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Lawrence Bacow, the new Harvard President, becomes new RCC Co-President. President Carlos Andradas, representing Complutense University, opened the academic procession of delegates together with the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
The President of Complutense University of Madrid and Co-President of the RCC, Prof. Carlos Andradas, has visited Harvard University this week to take part in the inauguration of Lawrence S. Bacow, the 29th President of Harvard University, who is now the new Co-President of the RCC.
On Wednesday October 3rd, President Andradas visited the RCC where he presided the RCC Academic Year 2018/2019 Inauguration Ceremony alongside with Margot N. Gill, Administrative Dean for International Relations at Harvard University, interim University Marshal and member of the RCC Academic Council; the RCC Director, Prof. José M. Martínez; and Profs. Gonzalo Giribet and Jose-Gomez Ibanez, also members of the Academic Council. They were joined by other Harvard Faculty, Ambassador Felix Sendagorta and the Spanish Consul General in Boston, Fernando Alvargonzalez. Fifty of our current seventy five RCC Fellows, presented their work for this coming academic year at Harvard and their contributions to both the University and the RCC in front of the Harvard community. All were later joined by family and friends for a reception at the Center.
On Thursday October 4th, President Andradas had meetings with the RCC Director and team and joined Dean Margot Gill for the Marshal´s Office Reception with Representatives from International institutions, among them the University of Cambridge, Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, el Colegio de México and the University of British Columbia. The evening ended with the Rector enjoying the Musical Prelude to the Presidential Inauguration and the Presidential Inauguration Reception together with the other authorities personally invited to the inauguration.
On Friday October 5th, President Andradas joined other visiting dignitaries and authorities from other colleges and universities around the word to participate in “A Taste of Harvard” over breakfast. During that morning he visited the many exhibits on Harvard´s main programs, projects and initiatives and greet President Lawrence Bacow and his wife Adele Fleet Bacow before participating in one of the academic symposiums showcasing Harvard´s talent through talks given by notorious faculty who gave glimpses of their ongoing research and scholarship activities at the university. In particular, Rector Andradas highlighted the talk “Confronting inequality: Dimensions, Dillemmas, and New Directions” by former Kennedy School Dean David Ellwood and Professor of Political Economy; Lisa Berkman, Professor of Public Policy, Epidemiology, Global Health and Population; Roberto Gonzalez, Professor of Education; and Alexandra Killewald, Professor of Sociology in which they analyzed American severe inequalities through their various academic perspectives.
After a lunch offered by President Bacow to the Inauguration guests, President Andradas joined Lawrence Bacow, Harvard´s Faculty and representatives from other universities around the world for the Academic Procession to Tercentenary Theatre at the Center of Harvard Yard, where he witnessed the installation of Professor Lawrence S. Bacow JD ’76, MPP ’76, PhD ’78 as the twenty-ninth president of Harvard University. All dressed in their Academic regalia, Complutense University opened the academic procession of delegates together with Oxford University and Cambridge University.
The event was attended by his predecessor as Harvard Presidents and RCC Co-Presidents: Drew Gilpin Faust, President Emerita of Harvard, who was present at the ceremony alongside former Presidents Derek C. Bok, the RCC´s co-founder, Neil Rudenstine and Lawrence Summers.
During the Installation proceedings, which included various speeches, musical numbers, poetry and a benediction, Complutense University of Madrid got a mention as one of the oldest universities in the world present at the ceremony.
Finally, President Andradas joined the Harvard Community for the Bacow Block Party on the Old Harvard Yard where he had the opportunity to congratulate the brand-new Harvard President. He also had the opportunity to meet Harvard Provost Alan Garber, Faculty and all RCC Fellows, who are currently at Harvard, before calling it a night after three days of intense academic activity being part of this landmark event in Harvard´s 382 years of history.
