Bill Gates
Bill Gates said that reducing inequity is the highest human achievement

Gates gets Harvard degree at last

Microsoft chairman urges students to address global inequality

Iain Thomson

Bill Gates has finally got a degree from his alma mater Harvard, 33 years after he dropped out to start Microsoft

Gates used his acceptance speech to call for greater steps to tackle global inequality, describing as "revolting" the fact that children in the developing world are dying for want of medicine costing less than $1.

Advertisement

"I left Harvard with no real awareness of the awful inequities in the world: the appalling disparities of health, wealth and opportunity that condemn millions of people to lives of despair.

"I learned a lot here at Harvard about new ideas in economics and politics, and I got great exposure to the advances being made in the sciences.

"But humanity's greatest advances are not in its discoveries, but in how those discoveries are applied to reduce inequity.

"Whether through democracy, strong public education, quality healthcare or broad economic opportunity, reducing inequity is the highest human achievement. "

Gates urged his audience to become activists and take up the fight to save those less fortunate than themselves. He declared that he would be devoting all his energies and resources to the project once he had eased himself out of Microsoft next year.

On a lighter note Gates thanked the university for his Doctor of Law degree, saying that it would make his father, who was in the audience, proud, and could come in useful.

"I have been waiting more than 30 years to say this: 'Dad, I always told you I'd come back and get my degree,'" he joked.

"I want to thank Harvard for this timely honour. I will be changing my job next year and it will be nice to finally have a college degree on my resume."

  • Have your say
  • Send to a friend
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Share

Tags:

Do you agree?

Further reading

Bill Gates has announced his intention to retire as Microsoft's chief software architect in July 2008

Bill Gates to retire in June 2008

Microsoft co-founder steps down; Ray Ozzie steps up

Bill Gates

Gates still richest man in the world

Microsoft founder keeps top slot as tech moguls slip

Gates Foundation awards $1.5m to Grameen Foundation

Grant will help microfinance organisation tackle third-world poverty

Gates promises IT training for 45 million Africans

Microsoft chairman unveils 'long term' investment programme

Related whitepapers

Related jobs

Most watched

HTC Hero

Hands on with the HTC Hero

V3.co.uk gets a walk through of the Hero, which includes HTC's new Sense overlay for Android

Xperia X1

Video Review: Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

First Looks Editor Ian Williams gets hands on with the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

IT white papers

Search white papers

Top categories

Poll

Poll: Summer smartphones

Poll: Summer smartphones

Which smartphone will you be taking to the beach this summer?

View poll results

Advertisement

Advertisement

Newsletter signup

Sign up for our range of FREE newsletters:

Existing User

Newsletter user login:

Enter email address to edit your newsletter preferences

Job of the week

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Hiring now on ComputingCareers:

Related IT jobs

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Spotlight

Carlos Solari

Interview: Bell Labs security chief Carlos Solari

The former FBI and White House CIO shares his views...

Virtual world

Intel outlines the next-generation 'reality web'

Forget Web 2.0, the future is 'immersive connective experience'

PowerPoint 2010

Microsoft spills the beans on Office 2010

Web-based versions of Office apps to be available at no...

HTC Hero

Hands on with the HTC Hero

V3.co.uk gets a walk through of the Hero, which includes...

Primary Navigation