Leading Venezuelan University Honors President Fernández as Honorary Professor

Officials of the Rafael Urdaneta University (URU) bestowed upon Dominican President Leonel Fernández the title of honorary professor in the department of Political and Social Sciences, Law and Politics. The ceremony took place in Maracaibo, Venezuela where President Fernández is taking part in the 5th Petrocaribe Summit being held there.

Rector Esparza Bracho, upon rewarding President Fernández, stressed the Dominican leader´s brilliant career as a politician, his important role on the international scene where his participation has been decisive…

The solemn ceremony, held in the prestigious university´s Law School Auditorium, was overseen by leading university officials. Among them was the University Rector Jesús Esparza Bracho, the Academic Vice-Rector Maulio Rodríguez and Salvador Conde, University Director.

Rector Esparza Bracho, upon rewarding President Fernández, stressed the Dominican leader´s brilliant career as a politician, his important role on the international scene where his participation has been decisive and his support of law, political and social sciences, according to a press release from the Presidential Office of Information, Press and Publicity.

Hundreds of law, political science and economy students attended the ceremony as well as many important press outlets from the city of Maracaibo.

In accepting the academic distinction which makes President Fernández an honorary professor at the prestigious Rafael Urdaneta University, the Dominican leader said he was pleased and honored with the designation and guaranteed to fulfill a commitment of support and exchange between the representatives of higher education between the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

He announced the initiation of agreements to formalize exchange programa between Dominican universities and the URU.

After accepting his distinction as honorary professor, President Fernández gave a conference on policy development in its various levels, from the Cold War until the present.

The President talked about how the world has changed and how political situations of the world´s superpowers have affected the course of events in Latin American countries.

He also spoke about how to take advantage of the difficulties facing humanity at the moment, and how to transform them into opportunities for developing countries. The president shared his ideas with the students about regional integration blocks and to what extent Latin America should participate in them.

At the end of the conference, the students asked various questions of the Dominican leader who addressed each one of their concerns. Following the ceremony, accompanied by university officials, President Fernández made a tour of the university installations, visiting the computer, engineering and chemistry labs.