Felipe Calderon to become Harvard fellow after leaving office
Mexican President Felipe Calderon addresses world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, 2012 in New York City. More than 120 prime ministers, presidents and monarchs are gathering this week at the UN for the annual meeting. This year’s focus among leaders will be the crisis in Syria, which is beginning to threaten regional stability.
Mexico's outgoing President Felipe Calderon will become a fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School, the Cambridge, Mass.-based university said Wednesday.
Harvard has named him an Inaugural Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow, a yearlong post he'll begin in January, after completing his six-year term.
Calderon is the first recipient of the fellowship, which was specially endowed for government leaders who have left office. During his tenure, he will lecture, write, meet with students and develop case studies based on his time as Mexico's president, Harvard said.
Calderon's presidency comes to a close this week, ending a term notable for his army-led escalation of the war on drugs. Calderon is also credited for helping boost Mexico's economic development, and for making reforms to the country's immigration, environmental and health care policies.
"President Calderon is a vivid example of a dynamic and committed public servant, who took on major challenges in Mexico," said the dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "He brings with him experience and knowledge that will inform and inspire Kennedy School students and faculty, and I am thrilled he will be returning to Harvard Kennedy School."