Mexican Chamber of Deputies honors 475 years of the University of Mexico

The Mexican Chamber of Deputies held a solemn session to unveil a gold-letter inscription on its Wall of Honor commemorating ‘475 years of the University of Mexico (1551-2026)’. The recognition, which was approved unanimously by the Plenary, honors the historical trajectory of the institution from its origins as the Royal University of Mexico to its current form as the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

UNAM Rector Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas attended the ceremony alongside former rectors Francisco Barnés de Castro and Juan Ramón de la Fuente. During his speech, Lomelí expressed gratitude for the distinction and emphasized the university's commitment to autonomy, research, and academic freedom. He noted that between 2001 and 2025, UNAM awarded over 500,000 undergraduate degrees and published approximately 119,000 scientific articles.

The new inscription is intended to complement, rather than replace, existing recognitions of the university within the legislative palace. The proposal was originally presented by Deputy Ricardo Monreal Ávila and received support from various political forces within the Chamber.