Francisco Pérez González, awarded a Doctor Honoris Causa by the UIMP

Francisco Pérez González, honorary board member at Grupo PRISA and vice-president of the Fundación Santillana, will be awarded a Doctor Honoris Causa by the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP) on July 8 in recognition of his long professional career as editor in the Spanish-language world and for his contribution to strengthening the ties between Spain and Ibero-America.

The Spanish minister for culture, Ángeles González-Sinde, is expected to attend the event. The editor and writer Javier Pradera will review the career of the award recipient while Virginia Maquieira, the vice-rector of the UIMP university extension, will act as his sponsor.

Pérez González, who presides over the publishing association Sociedad Iberoamericana de Amigos del Libro y de la Edición (SIALE), will receive his honorary degree to coincide with the 25th Publishing Congress. A quarter of a century: state and outlook for Spanish publishing. This is one of the oldest courses given at the Santander-based academic institution.

Previous recipients of the Honoris Causa have included the soprano Montserrat Caballé, the economist Albert O. Hirschman, the politician Helmut Schmidt, the Hispanist Maxime Chevalier and the scientist Mariano Barbacid.