The National Autonomous University of Mexico, the largest and one of the most highly regarded public research universities in Mexico and Latin America, has awarded UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk an honorary degree.
Frenk was among 14 international dignitaries and scholars across politics, the sciences, social sciences and humanities to be honored, along with former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and former Mexican ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhán. The university’s rector, Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas, noted that the recognition of the awardees was based on the “unquestionable impact of their work” to improve the well-being of humanity.
At the official ceremony in Mexico City on Nov. 18, Frenk and other honorees received gowns, caps and hoods and were presented by Lomelí Vanegas with diplomas and medals.
Frenk, an internationally recognized leader in public health, served as Mexico’s minister of health from 2000 to 2006, where he reformed the nation’s health care system and expanded comprehensive universal coverage to more than 55 million previously uninsured individuals.
Frenk earned his medical degree from the university, also known by its acronym, UNAM, in 1979.
