Former Palau President and 2024 Palau Presidential Candidate Visit Eastern Oregon University
Eastern Oregon University (EOU) is pleased to announce that former President of Palau and current 2024 presidential candidate, Tommy Remengesau Jr., will be visiting campus on Thursday, May 30, 2024.
Remengesau will meet with students and community members in the Hawk Union Building's Community Room beginning at 5:30 p.m. The event is hosted by the Navigator Club and EOU's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Initiative. Remengesau's visit will also include a campus tour, providing an opportunity to learn more about the university and its students.
EOU's relationship with the Republic of Palau dates back to the 1980s, when the university began an in-person teacher preparation program for Pacific Island countries that brought students to La Grande to take classes on campus. Since then, EOU has graduated hundreds of students from across the Pacific Islands, including Palau, many of whom live, work and raise their families in the region.
Former President Remengesau began his political career at age 28 and became Palau's youngest senator in 1984. He served as Vice President from 1992 to 2000. He was elected President in 2000 and served in that position until 2008, and again from 2013 to 2021. He made environmental protection a priority, establishing the Palau National Marine Sanctuary and the Micronesia Challenge, and receiving honors such as the United Nations Environment Programme's Champions of the Earth and Time Magazine's Environmental Heroes. Aside from his environmental activism, he promoted Palau's tourism industry and sought to reduce Palau's reliance on U.S. aid. His leadership on international issues, especially at the United Nations, focused on addressing the impacts of climate change on small island nations.
“President Remengesau Jr.'s visit will provide our students and community members with a deeper understanding of global leadership and cultural diversity,” said Micah Morton, director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. “It's a unique opportunity to learn and broaden perspectives.”
To learn more about DEIB efforts at EOU, visit eou.edu/mc
