Former Secretary of Health during the PAN administration, Vicente Fox (2000-2006) and current President of the University of Miami, Julio Frenk was elected Wednesday as the new chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). thus he became the first Latino to head one of the most important public universities in the United States.

Board of Regents of the University of California unanimously approved the appointment of the 70-year-old Mexican academic, to head an educational institution that is considered one of the main American research centers.

Doctor by profession, Frank has extensive experience in public health. and led major fundraising efforts for the University of Miami and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Frank served as Mexico’s health minister from 2002 to 2006, then became dean of the Harvard School of Public Health and In 2015, he became president of the University of Miami.

The Doctor will replace Gene Block – who will leave office in July after 17 years – and take office in January 2025.

“At this critical time for higher education, returning to the public sector to lead one of the world’s top research universities, including one of the 10 largest academic health systems, “This is a great opportunity and a great honor for me.”This is stated in Frank’s statement.

Having German and Jewish roots, Frank will have to deal with a divided campus for the university’s response to protest camps against Israel and the Hamas war.

Added to this labor disputes and complaints about increased workload for teachers.

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Julio Frenk was one of more than 250 Mexican intellectuals. signed on May 20 a position in favor of the then presidential candidate of the Fuerza y ​​Corazon por Mexico alliance, Xochitl Galvez, initiated by academician, anthropologist and sociologist Roger Bartra.

The manifesto called for voting for Galvez and warned about “leads to authoritarianism within the next six-year term” and “a serious threat to democracy” for the triumph of Morenoista candidate Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, who eventually won the election by more than 30 points over Galvez.

(according to information from EFE And Aristegui News)