The Diplomat
This Monday, at the Royal Palace of El Pardo, the King received the participants in the 20th edition of the Young Ibero-American Leaders Program, which will be held from July 16 to 27 in Madrid, A Coruña, and Brussels.
Organized annually since 2002 by the Carolina Foundation and Banco Santander, the program selects 25 young Ibero-Americans with outstanding academic records and a strong commitment to their societies.
The Program has been held annually since 2002. In the nineteen previous editions, nearly 700 participants have had the opportunity to learn firsthand about the main EU institutions and learn about the role Spain plays as a member country of the European Union, the functioning of EU agencies, and EU regulations in various areas, such as mobility, education, the economic market, and foreign policy.
Over the next two weeks, participants will meet with senior public sector officials, executives from prominent private entities, and institutional representatives, including the cities of Madrid, A Coruña, and Brussels.
The program aims to foster mutual understanding, reflection, and dialogue, as well as promote Ibero-American leadership networks committed to the values of the Ibero-American Community and the 2030 Agenda as a horizon for global progress.
Following the royal audience, the inaugural conference took place at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The session was led by Ignacio Torreblanca, director of the Madrid office and senior researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), and Érika Rodríguez Pinzón, director of the Carolina Foundation.
An institutional welcome ceremony was held afterward, with the participation of Eva Granados, Secretary of State for International Cooperation; Victoria Zuasti, Director of Global Programs & Corporate Agreements, Social Impact at Santander Universities, Banco Santander; and Érika Rodríguez Pinzón.
