OXFORD, England (AP) — It was a long wait, but Aung San Suu Kyi has finally received her honorary degree from Oxford University.

In her speech, Suu Kyi praised the role Oxford played in helping her see humankind at its best during her long years under house arrest in Myanmar.

“The most important thing that I learned was respect for all of civilization,” she said, wearing a traditional red gown. “In Oxford, I learned to respect all that is best in human civilization. That helped me cope with something that was not quite the best.”

She said “the saddest thing” about Myanmar is that its young people do not get to have a similar college experience because university life has been “shattered.”

The leader of Myanmar’s opposition was honored today at the university’s Encaenia ceremony, in which it presents honorary degrees to distinguished people.

Author John le Carre was also honored, and Suu Kyi praised his novels during her speech.

Suu Kyi, who is making her first visits outside of her native country in 24 years, was awarded the honorary doctorate in civil law in 1993 but was unable to collect it while under house arrest in Myanmar.

She studied philosophy, politics and economics at St. Hugh’s College in Oxford between 1964 and 1967. After a time working in New York and Bhutan, she lived in Oxford for many years with her late husband, the Tibet scholar Michael Aris, and their sons Alexander and Kim.