Lord Sevele and Lady 'Ainise

Tonga's former Prime Minister Lord Dr Sevele 'o Vailahi was awarded with a Honorary Doctorate degree, a Doctor of Letters, by the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand on Wednesday, 17 April, when he delivered the Graduation Address.

"For graduates from the developing countries, whilst education has opened up windows of opportunities for many, it has not solved all of our problems. Perhaps we, the privileged and educated few, need to be reminded that education without a clear moral compass can be a very dangerous thing," he said.

Dr Sevele studied at the University of Canterbury, graduating BA in 1967, MA (Hons) and PhD in 1973.

A citation read by Professor Mark Francis outlined his achievements in Tonga, and throughout the Pacific Region as the first elected People's Representative to the Tongan Parliament to be made a Prime Minister in 2006 and the first Commoner to hold the post.

After returning to Tonga Dr Sevele served in a number of roles. He was the manager and the director of the former Tongan Commodities Board; a senior economist with the South Pacific Commission based in Noumea, New Caledonia; a director of the Catholic Education in Tonga, and a chairman of the Tongan Rugby Union. He was chairman of the Pacific Forum in 2009.

While Dr Sevele was Prime Minister, and in collaboration with the late King George Tupou V, 135 years of the Tongan Royalties dominance of the Tongan government came to an end, when the king surrendered most of his executive power to a majority-elected parliament and cabinet at the end of 2010.

Dr Sevele retired from politics before Tonga's first parliamentary election in November 2010. In recognition of his services to Tonga, he was appointed to a Tongan life peerage in 2011.

He was one of two University of Canterbury scholars who were honored by the university at the graduation ceremony.

Bill Culbert, a sculptor, photographer and installation artist was the other recipient of an Honorary Doctorate, and the first recipient of the university's honorary Doctor of Fine Arts.

The other Tongan students who graduated from Canterbury University on April 17 included David Fatai-Nuuhiva Lavulo, Bachelor of Arts with Third Class Honours; Emma Christine Puloka, Bachelor of Science; Finau S. Fonua BA (in absentia), Graduate Diploma in Journalism.