The principles that promote the activity of Campus Iberus in Colombia have led to the establishment of direct relations with people who, from their governmental responsibilities, have led the peace process for which Juan Manuel Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016..
Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, first honoris causa doctorate of Campus Iberus
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The award recognises the exceptional prestige and outstanding merits of Santos Calderón, as well as his link to the Consortium and the values it represents.
LOCATION, 24 APRIL 2024. The Board of the Consortium Campus Iberus, Campus of International Excellence of the Ebro Valley, has agreed the awarding of Juan Manuel Santos Calderónformer president of Colombia and Nobel Peace Prize in 2016, as honoris causa doctorate honorary doctor of the universities that comprise it (Zaragoza, Lleida, Pública de Navarra and La Rioja). They recognise both its exceptional prestige and outstanding merits and its link with the Campus Iberus Consortium and the values it represents.
The awarding of this honoris causadoctorate represents a historic milestone as it is the first occasion on which various academic institutions, in this case Universidad de Zaragoza, the Universitat de Lleida,the Universidad Pública de Navarra and the Universidad de La Rioja, have coordinated their efforts and protocol rules to present this honorary award.
The appointment of the former president of Colombia as doctor honoris causa recognises the values of peace, leadership and international cooperation, fundamental pillars on which the identity of the Campus Iberus Consortium is built, which with this award is added to those made by other prestigious academic institutions such as La Sorbonne (France) and The London School of Economics (United Kingdom).
Juan Manuel Santos (Bogotá, 1951), with a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Kansas (USA) and postgraduate studies at the London School of Economics and the School of Government at Harvard University, is one of the most prominent political figures on the international scene with multiple recognitions for the measures promoted during his public career, among which his contribution to the end of the conflict in Colombia stands out.
President of Colombia between 2010 and 2018, a period in which the country’s social and economic indicators improved significantly, Santos’ efforts to sign a peace agreement with the FARC earned him the Nobel Peace Prize “for his resolute and courageous efforts to end the country’s more than 50-year-long civil war”.
Juan Manuel Santos’ contribution to the end of the conflict in Colombia and to the fight against poverty and inequality have given a boost to the social and territorial development of the country, a work aligned with the strategic objectives of the Campus Iberus Consortium and which represents proof of the strength of the partnership.
Social and territorial development frames a large part of the academic and research efforts of Campus Iberus, not only in the communities to which the four universities belong, but also far beyond their borders, as evidenced by the fact that they have a permanent headquarters in Bogota.
In the same vein, the work of Juan Manuel Santos as founder of the Pacific Alliance stands out for its remarkable parallelism with the objectives of the Campus Iberus Consortium. The Alliance, which emerged as an economic collaboration and development project between Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, has evolved into a central pillar for regional integration and shared progress, transcending geographical barriers for the collective benefit of its citizens.
This effort to overcome territorial limitations and promote common welfare is reflected in the vision of the Iberus Campus Consortium. The coming together of the four universities reflects a similar ambition: to work together across institutional boundaries to achieve a common goal of academic excellence and social contribution.
The former Colombian president was also the driving force behind the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), goals that have been taken on by the Campus Iberus Consortium and which are the focus of the work of its action groups where solutions are sought to the technological, scientific and socio-economic challenges posed by global health, climate change, gender equality, clean energy, sustainable cities or biodiversity and agricultural activity with a very significant impact on rural society.
In addition, distinctions for his bold environmental policies to protect his country’s biodiversity and combat climate change, for his commitment against poverty and inequality, and recognitions from the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader and the Global Statesmanship Award and his participation in the Harvard Kennedy School’s Global Public Leaders programme are testimony to the values Santos embodies. These values are also aligned with the founding principles of the Campus Iberus Consortium, which gives even greater significance to the proposed act of recognition.
Thus, the investiture of Santos as doctor honoris causa highlights the fundamental pillars on which the identity of the Iberus Campus Consortium and its commitment to excellence and international collaboration are built. Their integration of efforts to bestow this honour is a clear indication of the unity of purpose and shared vision that characterises them.
The Campus of International Excellence Campus Iberus is the strategic alliance of the universities of the middle Ebro valley (Zaragoza, Lleida, Pública de Navarra and La Rioja) which brings together some 56,800 students, 6,300 members of the Teaching and Research Staff (PDI) and 2,740 members of the Administration and Services Staff (PAS).
