BGU to honor Dr. Chelsea Clinton for her efforts promoting global public health

Dr. Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former US president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state and senator Hillary Clinton, will receive an honorary doctorate from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) for her work as a public-health advocate and author. 

She will be according the honor at the university’s board of governors meeting in May, BGU president Prof. Daniel Chamovitz announced on Thursday.

“Dr. Chelsea Clinton is a world-renowned author and global health advocate. In admiration of her unceasing efforts to promote global public health, her outstanding leadership as vice-chair of the Clinton Foundation, her efforts to empower female entrepreneurs and women-led businesses around the world and the way she has served as a role model for her generation and those that follow to improve our world, we are proud to bestow upon her our highest academic honor,” Chamovitz said.

“We are honored that Dr. Clinton will be accepting an honorary doctorate from BGU, which has always been at the forefront of community medicine and increasing access to high quality medical care for underserved populations. Our Medical School for International Health has been advocating global health for decades,” he added.

Dr. Chelsea Clinton's impressive past

"As vice-chair of the Clinton Foundation, she provides vision and expertise to flagship programs like the Clinton Global Initiative, a model for public-private partnerships to address today’s most pressing challenges. Dr. Clinton also serves as the vice-chair of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, which works across more than 125 countries around the world to build and strengthen sustainable health systems.

In addition to her foundation work, Clinton teaches at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and has written several books for young readers, including the #1 New York Times bestseller She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University, a Master of Public Health from Columbia’s Mailman School and both a Master of Philosophy and a Doctorate in international relations from Oxford University. She is the first awardee to be announced, with several more awardees to be revealed in the coming days,” Chamovitz concluded. 

“As a leader in both public health and climate change research, it is only fitting that BGU honors Dr. Chelsea Clinton, whose family shares the University’s commitment to and passion for tackling society’s most urgent challenges — demonstrating that David Ben-Gurion’s vision is not only transforming Israel but also changing the world,” said Doug Seserman, CEO of Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU), which works to share the University’s expertise in the US and around the world.