The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will deliver special remarks at one of the University of South Carolina's commencement ceremonies, according to a press release from the university.
While USC had announced in August that it would no longer have commencement speakers after civil rights legend John Lewis at the December commencement, it has made an exception for this "highly distinguished speaker."
Guterres will receive an honorary degree and deliver his remarks at the 3 p.m. ceremony May 6, which includes the School of Music; College of Social Work; College of Education; College of Engineering and Computing; College of Hospitality; Retail and Sport Management; Interdisciplinary Programs; and Palmetto College.
“We are honored that the U.N. secretary-general has decided to visit Columbia and speak to our graduates,” University President Harris Pastides said in the release. “This is a rare opportunity for students to hear from a consummate diplomat, civil servant and human rights advocate who is immersed on a daily basis in the most critical issues facing our world today.”