Mackenzie Awards Honorary Doctorate to the Rector of the University of Salamanca

On November 29th, the director general of the Mackenzie Institute of Research in Graphene and Nanotechnology (MackGraphe) and former rector of Mackenzie Presbyterian University (MPU), Benedito Guimarães Aguiar Neto, formalized the awarding of an Honorary Doctorate to the rector of the University of Salamanca (USAL), Ricardo Rivero Ortega. The award ceremony took place on behalf of the current MPU rector, Marco Tullio de Castro Vasconcelos, at the USAL campus in Spain.

For Benedito Aguiar, this represents an opportunity to reaffirm the interest in the academic cooperation established between MPU and USAL and, at the same time, a chance to visit one of the oldest European universities and convey greetings from the current rector.

"The strong academic ties and mutual recognition of the scientific merit of both universities are observed in the cooperation agreement within the Stricto Sensu Graduate Programs, which provides for dual doctoral degrees in any area where there are similar programs," emphasized Benedito.

The former MPU rector could not conduct the award ceremony at the time it was formalized due to the pandemic. The current rector, Marco Tullio de Castro Vasconcelos, granted Aguiar the opportunity to personally deliver the aforementioned diploma to the USAL rector.

In addition to the notable relationship between MPU and USAL, collaboration between the institutions has been strengthened through various agreements, such as participation in the Santander TOP España Program since 2015 and the signing of agreements for student mobility and co-supervision of doctoral theses. Since 2015, over 30 academics, including undergraduate and postgraduate students and professors, have benefited from the relations between the two universities, solidifying educational and research cooperation ties between Brazil and Spain.

The title, attesting to the exceptional academic trajectory of Ricardo Rivero Ortega, highlights his notable contributions as a Full Professor of Administrative Law at the renowned University of Salamanca: Full Professor of ANECA (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation); Guest professor at prestigious international institutions, including the University of La Plata (Argentina), the University of Paris Nanterre (France); and the Institute of Research for Public Administration in Speyer (Germany).

Additionally, the recognition includes the receipt of the award by the Economic and Social Council (CES) of Castilla y León and the dedication of the honoree to intensifying academic and cultural relations between Brazil and Spain at USAL, through the maintenance of the Centro de Estudios Brasileños – Fundación Cultural Hispano Brasileña [Center for Brazilian Studies - Hispanic-Brazilian Cultural Foundation].