The Honorable Tony Blair promotes importance of education in fostering a peaceful global society in keynote to students and faculty at Universidad del Valle de Mexico (UVM)

BALTIMORE, Sept. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Access to quality higher education and its link to creating a peaceful global society was the key message delivered by world leader, the Honorable Tony Blair, to thousands of Mexican students earlier today. The former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland made the remarks during an address to students and faculty from Universidad del Valle de Mexico (UVM) while on a special visit to UVM's Coyoacan Campus. In addition to the students on campus who had a unique opportunity to hear first-hand from Mr. Blair, more than 10,000 students were able to witness his remarks remotely as the event was transmitted to UVM's network of 37 campuses located throughout Mexico.

During his visit, Mr. Blair shared his thoughts on the central role that education plays in global integration and peace and stability. "You have to have an education system that, in a world that is changing fast and where you need to educate all your people, is fit for the purpose. It means you need a curriculum that is educating young people with the skills they need today, not what they might have needed 30 or 40 years ago, but today. It means that you need to use a mix of providers. Monolithic state systems tend not to work well, but if you have a range of different providers, public and private, you get some sense of possibility of learning lessons of change and seeing what works and what doesn't. Parents and students come first."

"We are honored that Mr. Blair had the opportunity to visit UVM, a leading member of the Laureate International Universities network, to share his knowledge, wisdom and observations of different cultures around the world," said Douglas L. Becker, chairman and CEO of Laureate Education, Inc. "Mr. Blair brings such a rich and unique perspective to the very issues that impact the lives of our students across our international network."

Since leaving public office in 2007, Tony Blair has continued to be active in public life. He serves as the Quartet Representative to the Middle East, representing the United States of America, United Nations, Russia and the European Union, to help prepare Palestine for statehood as part of the international community's effort to secure peace. He also launched the Tony Blair Faith Foundation to promote respect and understanding of and between the major religions and to make the case for faith as a force for good in the modern world.

This is Mr. Blair's first visit to a Universidad del Valle de Mexico campus. Mr. Blair has previously visited four other Laureate institutions: BiTS (Business and Information Technology School) in Iserlohn, Germany; Universidad Europea de Madrid in Spain; Istanbul Bilgi University in Turkey and Universidade Anhembi Morumbi in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Many of Mr. Blair's visits have been webcast to the Laureate network, allowing students from around the world the opportunity to hear his message.

About Laureate International Universities

Laureate International Universities is a trusted global leader in providing access to high-quality, innovative institutions of higher education. The Laureate International Universities network includes more than 60 accredited campus-based and online universities. Our more than 740,000 students are part of an academic community that spans 29 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, North Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Laureate universities offer hundreds of undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs in fields including architecture, art, business, culinary arts, design, education, engineering, health sciences, hospitality management, information technology, law and medicine. President William J. Clinton, 42nd president of the United States, serves as the Honorary Chancellor of the Laureate International Universities network, a role in which he offers advice on social responsibility, youth leadership and increasing access to higher education. For more information, visit www.laureate.net.

SOURCE Laureate International Universities