Fernando Galván facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fernando Galván
Born	Fernando Galván Reula 24 July 1957 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Alma mater	University of La Laguna
Occupation	Philologist
Employer	University of Alcalá
Spouse(s)	María Ángeles Álvarez Martínez

Fernando Galván Reula is an important expert in literature and a former university president. He was born on July 24, 1957, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. He is known for his work in English literature and for leading the University of Alcalá in Madrid as its rector (president) from 2010 to 2018. He has received special honors, including being an OBE.

Academic Journey and Leadership

Fernando Galván studied English at the University of La Laguna in Tenerife. He earned his first degree in 1979 and his PhD in English in 1981. He became a professor there in 1990, teaching English language and literature.

Moving to Alcalá University

In 1994, he moved to the University of Alcalá, where he became a Professor of English Literature. His leadership skills were recognized, and he was chosen to be the university's rector, or president, a role he held for eight years, from 2010 to 2018.

Expertise in Literature

Mr. Galván is especially good at understanding medieval English literature, which means old English stories and poems. He has also worked on many other famous English books. He has translated them into Spanish and written about modern and current English stories. He has helped many students get their PhDs in English studies.

International Academic Roles

Fernando Galván has traveled and worked at famous universities around the world. He was a visiting scholar at Harvard University in the United States in 1993 and 1994. He also spent time at the University of Oxford in the UK in 2009-2010, where he was a visiting fellow at Corpus Christi College.

He has held many important positions in international academic groups. He was the president of the Spanish Association of Anglo-American Studies (AEDEAN) and the president of the European Society for the Study of English (ESSE). He is now the secretary general of the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP).

Important Works and Contributions

Fernando Galván has helped make many classic English books available to Spanish readers. He has edited and translated works by famous writers like Philip Sidney, John Milton, Daniel Defoe, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, and George Orwell.

He has also written about how English and Spanish cultures are similar and different through literature. Besides his books on medieval English literature, he has written about novelists from the 19th and 20th centuries. He has also edited collections of essays on topics like magical realism and the link between culture and power. He has written over a hundred articles and book chapters about modern English-speaking poets and writers.

Special Awards and Honors

Fernando Galván has received many special awards and honors from universities and countries around the world. These awards show how much his work and leadership are valued.

Honorary Degrees

He has been given special "honorary PhD" degrees, which are like honorary doctorates, by several universities:

• The University of Glasgow in Scotland (2012)
• The National Autonomous University of Nicaragua in León (2012)
• The National University of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo in Paraguay (2014)
• San Sebastián University in Chile (2016)
• The National University of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest, Romania (2017)

Other Distinctions

He has also received other important recognitions:

• The "Academic Order Simón Bolívar" from the Universidad Simón Bolívar in Colombia (2010)
• An "Honorary Diploma" from the Federal University of the South in Rostov, Russia (2011)
• "Honorary Member" by the Universidad de La Serena in Chile (2012)
• Commander of the "Order of Bernardo O’Higgins" from the president of Chile
• "Honorary Fellow" of the National Academy of History and Geography of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) (2016)
• "Honorary Officer” of the Order of the British Empire, OBE, given by Queen Elizabeth II (2018)

See also

In Spanish: Fernando Galván para niños