Ernesto Zedillo Becomes Presidential Counselor at Laureate International Universities

BALTIMORE, April 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ernesto Zedillo, the former president of Mexico, has been named a Presidential Counselor by Laureate International Universities, the world's leading higher education network. In his new role, President Zedillo will advise Laureate and its more than 80 institutions on academic innovation, and private and public sector collaboration to increase access to higher education.

President Zedillo will provide Laureate institutions with insights from his experiences in the policymaking, diplomatic and academic worlds. President Zedillo's activities will follow the model set by former U.S. President Bill Clinton during his tenure as Honorary Chancellor of Laureate International Universities. President Clinton visited more than 19 Laureate universities and spoke to tens of thousands of Laureate students around the globe. Nearly 1 million students are enrolled at Laureate universities.

"As President Clinton concludes his outstanding tenure as Honorary Chancellor, I am honored to become part of the Laureate family in order to contribute to the pursuit of the noble mission of this great organization," said President Zedillo.  "Among many exciting activities, I will be pleased to share experiences and insights from my long career in government, international affairs and education with Laureate's students, faculty and administrators. With a deep sense of commitment and sincere admiration for what Laureate has already achieved, I look forward to a fruitful collaboration with Laureate's founder, Douglas Becker, and the wonderful organization he leads with singular energy and devotion."

President Clinton said, "Laureate students represent the next generation of leadership. I have seen a commitment to quality and leadership throughout the Laureate network, and I have enjoyed being a part of it. President Zedillo will be a remarkable ambassador. I am sure he will have a positive impact on the organization and, most important, on its current and future students."

In addition to making it possible for more students to attend quality universities, the Laureate network has a strong track record in graduating career-ready students. A recent study conducted in conjunction with IFC/The World Bank Group found that graduates of Laureate institutions in Mexico earn higher incomes and secure employment faster than graduates of other schools in the region.

Laureate has an equally impressive record of strong student outcomes beyond Mexico. In 2014, the independent research firm Millward Brown Vermeer analyzed the employment outcomes of Laureate graduates and found that Laureate graduates have equal or higher employment attainment than the average of all university graduates in each country examined, as measured at six months and 12 months after graduation. The study also found that graduates of Laureate institutions earn higher starting salaries.

Additionally, in the United States, Laureate's Walden University has among the lowest default rates on government-backed student loans compared with all other private or public universities, according to the U.S. Department of Education.   The low default rates are an indication of the quality of Walden's programs and the success of its graduates. More than 80 percent of Walden's students are in master's or doctoral degree programs.

Douglas L. Becker, Laureate's founder, chairman and CEO, said, "Today marks the final anniversary of President Clinton's five-year term as Honorary Chancellor.  It has been a great honor to work with him, knowing that he shares our belief that when our students succeed, societies prosper. I look forward to having President Zedillo follow President Clinton's path in supporting our mission to make quality higher education accessible and affordable so more students can pursue their dreams.  President Zedillo's advice and perspective as an international leader and leading educator will have a tremendous impact on our entire network."

About Ernesto Zedillo
Ernesto Zedillo was president of Mexico from 1994 to 2000. He also has served Mexico as Secretary of Education; Undersecretary of Budget; and as Secretary of Economic Programming and the Budget.

President Zedillo has been Chairman of the Global Development Network and Chairman of the High Level Commission on Modernization of World Bank Group Governance. He served on the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament; the Partnership of the Americas Commission; the Commission on Drugs and Democracy; and the High Level Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor. He currently chairs the oversight board of the Natural Resource Charter and is vice-chair of the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security.

President Zedillo was a professor at the National Polytechnic Institute and El Colegio de México. He currently is director of the Yale University Center for the Study of Globalization, and he serves as a Yale professor of International Economics and Politics; International and Area Studies; and Forestry and Environmental Studies. He earned his bachelor degree at the School of Economics of the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Yale.

About Laureate Education, Inc.
Laureate Education is the world's leading higher education provider. Laureate's more than 80 universities educate over 950,000 students in 29 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Laureate's universities offer undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs in fields such as architecture, business, engineering, hospitality management, law and medicine.

The International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, announced in 2013 that it would invest $150 million in Laureate, which is the largest education investment the IFC has ever made.

Many Laureate institutions are ranked among the top providers of higher education in their respective regions, countries and fields, and have received international recognition for their academic quality. To learn more, visit www.laureate.net.

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SOURCE Laureate Education, Inc.

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