Ricardo Villanueva, current rector of the University of Guadalajara (UdeG), has confirmed his appointment as Undersecretary of Higher Education in President Claudia Sheinbaum’s cabinet. Villanueva will assume his new role on April 1, when he concludes his tenure as UdeG’s rector.
The appointment was announced through Villanueva’s social media, where he expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him by President Sheinbaum and Secretary of Public Education Mario Delgado. Villanueva emphasized the need for higher education to keep pace with rapid global changes, viewing it as a crucial tool for addressing inequality.
Under Villanueva’s leadership, UdeG achieved several significant milestones, including:
– 100% admission rate for higher secondary education applicants
– Establishment of four new university centers and six high schools
– Creation of 51,000 new enrollment spaces
– Total enrollment reaching 339,000 students
– Medical school recognition as Latin America’s best, with expansion to three new locations
– Construction of the Eastern Civil Hospital
– Reform of the pension system
– Securing constitutional budget guarantees for financial autonomy
Villanueva’s accomplishments have earned him recognition as Mexico’s Best Evaluated Public University Rector in both 2023 and 2025. He has also received honorary doctorates from the University of Valencia in Spain and the Enrique Díaz de León University in Mexico.