Statement on the visit of President Vicente Fox

The Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah established the World Leader Lecture Forum in 2006. Its mission is to bring to Utah global citizens – the men and women who shape our world – to offer their experiences and ideas about shared humanity. The World Leader Lecture Forum has hosted winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, heads of state, human rights activists, business leaders and diplomats. They have welcomed Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Israel, human rights attorney Shirin Ebadi of Iran, Prime Minister Julia Gillard of Australia, President Cesar Gaviria of Colombia, Prime Minister Anders Rasmussen of Denmark and James Orbinski of Doctors Without Borders, among others.

This year, the center will host Vicente Fox, President of Mexico from 2000-2006. He will speak on the topic “Building Bridges: Fixing the Immigration Issue and Strengthening U.S.-Mexico Relations.”

Fox began his career working for Coca-Cola Mexico as a delivery truck driver and route supervisor and rose to become the company’s president and oversee its Latin American operations. He entered public service with his election to the federal Chamber of Deputies and then as Governor of Guanajuato. Fox spearheaded economic and educational reforms, negotiated trade and immigration policies with the United States and tackled government corruption.  Because of his background and experience, the World Leaders Lecture Board selected Fox to address the pressing issues concerning immigration, Mexico and the United States. The center asked him to speak not only to the concerns the community faces, but the solutions necessary to resolve them. 

The University of Utah believes that it must remain a market place of ideas and bring diverse perspectives not only to campus, but the community.