Honorary title

Doctor honoris causa por la Universidad de Salamanca

Facade of the Escuelas Mayores of the University of Salamanca, a 16th-century building (illustrative image of the conferring institution; it does not show the ceremony).Image: Nacaru (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA

University of Salamanca (Spain)
April 23, 2014
Salamanca (Paraninfo, according to the press; see notes)
Recipient: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Research current through October 13, 2026
Last reviewed October 13, 2026

Documentary record

The Universidad de Salamanca invested Lula as doctor honoris causa; Rector Daniel Hernández Ruipérez spoke at the ceremony referring to him as "nuestro nuevo doctor."^[1]

The rector's speech at the ceremony is dated April 23, 2014.^[2]

According to the rector, the doctorate was conceived at the university's Centro de Estudios Brasileños, in recognition of his work for education and for having made Spanish the second mandatory foreign language of instruction in Brazil.^[3]

Sources and evidence

Excerpts are quoted in the original language of the source.

1. The Universidad de Salamanca invested Lula as doctor honoris causa; Rector Daniel Hernández Ruipérez spoke at the ceremony referring to him as "nuestro nuevo doctor."
- Discurso de Daniel Hernández Ruipérez, Rector de la Universidad de Salamanca · University of Salamanca (Communication) Granting institution
  Where: p. 1 of 5, paragraph 1 after the greetings. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  “Me resisto, sin embargo, a que quede sin expresar la admiración que todos los que formamos esta universidad sentimos por nuestro nuevo doctor.”
2. The rector's speech at the ceremony is dated April 23, 2014.
- Discurso de Daniel Hernández Ruipérez, Rector de la Universidad de Salamanca · University of Salamanca (Communication) Granting institution
  Where: p. 1 of 5, header. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  “Comunicación Universidad de Salamanca | 23/04/2014”
3. According to the rector, the doctorate was conceived at the university's Centro de Estudios Brasileños, in recognition of his work for education and for having made Spanish the second mandatory foreign language of instruction in Brazil.
- Discurso de Daniel Hernández Ruipérez, Rector de la Universidad de Salamanca · University of Salamanca (Communication) Granting institution
  Where: p. 3 of 5, paragraph 4. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  “un reconocimiento académico al hombre que más ha trabajado por la educación en su país, quizá en todo el mundo, y que ha convertido nuestro idioma en la segunda lengua extranjera de enseñanza obligatoria en Brasil.”
- Discurso de Daniel Hernández Ruipérez, Rector de la Universidad de Salamanca · University of Salamanca (Communication) Granting institution
  Where: p. 3 of 5, paragraph 4 (beginning). Accessed October 13, 2026.
  “Es un doctorado que se gestó desde el Centro de Estudios Brasileños de nuestra Universidad, único en las universidades españolas y uno de los pocos que existen en Europa.”