TRAINING FOR LEADERSHIP

Scholarships for young Ibero American leaders

The Rafael del Pino Foundation has given its assistance to the programme for young Ibero American leaders since it was launched in 2002. This programme is organised by the Carolina Foundation, run by Rosa Conde, with the support of Banco Santander.

The aim of the scholarships is for the successful candidates to strengthen their capacity for human and professional leadership as well as to establish links with emerging leaders from other countries. The programme also helps to improve the knowledge that this select group of Ibero American graduates have about Spain, Portugal and the European Institutions. 47 Ibero American, 2 Portuguese and 10 Spanish students, selected from among those with the best academic records presented by the universities taking part in the project, participated in the programme in 2008. The scholarships cover travel costs to Spain, full-board accommodation, tuition fees and travel expenses during the course. In addition to providing its facilities and logistic support, the Rafael del Pino Foundation finances the inclusion of the 10 Spanish scholars.

The programme’s specific objectives include:

  • Furnishing emerging Ibero American and Spanish leaders with more precise knowledge of the situation in Spain;
  • Creating links between the Ibero American leaders and Spain with the aim that in the future this may bring their countries of origin and Spain closer together;
  • Promoting a new vision of the relationship between Ibero America and Spain, focusing more on what unites us than on what sets us apart;
  • Strengthening the participants’ capacity for human and professional leadership;
  • In the medium and long term, creating a network of Ibero American leaders who are conscious of the need to strengthen and promote relations between the countries of Ibero America and with Portugal and Spain.

The speakers were leading figures from Spanish society and academics. The course relating to this seventh Programme for young Ibero American leaders took place from 7-25 July 2008. The scholars and the programme organisers were granted an audience by TRH the Prince and Princess of Asturias on 8 July 2008.

Jovenes líderes

The speakers participating in the programme were: Esperanza Aguirre, Prime Minister of the Regional Government of Madrid; Bibiana Aído, Minister for Equality; Joaquín Almunia, European Commissioner for Economic Affairs; José Álvarez Junco, Professor of History, Madrid Complutense University; Julián Ariza, Assistant to the Office of the Secretary General of the trade union federation Comisiones Obreras; Carlos Berzosa, Vice Chancellor of Madrid Complutense University; Miguel Borja-Villel, Director of the Reina Sofía Art Museum; Carmen Caffarel, Director of the Cervantes Institute; Carlos Carnero, Member of the European Parliament; María Emilia Casas, President of the Spanish Constitutional Court; Rosa Conde, Director of the Fundación Carolina; Antonio Costa, Mayor of Lisbon; Concepción Dancausa, Family and Social Services Delegate, Madrid City Council; José Manuel Entrecanales, Chairman of ENDESA; Guillermo Fernández Vara, Prime Minister of the Regional Government of Extremadura; Antonio Ferrer, Secretary for Union Action, UGT trade union; Víctor García de la Concha, Director of the Royal Spanish Academy; Felipe González Márquez, former Spanish Prime Minister; Francisco González Rodríguez, Chairman of BBVA; Juan Pablo de Laiglesia, Director of the AECID; Javier de Lucas, Director of the Colegio de España; Ramón de Miguel Egea, Adviser on International Affairs, Iberdrola; María del Pino, President, Rafael del Pino Foundation; Guilherme d´Oliveira Martins, President of the Portuguese National Audit Office; Cristina Gutiérrez Cortines, European Member of Parliament; Enrique V. Iglesias, Ibero American Secretary General; Trinidad Jiménez, Spanish State Secretary for Ibero America; Emilio Lamo de Espinosa, Professor of Sociology, Madrid Complutense University; Eneko Landaburu, Director General for External Relations, European Commission; Fernando Marías, Writer; Miguel Martínez San Martín, Head of Operations Office, Repsol-YPF; José Manuel Moreno, Director, Universities Programme, Santander Group; Javier Nadal, Director General, Institutional Relations and Fundación Telefónica; Cristina Narbona, Spanish Ambassador to the OECD; José Antonio Pascual, Deputy Director, Spanish Royal Academy; Marcos Peña, President, Economic and Social Council; Amadeo Petitbò, Director, Rafael del Pino Foundation; Ignacio Polanco, President, Prisa Group; Carmen Posadas, Writer; Eugenio Ravinet, Secretary General, Ibero American Youth Organisation; Teresa Ribera, Spanish State Secretary for Climate Change; Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra, former Prime Minister of the Regional Government of Extremadura; Javier Rojo, President, Spanish Senate; Marius Rubiralta, Spanish State Secretary for Universities; Antolín Sánchez Presedo, Member of the European Parliament; María Jesús San Segundo, Spanish Ambassador to UNESCO; Julián Santamaría, Professor of Political Science, Madrid Complutense University; David Vegara, Spanish State Secretary for the Economy; and Virgilio Zapatero, Vice Chancellor of the University of Alcalá de Henares.