Embedded Files
Acknowledging the priority that Una Europa universities attach to forging strong links with Latin American institutions, and with the aim of strengthening existing partnerships while promoting new initiatives to foster bi-regional cooperation in higher education, we have organised, as part of the General Assembly, a dialogue between rectors from Latin American universities and those of Una Europa.
The debate will be preceded by a keynote address by Josep Borrell, President of CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs).
In-person attendance is limited to delegates attending the Assembly, but we invite everyone to follow it via streaming. Follow this link if you want to register and get a reminder the day before!
Programme
The event will open with remarks by León de la Torre (Director, Casa de América), Andrés Allamand (Ibero-American Secretary-General), and Joaquín Goyache (Rector, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), who will then introduce Josep Borrell (President, Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, CIDOB).
León de la Torre Krais
Director of Casa de América, holds a degree in Law and Business Administration. A diplomat since 1994, he has extensive experience in Latin America, including Ecuador, Chile, Nicaragua, and Bolivia, and has held positions related to the European Union, as well as in Asia and Africa, combining regional expertise with international diplomacy.
Andrés Allamand
Secretary-General of the Ibero-American General Secretariat, he graduated in Law at Universidad de Chile. He participated in the National Agreement for Chile’s democratic transition, served as deputy and senator, and held ministerial positions in Defence and Foreign Affairs. He also led the University Adolfo Ibáñez School of Government.
Joaquín Goyache
The UCM Rector is Professor of Animal Health in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He has held numerous leadership roles, including Dean, Vice-Rector, and Director of Summer Courses. His research focuses on zoonotic diseases. Member of the Royal Academy of Doctors of Spain, he holds honorary doctorates from Peru and Argentina.
Josep Borrell
President of CIDOB, he served as High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission (2019–2024). Previously, he was Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the European Parliament (2004-2007), and has held key academic roles, including the Jean Monnet Chair.
A roundtable will follow, moderated by Rosario Cristóbal Roncero (UCM Vice-Rector for International Relations, Cooperation and Volunteering), bringing together two rectors from each region to discuss strategic alliances, academic mobility, educational innovation, and the future of the university. This dialogue is designed to foster collective reflection on the role of universities in today’s global context, marked by challenges that call for scientific cooperation, strong academic networks, and strategic international partnerships.
Rosario Cristóbal
Universidad Complutense Vice-Rector for International Relations, Cooperation and Volunteering, she is a Professor of Labour and Social Security Law with three recognised research periods. A European Doctor in Law from UCM, awarded cum laude and the Extraordinary Doctoral Prize, she was a DAAD–La Caixa Fellow at the University of Hannover.
Christine Neau-Leduc
President of Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne since 2021 and re-elected in 2025, she is Professor of Private Law at the Sorbonne Law School. A graduate of Montpellier and Paris II, she specialises in labour law, collective bargaining and corporate social responsibility, and has held key academic leadership roles within the university, including Vice-President for Institutional Affairs.
Carlos Gilberto Carlotti
Rector of Universidade de São Paulo, he is a medical doctor and neurosurgeon trained at Ribeirão Preto Medical School. He earned his PhD in 1998 and pursued postdoctoral research in Toronto. A Full Professor of Neurology at USP, he directs the Division of Neurosurgery and leads internationally recognised research on brain tumours and epilepsy.
Sir Peter Mathieson
MBBS (Hons, University of London) and PhD (University of Cambridge), a British physician and academic, has been the 35th Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh since 2018, after serving as President of the University of Hong Kong. A nephrology specialist and Honorary Professor in Bristol and Hong Kong, he was knighted in 2023 for his services to higher education.
Leonardo Lomelí
Rector of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México since 2023, he holds a degree in Economics and a master’s and doctorate in History from UNAM, all with honours. He received the Alfonso Caso Medal (2002) and the National University Distinction Award for Young Scholars in both teaching (2006) and research (2009).
He has taught continuously at the Faculty of Economics since 1994.
Closing remarks
Ricardo Jorge Gelpi
Rector of Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), he is a physician and Full Professor of Pathology at the UBA Faculty of Medicine, where he also serves as Director of the Department of Pathology. He is a Principal Investigator at Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET).
This Una Europa Talk not only aims to strengthen bi-regional dialogue but also contributes to the shared goal of building a Common Higher Education Area between Europe and Latin America, paving the way for more inclusive, collaborative and sustainable academic cooperation.
The discussion will be conducted in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, with simultaneous interpretation provided.
Although in-person attendance is limited to delegates attending the Assembly, we invite everyone to follow it via streaming. Follow the link below and click the “Enroll” button if you want to receive this information by email, as well as a reminder the day before!
23 October, 17:00 - 18:30.
Gabriela Mistral Auditorium, Casa de América.
Plaza de la Cibeles, s/n | 28014 Madrid . Google Map
How to get there:
Buses: 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 14, 15, 20, 27, 34, 37, 45, 51, 52, 53, 74, 146, 150, 202
Metro: Banco de España station – Line 2 (red)
Cercanías (commuter trains): Recoletos Station
Plaza de Cibeles with the Palacio de Linares,
home to Casa de América, in the background
Gabriela Mistral Auditorium at Casa de América
This event is organised in collaboration with Casa de América and the Ibero- American General Secretariat (SEGIB) and is part of the work carried out by Una Europa’s International Task Force, which focuses on strengthening strategic relationships with Africa and Latin America.
Page updated
Report abuse