ΤIn March 2020, the University Senate had unanimously accepted the proposal of the Department of Maritime Studies, but the restrictions on events due to covid, and the sudden death of Ioannis Angelicousis in April 2021, did not permit the award ceremony to go through.
During the ceremony, the Rector of the University, Professor Michael Sfakianakis, referred to the personality of Ioannis Angelicousis and the reasons that ranked him as a leading figure in Greek and global shipping, while the Dean of the Department of Maritime Studies, Professor Aggelos Pantouvakis, described his special business approach and the example it sets.
The Chair of the Department of Maritime Studies, Professor Ioannis Theotokas, then presented the main points of the Department's proposal and the University Senate's decision to award the title. Emphasizing that Ioannis Angelicousis was a leading figure in the global maritime community, as his business moves were, as a rule, particularly successful and he noted that Ioannis Angelicousis with his actions had contributed to the development of Greek-owned shipping. By keeping the Greek Flag on all his ships, the employment of Greek sailors on them, and the maintenance of the fleet management centres in Greece, he contributed greatly to the Greek economy while at the same time the honoree was distinguished for his significant social contribution in the areas of education, research and culture.
Later on, Mrs. Maria Angelicousis the daughter of the honoree, with great emotion, referred to her late father as a modest, progressive and ambitious ship-owner, devoted with passion and dynamism to the maritime business activity.
His professional choices were the result of deep thought, insight and study of international market conditions, which made him a pioneer in many of his activities, with the result that today, the Group has one of the largest private fleets in the world and is the largest Greek-owned fleet with Greek Flag.
He emphasized the quality of management, the safety of the ship, high standards, new construction, he had faith in the Greek sailors and the human resources on the ships and in the offices and he was a supporter of maritime education through the non-profit foundation he established with the name: ANTONIO AND IOANNIS ANGELICOUSIS FOUNDATION.
The ceremony ended in an atmosphere of intense emotion with the presentation of the Honorary Doctorate, the resolutions of the Senate of the University of Piraeus and the General Assembly of the Department of Maritime Studies and the presentation of the Doctoral Cap and Gown to the wife and daughter of the late Ioannis Angelicousis, Mrs. Liz and Maria Angelicousis.
Present at the ceremony were the professor of the Department of Maritime Studies Konstantinos Chlomoudis and Mr. Konstantinos Panagopoulos, legal advisor and friend of Ioannis Angelikousis.