Professor Luis Herrera, Full Professor of zoology at the University of Navarra, has received the Cross of the Order of Merit of the First class, the highest expression of recognition of the Federal Republic of Germany to outstanding personalities for their achievements in the political, economic, cultural, intellectual areas or in the voluntary work .

This distinction, which recognizes Professor Herrera' s scientific cooperation with German universities and institutions of research , has been received by Pope Benedict XVI, Norman Foster, Helmut Kohl, Haral V of Norway, Queen Elizabeth II of England and Konrad Adenauer, among others. 

award to a history of scientific cooperation

The award ceremony submission , which took place yesterday at the German Embassy in Spain during the annual reception for Humboldt scholarship holders, was attended by Ambassador Reinhard Silberberg; the Minister of Education, culture and sport of the Spanish Government José Ignacio Wert; the administrative assistant general of the German Academic Service exchange Dorotea Rüland; Dr. Thomas Hesse, of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation; and Dr. Thomas Hesse, of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation; and general for Culture and Communication of the German Foreign Office Andreas Görgen, among other personalities. Thomas Hesse of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation; and director general for Culture and Communication of the German Foreign Office Andreas Görgen, among other personalities.

The professor was accompanied by the Vice President of Office of Academic Affairs Borja López-Jurado, the Associate Dean of the School of Sciences Rafael Miranda, other colleagues of the University of Navarra and his family. 

Professor Luis Herrera's relationship with Germany dates back to 1982, when he obtained a scholarship from research from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Later he was a visiting scholar at the University of Munich and the University of Bonn.

In 1990 the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation awarded him the award Humboldt in Limnology for his research applied to knowledge of an aquatic ecosystem. He was senator of the association Alexander von Humboldt of Spain (2002) and from 2008 to 2012 president of the same.