In a speech on this occasion, Herzenni, said he was "very touched o receive this prestigious award," and took the opportunity to highlight "the relevance of the reforms undertaken in Morocco under the leadership of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI, including the new constitution that was overwhelmingly approved by the Moroccan people in July 2011 and has consolidated the foundations for a participatory democracy. "

In 2006, Herzenni was appointed by His Majesty the King Secretary General of the Higher Council of Education. A year later, he was appointed Chairman of the Advisory Council on Human Rights (CCHR), which was behind the creation of the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME ).

A recipient of dual doctorates in sociology and anthropology from the University of Kentucky in 1994, Herzenni went on to become a well-known human rights activist and was at one time imprisoned for his human rights activism.

Born in Guercif, Morocco, in 1948, Herzenni began his professional career as a teacher, and then became a sociologist specializing in rural world issues. From 1995-96, he was a professor at Akhawayn University in Ifrane. He was a committed researcher and subsequently became research director at the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA).

Herzenni was a member of the International Group on Collective Action and Property Rights, the Réseau Maghrébin des Experts en Sciences Sociales (Maghreb Network of Experts in Social Sciences), the Forum Maghrébin de Etudes Sociologiques (Maghreb Forum of Sociological Studies), the scientific commission for treating the results of the general census of population and housing, and the scientific commission in charge of the Jubilee Report on Human Development in Morocco. He also served on the commission that drafted his nation's new constitution in 2011.

Herzenni was editor-in-chief of the magazine, Assahib (The Companion) and director of Al Mouzarí Al Maghribi (The Moroccan Farmer). He has published numerous articles and is the author of three books, "A Reading in Marx's Political Biography," "The Left, Islam, and Democracy" and "Un Maroc Décanté."

The event is co-sponsored by the UK College of Arts and Sciences Crossroads of the World: Year of the Middle East, the Peace Studies Program, and International Studies.

Established in 1977, University of Kentucky Sociology Department Thomas R. Ford Distinguished Alumni Award is given to doctorial alumni who have distinguished themselves in a sociological career.

With: University of Kentucky news.