at the campus bookstore. |
| Elementary, middle and high school students presented gifts to Lipscomb's special guests at the welcoming convocation. |
President Ravalomanana told the luncheon audience he is working hard to instill an entrepreneurial spirit in his citizens. “A responsible entrepreneur should think beyond profit and should think about long-term profits, social responsibility and the environment…. Conditions have never been more favorable (for economic investment), then they are right now,” he said. The Madagascar leaders rounded out their visit with a personal meeting with Lipscomb President L. Randolph Lowry met to discuss a partnership that would bring Malagasy students to Lipscomb. Madagascar’s leadership was introduced to the possibility of Nashville economic connections through their link with Franklin-based World Christian Broadcasting, which is constructing a radio station and tower in Madagascar. Madagascar Action Plan promotes ties to American business, education President Ravalomanana has spurred a 6.3 percent GDP average annual growth rate in his nation, but with new challenges looming, such as steep increases in food prices and the effects of two devastating cyclones this year, closer ties are needed with America’s private sector and education institutions for Madagascar to keep its positive momentum in today’s world. The Madagascar Action Plan, 2007-2012, established by President Ravalomanana, includes attracting international investment as one of its top priorities to address health care infrastructure, rural development and economic issues. “Since His Excellency President Marc Ravalomanana took office in 2002, he has actively been pursuing the objectives set forth in the Madagascar Action Plan, which designates the private sector as central to the achievement of the plan’s goals,” said Earl Young, the president of the U.S.-Madagascar Business Council. “He has set out to reduce poverty, increase literacy and since 2005, has seen steadily raising GDP growth rates.” The U.S.-Madagascar Business council, sparked by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has spurred several American trade commitments with Madagascar in the past few years. In another long-term effort to combat rising food prices, Conservation International, a global development and conservation organization, has worked with the Madagascar government to train farmers to produce plentiful harvests from the same plot of land instead of cutting down valuable forests to obtain more arable soil.