Lula emphasizes the emancipating potential of education upon receiving Honorary Doctorate in France

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received an honorary doctorate from the University of Paris 8 on Friday, June 6. The university was founded in 1969 in response to the social and educational changes sparked by the May 1968 protests in France. Located on the outskirts of the French capital, it aims to democratize higher education and maintains strong ties with the working class, marginalized communities, and immigrants.

Today’s tribute is not only a personal recognition. It represents a reunion with the values that have shaped my life: social justice, education as a tool for emancipation, and the commitment to those who have always had to fight for their voices and their space”

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Republic of Brazil

» Read the full speech read by President Lula

“Today’s tribute is not only a personal recognition. It represents a reunion with the values that have shaped my life: social justice, education as a tool for emancipation, and the commitment to those who have always had to fight for their voices and their space,” said Lula in a speech shortly after receiving the title. “I have forged my trajectory through the defense of the rights of the most vulnerable. This University was born from the hope and courage of the French people, in the heat of the streets of 1968. It was built as a response to the requirements of a youth who dreamt of a more egalitarian world and a more accessible and critical education system, connected with social realities,” added the Brazilian President. 

The ceremony featured performances by the university choir, which sang songs rooted in both popular and classical Brazilian culture. Professors Armelle Enders, Delphine Leroy, and Annick Allaigre were present, along with students, members of the academic community, and Arnaud Laimé, president of Paris 8 University.

TRANSFORMATION - In Laimé’s view, Lula symbolizes a political project focused on profound social transformation and the desire to build fairer and more sustainable societies. He pointed to the growth in the number of universities, federal institutes, scholarships, and federal funding for higher education as evidence of this progress. He also recalled the many Brazilians who have studied at Paris 8, benefiting from social programs created by the president, and highlighted the importance of establishing the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty — one of the central initiatives of Brazil’s presidency of the G20 in 2024.

RESILIENCE - In addition to the honorary degree awarded, Lula was presented with a painting depicting the leaves of the jequitibá, one of Brazil’s largest and most iconic trees. Laimé described the tree as a powerful symbol of longevity and resilience. “Nature often serves as a metaphor for our journey and identity. If I may venture to say so, this image invites us to reflect on our relationship with the environment, with nature, and with many of the themes you engage with,” said the university president during the ceremony.

REPRESENTATIVITY - Professor Delphine Leroy highlighted the partnership between the French university and the French Embassy in Brazil to support doctoral students of Indigenous Brazilian origin, providing mobility grants that allow stays of six to ten months, many of whom attended this morning’s event. “The quota policy that you have managed to establish in higher education enables these exceptional encounters that broaden our minds and challenge our perceptions,” she summarized.

EMANCIPATION - The Brazilian President pointed out that advancing emancipatory education through academic cooperation is crucial. “Every year, thousands of students, researchers, artists, and entrepreneurs move between our countries. They exchange ideas, build bridges, and sow innovation. Initiatives such as the dual degree program in History with the State University of Rio de Janeiro [UERJ] and the generous welcome extended to our Indigenous doctoral students are concrete actions that strengthen the spirit of inclusion and collaborative engagement,” Lula stated.

Only knowledge can break the chains of inequality and build more just societies”

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Republic of Brazil

OMISSION AND CHANGE — Lula took the opportunity in his speech to describe the relationship between his administration's leadership of the Federal Government and education. He argued that Brazil could be much more advanced if the economic elites who have led the country had prioritized this issue. He also recalled that Brazil was one of the last countries to abolish slavery, establish federal universities, achieve independence, and grant women the right to vote.

OPEN AND INCLUSIVE — “It took a metalworker without a university degree, elected by popular vote, to begin changing that reality. I am proud to be the president who has created the largest number of technical and higher education institutions in our country’s history. Under the Workers’ Party administrations, we consolidated a more open and inclusive model of education. Together with President Dilma Rousseff, we passed the Affirmative Action Law, which transformed the profile of Brazil’s university graduates,” said President Lula.

THE FACE OF BRAZIL — The Brazilian leader highlighted initiatives implemented over his three terms in office, such as the Student Financing Fund (FIES) and the University for All Program (Prouni), which have enabled millions of previously excluded individuals to access higher education. “Little by little, universities are beginning to reflect the diversity of the country — the mix of Indigenous, Black, and European peoples,” said the president. He also recalled that his administration created the Latin American University (UNILA) in Foz do Iguaçu (Paraná) to promote integration among students, faculty, and staff from across Latin America, as well as the first Afro-Brazilian university in Ceará.

PÉ-DE-MEIA PROGRAM — Lula also highlighted programs such as Pé-de-Meia, a financial incentive created under the current administration to help more than four million high school students stay in school; investments to decentralize the construction of over 100 federal institutes; and the government’s commitment to comprehensive education and to ensuring children are literate at the right age.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND SPORTS — The president reaffirmed his intention to create a university for Indigenous people and a university dedicated to sports. On the latter, he emphasized the importance of Bolsa Atleta, a program that provides financial support to outstanding Brazilian athletes—from grassroots to elite levels—which once again proved its value at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, where nearly all of Brazil’s medals were won by scholarship recipients. “Only knowledge can break the chains of inequality and build more just societies,” the president concluded.

AGENDA – The awarding of the Honorary Doctorate was President Lula's first engagement on Friday, the second day of his official visit to France. He then visited Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto’s exhibition, “Nosso Barco Tambor Terra”, at the Grand Palais, accompanied by President Emmanuel Macron. Later, he received the certificate recognizing Brazil as free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, at a ceremony attended by Brazil’s Agriculture and Livestock Minister Carlos Fávaro and the director of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Emmanuelle Soubeyran.

RECEPTION – The state visit began on Thursday, June 5, with an official reception at the Esplanade des Invalides, followed by a bilateral meeting with President Emmanuel Macron and a joint press statement at the Élysée Palace. In the afternoon, Lula was honored by the French Academy, met with the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and spoke with members of the Brazilian community in France. In the early evening, he attended a state dinner hosted by the French government and witnessed the Eiffel Tower lit up in the colors of Brazil, in tribute to the presence of the national delegation.

RESUMPTION - Lula’s visit is the first by a Brazilian head of state to France in 13 years and is part of a broader process of renewed relations between the two countries, which began in 2023 and was marked by President Macron’s visit to Brazil last year. This is President Lula’s third state visit to France. The previous ones took place in 2005, during Jacques Chirac’s presidency, and in 2009, under President Nicolas Sarkozy.