President Bill Clinton Inspires Students During Visit to Universidade Europeia in Lisbon, Portugal

BALTIMORE, May 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton addressed hundreds of university students and Portuguese government, business and academic leaders during a visit Thursday to Universidade Europeia in Lisbon, Portugal. 

"It is gratifying to see the next generation of Portugal's leaders," said President Clinton.  "The students here today are working hard to help the country have a brighter future.  Through the education they're receiving, these young people are seeing what they can, and indeed must, do to make a difference in the lives of others."

Universidade Europeia, which is part of the Laureate International Universities network, was founded in 1962 as Instituto Superior de Linguas e Administraco (ISLA). It was renamed Universidade Europeia in 2013, when it became the first new university approved in Portugal in more than 20 years. As a university, the institution gained greater autonomy to create programs that will help it prepare the future leaders of Portugal with the skills needed in the local and global labor markets.

As honorary chancellor of the Laureate International Universities network, President Clinton advises Laureate on social responsibility, youth leadership and increasing access to higher education. He has spoken to tens of thousands of students and faculty members at 14 institutions in the Laureate network, including institutions in Germany, Spain, Turkey, Malaysia, Brazil, Peru and the United States. This was President Clinton's first visit to Universidade Europeia. 

"We are delighted President Clinton took the time to visit Universidade Europeia," said Douglas L. Becker, chairman and chief executive officer of Laureate Education, Inc. "This university is an up-and-coming leader in Portugal's higher education system and a pioneer in its approach to delivering internationally inspired curricula and programs to its students."

About Laureate Education, Inc.
Laureate Education is the world's leading higher education provider. Laureate's more than 75 universities educate over 850,000 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. In 2014, the Laureate network is celebrating its 15^th anniversary. To learn more, visit www.laureate.net.

SOURCE Laureate Education, Inc.