www.upcomillas.es - News Comillas

A young man from Mauritania is studying a Post-grade course on Cooperation Development with a scholarship from the Banco Santander and Comillas

Tue, 15 Mar 2010 14:25:44 GMT

A scholarship for "the movement of so-called "brains"" from the Banco Santander and the University Institute for Migration Studies (IUEM, in Spanish) has allowed Ousmane Amadou N"Gaide to study for the University Master"s Degree in Development Cooperation at Comillas. Now he will return to Mauritania to put everything that he has learnt into practice: "My future plan is to work in the area of cooperation development projects in my country and in other third-world countries". This financial aid has as its goal to facilitate the training of talented individuals who come from developing countries on the condition that they subsequently return to their countries.

Representatives of ten Chinese Universities visit Comillas

Fri, 11 Mar 2010 18:41:19 GMT

Twenty-five delegates from some ten Chinese universities and from the Service for Educational Exchange visited Comillas, accompanied by members of the Embassy of the People´s Republic of China in Madrid. They were welcomed by the Director of the International Relations Service, Inés Fernández, and by the coordinators for international relations from the different faculties and schools.

Hanako Fujino, a Professor at Comillas, presides over the Association of Japanese Professors in Spain

Thu, 10 Mar 2010 15:30:40 GMT

Hanako Fujino, a Professor at Comillas, is the President of the recently constituted Association of Japanese Professors in Spain. Among the objectives of this new organisation are the promotion of research and teaching of the Japanese language in Spain, and a contribution to academic development, cultural exchange and a better understanding between Spain and Japan.

More than 70 skiers participate in the Madrid University Ski Championship

Tue, 15 Mar 2010 14:24:30 GMT

The University organised the Madrid University Ski Championship, which was held at the Valdesquí ski station. The competition, which consisted of a Giant Slalom, witnessed the participation of more than 76 skiers. As in all competitions organised by Comillas, the sportsmen and women from the University also competed for the Comillas Rector´s Trophy in Skiing.

Jorge Pons Matilla wins the Ninth Ellacuría Award for Studies of Social Interest

Fri, 11 Mar 2010 18:41:34 GMT

Jorge Pons Matilla, a student in Law and Business Administration and Management (E-3) has won the Ninth Ellacuría Award for Studies of Social Interest for "The Design for a business micro-structure in an environment with HIV: A project for Kenya from Kenya". The project stems from his experience as a volunteer in the Kenya Project last summer, where he collaborated with the NGO Nyumbani, which provides medical assistance to children infected with AIDS in the suburbs of Nairobi and attempts to improve the lives of the families with support groups which may provide economic aid.

The Santander Chair for Law and Minors, consulted by the Commission for Justice, Freedom and Security, of the EU

Thu, 10 Mar 2010 15:30:25 GMT

Federico de Montalvo, Professor of the Department of Common Disciplines of the Faculty of Law (ICADE), represented the Santander Chair for Law and Minors, at Comillas, in a Meeting for Experts on the Protection of Victims and their Rights, organised by the Commission for Justice, Freedom and Security, of the European Union (EU). More than 50 experts from almost all of the member states, who represented government organisations (mainly, Ministries of Justice), and organisations, associations, and research groups that work in fields related to victims, attended the meeting.

Rosa Díez participated in the Postgraduate Programme in the Management of Electoral Campaigns

Wed, 09 Mar 2010 14:05:07 GMT

Rosa Díez, congressional representative and spokesperson for "Unión, Progreso y Democracia" (UPyD, or Union, Progress and Democracy, a political party), participated in the Postgraduate Programme in the Management of Electoral Campaigns, organised by the Centre for Innovation in Law (CID-ICADE), a department of the Faculty of Law (ICADE), and MAS Consulting España/Spain.

Comillas organises the Madrid University Chess Championship

Tue, 08 Mar 2010 10:03:07 GMT

The University, through its Sports Department, organised the Madrid University Chess Championship, with the collaboration of the council of the Autonomous Region of Madrid, on February 26 and 27. At the competition, which facilitated the participation of the members of the University Community in the Rector´s Trophy in this sports category as well, 47 chess players from universities located in Madrid were able to participate.

Mariano Ventosa takes over as Director of the ICAI School of Engineering

Sat, 05 Mar 2010 09:51:06 GMT

The new Director of the ICAI School of Engineering, Mariano Ventosa, took charge of his office in a ceremony presided over by the Rector and in the presence of his predecessor, Fernando de Cuadra, and of the General Registrar, Clara Martínez, who read the resolution with the appointment.

Road transportation and energy efficiency, the big challenges facing the Spanish Energy System

Fri, 04 Mar 2010 17:20:14 GMT

Road transportation and energy efficiency are the big challenges facing the Spanish energy system, according to the conclusions of the 2009 report by the Platform for Energy and Sustainability, drawn up by the BP Chair for Sustainable Development at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, sponsored by BP España (Spain).

Deusto, Comillas ICADE and ESADE propose formulas to overcome the crisis in a Business Forum presided over by the King

Fri, 04 Mar 2010 16:33:21 GMT

His Majesty, the King, presided over the Business Forum for Alumni, organised jointly by Deusto, Comillas ICADE and ESADE. At the event, which was also attended by the Second Vice-President and Minister of the Economy and the Treasury, Elena Salgado, nearly 2000 alumni from the three institutions debated the Spanish economic model and its need for competitiveness. Along with them, Jaime Oraá, SJ, Rector at Deusto; José Ramón Busto, SJ, Rector at Comillas, and Carlos Losada, General Manager of ESADE, as the top persons responsible for their institutions, contributed their viewpoints on the role of the academic world in the creation of a new economic model for Spain.

The King pointed out the "immeasurable social, business and human worth" of the executives and professionals gathered at the meeting. "The patrimony which the three organising institutions, linked to the Society of Jesus, have been able to generate and foment -- with a high-reaching and humanistic regard, and a sense of ethics -, the training of entrepreneurs with a vocation for service to society" was affirmed.

The Senior Citizens University holds its tenth anniversary with a conference on professors

Wed, 02 Mar 2010 19:50:51 GMT

The Senior Citizens University has begun the celebration of its tenth anniversary with a conference on teaching in the university programme for adults. Those responsible, and professors from different divisions, debated, along with students from Comillas, on the qualities and characteristics of a professor for adult education. Such questions as research and the evaluation of these programmes were also the subject of debate.

Integration into the job market was the main theme of the Open Classroom for Employment, Companies and Handicaps

Sat, 26 Feb 2010 14:00:06 GMT

The Alumni Office and the Javier Benjumea (Focus-Abengoa) Chair for Business and Financial Ethics organised the Open Classroom for Employment, Companies and Handicaps: "A multi-dimensional vision of integration into the job market", with a view to offering a wide perspective on the role played by companies, handicapped professionals and the organisations that they represent.

Comillas welcomes the presentation of Notebooks on Law for Engineers

Sat, 26 Feb 2010 13:34:36 GMT

The Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and the President of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, presented the Notebooks on Law for Engineers, a work which is published and coordinated jointly by this electric company and by the Association - College of ICAI Engineers. Along with them, the co-publishers of the book, the Dean of the College, Miguel Ángel Agúndez, and the Secretary General and the Director of the Board of the electric company, Julián Martínez-Simancas, explained the contents of these notebooks, which follow the style of Manual for Law for Engineers, published last year, and offer an approach to the legal aspects of a professional career in Engineering, with language that is "understandable and user-friendly".

Professors from the IIT teach a course on Electrical Systems Modelling at MIT

Fri, 25 Feb 2010 14:57:50 GMT

The Institute for Technological Research (IIT, in Spanish) participated in a course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Electric Systems Power Modelling, with lessons given by Professors in the ICAI School of Engineering, Ignacio Pérez Arriaga, Javier García González, Andrés Ramos, Tomas Gómez and Luis Rouco, who taught classes along with Mort Webster, a professor at MIT.

The former President of the Fulbright Association delivered a lecture to the students of the Masters Degree in International Relations

Thu, 24 Feb 2010 17:20:42 GMT

Richard T. Arndt, Professor and Diplomat, Counsellor for the Streit Council for a Union of Democrats, US member of the National Commission for UNESCO, former President of the Fulbright Association and author of numerous publications, delivered a lecture on cultural diplomacy for the students of the University Masters Degree in International Relations: Economics, Politics and Law, which is given by the Faculty of Law (ICADE).

More than 200 Headmasters and Educational Guidance Counsellors gather at the 15th Annual Meeting at Comillas

Wed, 23 Feb 2010 13:57:38 GMT

The 15th Meeting of Headmasters and Guidance Counsellors from Educational Institutions, which is organised by the Office of Promotion at Comillas, brought together more than 200 participants who came to the university to deal with problems linked to the authority of teachers and to gain knowledge on the new aspects of the institution for the next academic year.

Joel Trachtman delivers a seminar at Comillas on international law in migration stemming from economic causes

Tue, 15 Feb 2010 13:52:46 GMT

The reaching of a framework agreement which allows states to liberalise international migration due to economic causes, providing the respective benefits to those affected , and under the control of an international organisation, such as the World Trade Organization, the International Labor Organization, the International Organization for Migration or a new, specialised institution created by the UN, is the main conclusion that the recognised expert Joel P. Trachtman, Professor in International Law at the Fletcher School (Tufts University, Boston), offered during the Seminar "The International Law of Economic Migration. Toward the Fourth Freedom", organised jointly by the University Institute for Migration Studies and the research group in Immigration Law at Comillas.

The Open Classroom, in the Alumni Office, analyses the management of Information and Communication Technologies vis-à-vis unexpected incidents and catastrophes

Sat, 12 Feb 2010 10:03:44 GMT

"The management of Information and Communication Technologies with a view to unexpected situations and catastrophes: how to guarantee the continuity of a company" was the title of the third session of the Open Classroom on Information and Communication Technologies (referred to as "TIC" in Spanish), organised by the Alumni Office at the University. Luis Díez García, Quality and Auditing Technician at the National Institute of Communication Technologies (Inteco, in Spanish) and Luis M. Carro Martínez, partner in Risk Management Technologies at Deloitte, as well as the moderator, Javier Jarauta Sánchez, Professor at the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), laid forth the principles and foundations of the strategies that institutions must design to confront potential security problems from the point of view of computer systems and communication networks, which are essential today in business management. The speakers agreed that "the plans for continuity of a business are fundamental for all companies, whatever their activity or size may be".

Comillas and the "Círculo de Empresarios" (Professional Organisation for Business Men and Women) sign an agreement for educational cooperation

Tue, 08 Feb 2010 16:37:32 GMT

The Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and the President of the "Círculo de Empresarios", Claudio Boada, have signed an agreement for educational cooperation in order to collaborate in the training of students through a programme of internships. Included among these internships is the possiblity of carrying out an end-of-studies final project at the "Círculo", or in those companies whose managers are members of the organisation and who desire to participate in this programme.

The new Papel Nuncio, Renzo Fratini, attended the celebration of "University Day"

Fri, 04 Feb 2010 09:45:33 GMT

The new Papal Nuncio of His Holiness, Monsignor Renzo Fratini, atttended the commemerative event for "University Day", on the festivity of Saint Thomas of Aquinus. During this academic ceremony, 26 new Doctors were awarded their PhD."s and 13 professors and two tenured researchers were awarded the medallion in their respective teaching categories.

Monsignor Fratini presided over the Holy Mass which opened the celebration; following this, the academic ceremony began, presided over by the Rector, who was accompanied by the Papal Nuncio, the Provincial Leader of Castille and the Society of Jesus and the Grand Vice-Chancellor of the University, Juan Antonio Guerrero, SJ, and by members of the University governing body.

Professor Santiago Madrigal is made a numbered member of the Royal Academy of Doctors in Spain

Wed, 02 Feb 2010 18:44:12 GMT

Professor Santiago Madrigal Terrazas, SJ, has taken possession of a numbered place as a member of the Royal Academy of Doctors in Spain, with medallion number 61, ascribed to the Theology Section. His acceptance speech treated "Jesuitic Tradtion in ecclesiastical matters", which was followed by a speech in reply to the keynote address by Doctor Martín Gelabert Ballester, OP, on behalf of the institution.

Operation Kilo collected a ton of food and more than 600 euros

Tue, 01 Feb 2010 11:42:06 GMT

The Solidarity Service at Comillas organised, for yet another year, Operation Kilo during the Christmas season, to collect non-perishable foodstuffs (sugar, rice, lentils, beans...) and financial contributions from members of the University community for the Food Bank of Madrid. In total, almost a ton of food, as well as more than 600 euros, was collected.

Comillas pays tribute to Professor Luis Vela Sánchez with the publication of a book

Sat, 29 Jan 2010 13:20:00 GMT

The edition of the book Judicial personalism and Canon Law. Legal studies in homage to Fr. Luis Vela Sánchez, SJ has served as a show of affection and tribute by the Faculty of Canon Law and the entire university community to this Comillas professor who, with almost 50 years of service, is a required point of reference for those in the field of Canon Law. At the homage and presentation of the book, which was presided over by the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and at which the special guest of honour was present, the following people participated as speakers: José María Díaz Moreno, SJ, classmate and fellow professor of Vela, and his student disciples, Rafael Rodríguez Chacón and Carmen Peña García.

Comillas and "LID Editorial Empresarial" (LID Business Publishing House) present the ICADE Library Collection

Sat, 29 Jan 2010 08:14:54 GMT

Comillas was the site for the presentation of the next two books in the new ICADE Library Collection: Challenges and Strategies of the EU (Desafíos y Estrategias de la UE), by José Ramón de Espínola, and Sustainable Communication (Comunicación Sostenible), by Pablo Burgué, Ángela Díaz and Pilar Pato, published in collaboration with LID Editorial Empresarial (LID Business Publishing House) by means of an agreement between both institutions to publish works with business themes by professors at the university. At the event, presided over by the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, the President of LID, Marcelino Elosua, and the authors, were present.

Comillas joins the "Vive y Convive" (Live Together and Provide Company) Programme of the Caixa Catalunya

Fri, 28 Jan 2010 09:03:31 GMT

Comillas and Caixa Catalunya have come to an agreement that allows students at the University to join the "Vive and Convive" Programme, a project for inter-generational sharing of living experiences, in which university youth and elderly people of 65 years of age or older share housing for a whole academic year. With this programme, which has a social objective and is non-profit, the participants carry out an exchange in solidarity in such a way that the elderly person offers lodging and the young person, his or her company.

Isabel Lázaro: "The protection of minors should take precedence over the condition of being a foreigner"

Wed, 26 Jan 2010 14:57:27 GMT

The Santander Chair for Law and Minors has participated in a project to improve the identification of, attention to, and protection of unaccompanied minors ("Menas", in Spanish) who request assylum in our country. "It is necessary to put the protection of minors before the condition of being a foreigner", affirms its Director, Isabel Lázaro. The project, which will culminate in the publication of a guide for good practices regarding the situation of "Menas" who are potential assylum-seekers, was begun with the previous work on the editing of the text, and has advanced with a seminar, held at Comillas. This served as common ground to bring forth perspectives on ethical foundations, identification, procedures for assylum and related protection, intervention and re-location, all of which will make be contained in the manual.

Sherezade González-Quijano, winner of the Accenture Award for the Best End-of-Studies Thesis in International Business Administration (E-4)

Fri, 21 Jan 2010 10:49:22 GMT

The work "Co-branding for solidarity with an NGO brand, application and strategic analysis" has led Sherezade González-Quijano to win the Second Accenture Award for the Best End-of-Studies Thesis in International Business Administration (E-4). This research project, directed by Profesor Alfonso Fernández del Hoyo, attempts to find a solution that combines business challenges with those of NGO"s and society.

Two industrial engineers at Comillas, award winners in the 2009 "Arquímedes" Competition

Thu, 20 Jan 2010 11:52:32 GMT

Abel Ramos and Maite Peña, industrial engineers in the specialization in Mechanics at Comillas, have won the second prize and runner-up award, respectively, in the area of engineering and architecture, in the eighth edition of the "Arquímedes" Competition for Introduction to Scientific Research, a contest which is aimed at university students, and which is set up every year by the General Management for University Policy in the Ministry of Education.

Comillas qualifies in sixth place in the Carrera de las Empresas ( "Race of the Companies")

Sat, 15 Jan 2010 09:22:43 GMT

Comillas placed sixth in the "Race of the Companies", in the men´s competition, with three runners, thanks to the participation of Daniel Muñoz, Professor in the Department of Electronics and Automatic Control; Félix Ramos, from the Central Administration Office, and Francisco Izquierdo, from the Institute of Post-graduate Studies and Continuing Education.

University publishers will no longer be discriminated against in the system for teacher evaluation

Thu, 13 Jan 2010 14:33:11 GMT

The National Commission for Evaluation of Research Activity (CNEAI, in Spanish) has modified its previous teacher evaluation system, which discriminated against publications printed by university publishers. The previous resolution, which set the criteria for evaluation in the fields of Philosophy, Philology (Literature), Linguistics, History, Artistic Expression, Law and Jurisprudence, considered those [books and chapters] which are not published by the same institution in which the researcher works, which are published in specialised publishing companies of recognised prestige and which are accredited for a rigourous selection process and evaluation of the original work to be "especially relevant".

Ernesto de la Rocha receives the award for the best "end of studies final project" at Sun Microsystems

Wed, 12 Jan 2010 12:46:24 GMT

Ernesto de la Rocha, a computer engineer from the graduating class of 2009, has won the Second National Edition of the End of Studies Final Projects Awards at Sun Microsystems Ibérica. His project, directed jointly by David Contreras and Rafael Palacios, is a proposal for the improvement of the traffic flow at intersections controlled by traffic lights with a system based on artificial vision. The project consists of the development and carrying out of experimental tests on an intelligent system that, using IP camaras and Bluetooth antennas installed at traffic lights, takes decisions in real time, thus affecting the traffic lights for the optimal performance of traffic at intersections.

The Spanish Presidency will be crucial for the future development of the European Union

Fri, 07 Jan 2010 12:52:39 GMT

The upcoming Spanish presidency of the European Union Council will be the most transcendental of the four that have been carried out by our country. The taking effect of the Treaty of Lisbon and the institutionalisation of the new powers foreseen in it, a Permanent President and High Representative of Foreign Affairs, will define the next six months of the Spanish mandate, which will set the pace for successive presidencies. These statements were corroborated by the speakers that particpated in the Conference on the Spanish Presidency of the European Union Council in 2010, organised jointly by Comillas and the Minstry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MAEC in Spanish).

Comillas, the Institute for Spanish Engineering and the Nuclear Forum present the book Nuclear Energy for the 21st Century

Tue, 11 Jan 2010 17:20:21 GMT

"It is not possible to make ideological decisions on the subject of energy", affirmed the Rector of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, a statement also reiterated by the President of the Forum on Spanish Nuclear Energy, María Teresa Domínguez, during the presentation of the book Nuclear Energy for the 21st Century. This work which compiles activities devoted to this energy source during the 2008-09 academic year in the Permanent Seminar on New Energy Technologies, organised by the Rafael Mariño Chair for New Energy Technologies at Comillas, and the Committee for Energy and Natural Resources, of the Institute for Spanish Engineering (IIE, in Spanish), at whose headquarters the event was held.

Conference on Engineering at ICAI at the Spanish Institute for Engineering

Wed, 22 Dec 2009 08:47:16 GMT

The Association of ICAI Engineers presented their branches of Engineering during a conference held at the Spanish Institute for Engineering (IIE, in Spanish), within the framework of the process of drawing up the Report on Engineering. Various representatives of the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, participated in the session as speakers: the Director, Fernando de Cuadra, the Director of the Institute for Technological Research (IIT, in Spanish), Antonio Muñoz, and the Professor of the Department of Industrial Organisation, Andrés Ramos.

Miguel Ayuso Torres, new President of the International Union of Catholic Legalists

Tue, 21 Dec 2009 10:09:20 GMT

Miguel Ayuso Torres, professor of Constitutional Law at the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, is the new President of the International Union of Catholic Legal Officers, a private, international association of the devout, devoted to pontifical law, with its headquarters in Rome. He is the first Spaniard to preside over this institution, after the previous periods of Sergio Cotta, until his passing away, and of Joël-Benoît d"Onorio.

The University and the Publishing House "San Pablo" present "Bioética Básica Comillas" (Basic Comillas Bio-ethics)

Fri, 17 Dec 2009 09:39:28 GMT

Comillas and the Publishing House "San Pablo" have presented "Basic Comillas Bio-ethics", a new collection which attempts to put themes in bio-ethics within the grasp of everyone. With the goal of reaching a non-specialised audience, in books of easy, but deeply rigourous reading, issues such as abortion, euthanasia, genetic manipulation, AIDS, transplants, disabilities, cloning and paliative care will be treated. The first three volumes of the collection, already in print, are Abortion: A social and moral challenge, by Luis González Morán; Ethics and Nursing, by Lydia Feyto Grande, and Ethics and Birth Control. A history, a reality and a decision, by Javier de la Torre.

Only with total flooding of the parklands will the problem of the slow burning of the turf in "Tablas de Daimiel" be solved

Wed, 15 Dec 2009 13:23:27 GMT

Guillermo Rein, international expert in fire protection and combustion at the University of Edinburgh delivered a lecture at Comillas on underground peat fires, with special attention to the case of the National Park of the "Tablas de Daimiel". In his opinion, the international community has a lot to learn concerning the speed in extinction and the tasks of compartmentalisation and prevention that are being carried out. But, in spite of the correctness of the decisions taken up to the present time, "the only global and definitive solution is the total flooding of the park. If this is not done, the fire could become a permanent evil."

Four Masters Degree students in the University Masters Degree in International Relations will carry out an internship at Repsol

Tue, 14 Dec 2009 13:38:21 GMT

Four students in the University Masters Degree in International Relations: Economics, Politics and Law, at Comillas, will carry out internships at the company Repsol. These students are Ana María Neira, from Colombia, and Daniela Bazoberry, Patricio Gonzalez and Jaclyn Ostronic, from the United States.

Two Comillas students win the Autonomous Region of Madrid"s Special Undergraduate Award

Fri, 10 Dec 2009 09:01:33 GMT

Philosophy student Marta Medina Balguerías and José Felipe Carbonell García, who is studying the Law and Business Administration and Management (E-3) dual degree, have been named as winners of the Autonomous Region of Madrid"s Special Undergraduate Award for the 2008-09 academic year. In addition to the accolade, they also receive a €600 prize.

Comillas team wins the 4th Unijes Saint Francis Xavier Debate Tournament

Thu, 09 Dec 2009 12:04:32 GMT

A team from Comillas Pontifical University has won the 4th Unijes Saint Francis Xavier Debate Tournament. The question posed this year was "Can a change in Spain"s economic model be achieved in the near future?" The tournament was won by Law and Business Administration and Management (E-3) students Valentín Rivas and Diego Tortosa.

Experts consider media literacy and the new Audiovisual Act to be children"s best protection in the digital age

Thu, 09 Dec 2009 11:40:57 GMT

The Santander Chair for Law and Minors and the Spanish Child Rights Coalition recently held the "Third Conference on Infancy and Communication: Digital Technology … A Blackout on Rights?" Spain"s Ministry of Health and Social Policy and the above-mentioned chair sponsored the event, at which participating researchers and experts discussed the future of children"s television in the context of the digital switchover and the expansion of digital terrestrial television (DTT). Experts stated that the new Audiovisual Act, which will create an independent watchdog and, above all, media literacy, will provide children"s best protection against the dangers presented by digital television and new media.

Comillas lecturer Juan Carlos Torre appointed to the IFCU"s Board of Administration

Sat, 04 Dec 2009 12:32:27 GMT

Juan Carlos Torre Puente, lecturer in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences" Department of Education, Research Methods and Assessment, has been appointed to the Board of Administration of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) to represent the organisation"s various sectors. This appointment adds to the already notable contribution made to the IFCU by Comillas staff, as Torre Puente also holds the post of President of the Association of Catholic Institutes of Education, one of the Federation"s sectorial groups; while Jesús Labrador, a member of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences" Department of Psychology, is President of the Conference of Catholic Institutions of Psychology; and Miguel Ayuso, member of the Department of Shared Disciplines in the Faculty of Law (ICADE) , is President of the Political Sciences sectorial group. In addition, María Isabel Álvarez, Director of the University Institute of Family Studies and Co-ordinator of the Area of Constitutional Law in the Faculty of Law (ICADE), is Secretary-General of the European Family Institutes Network.

Heads of the EU"s interpreting services visit Comillas

Fri, 03 Dec 2009 13:52:49 GMT

As part of their trip to Madrid to establish political contacts in preparation for Spain"s forthcoming EU presidency, the European Commission"s Director-General for Interpretation, Marco Benedetti, and the European Parliament"s Director-General for Interpretation and Conferences, Olga Cosmidou, visited Comillas and gave a talk to students on the university"s Translation and Interpreting and International Relations and Translation and Interpreting courses.

Comillas holds its eighth Annual Alumni Meeting

Thu, 02 Dec 2009 17:04:53 GMT

Comillas" eight Annual Alumni Meeting filled the university"s Main Auditorium to capacity and was so well-attended that the event was also broadcast on closed-circuit TV in another room to cater for demand.

The meeting began with the Eucharist celebrated by Comillas" Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ. It then continued with an introduction by the Rector, who welcomed the attending alumni and thanked them for accepting the invitation to attend so willingly.

Fourteen Comillas students awarded Universia-Fernando Alonso International Mobility Grants

Wed, 01 Dec 2009 14:23:45 GMT

Comillas Pontifical University students have been awarded 14 of the 265 Universia-Fernando Alonso International Mobility Grants available. The theme set for this year"s applicants was Formula 1 and environmental efficiency. In total, over 10,000 applications were submitted, of which number almost 2,500 met the programme"s criteria. Award of these 14 grants places Comillas first in the ranking by number received among Spain"s private universities and third in the overall table of both public and private universities in Madrid.

Valentín Rivas and Diego Tortosa win the Rector´s Trophy for University Debate

Wed, 01 Dec 2009 14:22:28 GMT

This year´s Rector´s Trophy for University Debate, which posed the question "Is China a true political and economic giant?", was contested by a dozen two-person teams. Following over 20 hotly debated sessions, Valentín Rivas and Diego Tortosa, third-year Law and Business Administration and Management (E-3) students, lifted the trophy after winning the final against Juan Díaz-Laviada (E-3, third year) and Manuel Peix Castiella (Industrial Engineering, first year).

Eleventh Comillas Forum for Employment offers opportunity in the midst of economic crisis

Tue, 30 Nov 2009 17:09:13 GMT

In some business sectors, economic crisis does not automatically mean fewer jobs. Although the current economic outlook has slowed recruitment in certain fields, others not only remain unaffected but are actively exploiting the environment to strengthen their position and expand. These are the findings of a survey taken among human resource managers attending the Eleventh Comillas Forum for Employment held on 4 - 5 November by the university´s Internship and Careers Office. This year, 89 leading companies and organisations from a variety of sectors and approximately 5,000 students attended the event.

The Orion Project opens a new work space and connection for counsellors: the Agora 2.0

Tue, 30 Nov 2009 11:23:08 GMT

The Orion Project, Observatory for Career Choices and Platform for Aid in Vocational Orientation for Secondary and High School Students, has opened a new work forum for counsellors, aiming to provide a greater degree of connection and exchange. This initiative is a step forward, bringing Orion nearer to the challenge of becoming a social network and meeting point for students, counsellors and companies, and a point of reference in career orientation in Spain.

Antonio Pau, Ana García Fau and Idealista.com, ICADE Association Awards, 2009

Sat, 27 Nov 2009 14:47:59 GMT

The ICADE Asociación Awards 2009 have recognised Antonio Pau Pedrón, for a well-consolidated career; Ana García Fau, for a brilliant career, and the founders of Idealista.com, César Oteiza, Jesús Encinar and Fernando Encinar, for their excellent business reputation. With these awards, which are celebrating their second edition, the association wishes to recognise those former students who have demonstrated an excellent professional trajectory and who have stood out in the business world due to their achievements and their professional, ethical and academic values.

Three graduates of the Institute for Post-graduate Studies are working on the preparation of the upcoming Spanish presidency of the European Union

Sat, 27 Nov 2009 08:30:41 GMT

Andrea García Vidal, Gabriela Lizcano Aguiar and Raquel Montes Torralba, graduates of the University Masters Degree in International Relations: Economics, Politics and Law, have been hired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where they are collaborating in the preparation of the upcoming Spanish presidency of the European Union.

Emiliano García Coso, Director of the Masters Degree, which is offered jointly by the Faculties of Law (ICADE) and Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE), explains that, since 2003, the University and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have had an agreement which includes the possibility of hiring students with internships. In September of 2009 the ministry launched a call for open and public grants, for which the three post-graduate students applied, and which they subsequently obtained. However, in the end they are not interns, but were hired for the entire year, since they are no longer students. "I think that this is a success for the three of them to have obtained a position" - adds García Coso - since this was an open call for applications. Moreover, for this academic year there are seven students who have been selected by the Ministry to carry out internships".

Comillas welcomes the "RedOTRI" (Office for the Transfer of Research Results Network) conference on economic aspects of European research projects

Thu, 18 Nov 2009 13:27:46 GMT

Comillas was the conference venue for the Technical Conference of the "RedOTRI" (Office for the Transfer of Research Results Network) on Financial Justification of Projects in the 7th Framework Programme, in which approximately one-hundred professionals, coming from universities and research centres from all over Spain, participated.

The Vice-Rector for Research, Development and Innovation at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Julio Martínez, SJ, opened the conference, which, in his words of welcome, highlights the vital importance of the work done by project manageres, as well as the need to have "a European outlook" with regard to the development of research in Spain and its internationalisation.

Nuria Martínez, winner of the University Christmas card contest

Wed, 17 Nov 2009 10:41:35 GMT

Nuria Martínez López, member of the Administrative and Services Staff at the University, is the winner of the contest to design the Comillas Christmas card, with the work that has as its theme "He visited us...to set our feet straight on the path of peace" (Lk. 1,79)

Comillas and the Engineering Sector for Fire Prevention and Protection sign a cooperation agreement

Tue, 16 Nov 2009 18:47:41 GMT

Comillas has signed a framework cooperation agreement through which the practical training of Masters Degree students in Engineering for Fire Prevention and Protection will be provided support by the Association of Engineering Professionals in Fire Prevention (APICI, in Spanish) and by the companies which are members of APICI.

Comillas, ranked as the 27th University in the world in the training of professionals

Sat, 13 Nov 2009 09:32:09 GMT

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas occupies position number twenty-seven in the world ranking of institutions in higher education drawn up by the École des Mines de Paris (MINES ParisTech). This classificiation, headed by the University of Tokyo, followed by Harvard and Stanford, places Comillas ahead of institutions of renowned international prestige.

Developing emotional competencies prepares students for learning as well as for life

Sat, 13 Nov 2009 09:22:17 GMT

Thirty educational counsellors and more than 60 students in the first year of Pre-School and Primary School Education attended the Third Encounter for Educational Counsellors, which is organised by the Office for Promotion in the framework of the Comillas Employment Forum, for the purpose of building bridges between schools and the business world. On this occasion, the importance of emotional education in teaching, learning, selection processes and employment was treated. A professional in education, a representative of the business world, and a professor at Comillas presented their points of view on this issue.

Faith and science can establish a fertile dialogue, because they are complementary and not contradictory

Fri, 12 Nov 2009 10:42:27 GMT

The Conference on "Bible, theology and evolution" revealed the commitment of the Faculty of Theology to the continuing task of thinking and reflecting in order to contribute to a dynamic evolution in understanding the Bible, as pointed out by the Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, in the inaugural session of the sixth edition of the conference, organised each year by the Faculty.

After advising that, through the conference programme, reflection would be done on how evolutionist thought and mentality have affected the Bible and theology, Professor Busto noted that the advance in Bible studies is due to, above all, a constant and critical approach to the texts, and he emphasized that advances in technology and computer sciences are of great help to the researcher.

Manuel Sánchez Ortega receives the 15th Javier Benjumea Award from the Association of ICAI Engineers

Thu, 11 Nov 2009 16:45:37 GMT

Manuel Sánchez Ortega received the 15th Javier Benjumea Award, which is presented by the Association of ICAI Engineers. The jury, presided over by the Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ, recognised his professional achievements, his service to the Association of ICAI engineers, and his social and human values.

The Superior General of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) visits the University

Wed, 10 Nov 2009 09:00:49 GMT

The Superior General of the Society of Jesus and Grand Chancellor of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Father Adolfo Nicolás Pachón, SJ, carried out a private visit to the University on the occasion of the celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Colegio de la Inmaculada y San Pedro Claver (the High School of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Peter Claver, commonly referred to as the "Colegio de Areneros"), of which he is a former student.

Almost one-hundred students participated in the Inside Programs 2009

Sat, 06 Nov 2009 09:10:49 GMT

The ceremony in which diplomas were awarded for the Inside Programs 2009 represented the closing of another edition of the courses, affected by some new developments and incidents. During this past year, the Comillas University Foundation was presented, in Washington; the executive version for young professionals took place for the first time, and the participants in the courses had to confront the threat of the H1N1 virus.

Rejection to taking care of terminally-ill relatives is an impediment to the work done by teams for paliative care

Thu, 04 Nov 2009 09:37:20 GMT

Professionals in paliative care have been detecting a progressive increase and general condition in cases in which young adults are reticent to take care of their terminally-ill relatives, which causes conflicts and hostile conduct toward the members of these health care teams. This recent and little-studied phenomena, described for the first time in scientific journals two years ago, has taken health care professionals by surprise. This was pointed out in the Conference on The Family vis-à-vis Illess, organised by the University Institute for the Family at Comillas, with the sponsorship of the Councils for Health and that of the Family and Social Affairs, of the Autonomous Region of Madrid.

In 20 years of interventions, no Spanish soldier has ever been convicted of violating human rights

Wed, 03 Nov 2009 17:16:28 GMT

The Faculty of Law (ICADE) organised the Second Conference on Peace-keeping Operations and International Humanitarian Law, coinciding with the twentieth anniversary of the participation by the Spanish army in these operations. The conference, aimed at broadening horizons for a well-rounded and extra-curricular education for Law students, enjoyed the participation of, and financing from, the General Office for Institutional Relations of the Ministry of Defense.

"During the last 20 years of intervention, no Spanish soldier has ever had to confront a trial stemming from violations of human rights. Unfortunately, not all countries can proudly proclaim this", pointed out General José Luis Rodríguez-Villasante y Prieto, in recognition of Spanish troops. In his inaugural address "Systems for Efficiency in Humanitarian Actions: the Application of International Humanitarian Law by the Armed Forces in Peace-keeping Operations", the speaker explained that humanitarian actions are based on a pressure point between two principles of the United Nations Charter: respect for human rights and that of non-intervention. For that reason, humanitarian assistance should have precedence over intervention, and, of course, interference.

New record of participants in the Comillas Cross-Country Race

Wed, 03 Nov 2009 09:51:31 GMT

One-hundred thirty-three runners broke the record for participants in the Comillas Cross-Country race. The competition, which usually opens the university circuit for cross-country in the Autonomous Region of Madrid, has become a landmark in inter-university competitions. Moreover, the race is also used for athletes at Comillas as a competition for the Rector´s Trophy.

- The Sectorial Commission for R+D of the CRUE calls for a modification of the budgets for research in the Parliament

Tue, 26 Oct 2009 19:35:29 GMT

In their last meeting held in Santander, the Sectorial Commission for R+D of the Conference of Rectors at Spanish Universities (CRUE, in Spanish), which is composed of Vice-Rectors for Research, has requested that the General State Budgets "be modified by parliamentary measures and that the National Strategy for Science and Technology, approved in 2008, remain intact, so that we may continue the process of convergence with Europe in matters of R+D+I."

In a declaration distributed after the meeting, the sectorial commission considers, at the present time, "that along with maintaining policies of social cohesion, it is absolutely essential to support research, development, and innovation, and for that reason, it does not seem wise to us to decrease the funds available in the General State Budgets nor in the majority of the autonomous regions".

The Alumni Office organises the First Paddleball Tournament

Tue, 26 Oct 2009 12:44:47 GMT

Seventy-two players participated in the First Paddleball Tournament, organised by the Alumni Office and held in the Jarama Sports Complex. Eduardo Laviña Richi and Francisco Méndez Ureña were crowned champions in the men´s competition, beating Alfredo Biel Turón and Borja Sacristán in the finals. In the women´s competition, Mercedes Bootello Tezanos and Carmen Salgado Criado finished in first place, followed by Ana Soler Severino and Inés Vaño.

The University presents the book "CAI 1908-2008. The way we were, the way we are"

Fri, 22 Oct 2009 13:18:21 GMT

The University fulfilled its wish to conclude the one-hundredth anniversary of ICAI, with the book ICAI 1908-2008. The way we were, the way we are, written by Professor Rafael Sanz de Diego, SJ. The event was attended by José Ramón Busto, SJ, Rector at Comillas; Javier Uceda Antolín, Rector at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Polytechnic University of Madrid); Alejandro Tiana, General Director of the Centre for Higher University Studies at the Organisation of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture and Manuel Revuelta, SJ, Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, who wished to accompany the author with a few words.

Severo Moto: "Spain granted independence to Equatorial Guinea in a disastrous and precipitous manner"

Thu, 21 Oct 2009 11:35:11 GMT

Spain handed over its former colony of Spanish Guinea, now Equatorial Guinea, too quickly. "It was done in a disastrous and precipitous manner", pointed out Severo Matías Moto Nsá, known as Severo Moto, exiled opposition leader to the regime of Teodoro Obiang, and head of the Party for Progress in this country.

Acoording to Moto, who visited Comillas de deliver a lecture organised by the "Inside Club", on "The Present and Future of Equatorial Guinea", Spain called for the sovereignty of Gibraltar in the international community in 1967, and African countries and those of the Americas demanded independence from Spain for Equatorial Guinea. The Spanish government had already abandoned the colonial system and this African country enjoyed the status of autonomous region, which lasted for four years, described as positive by Moto. But, in order to obtain the Rock of Gibraltar, Spain granted independence to the colony without control or supervision, leaving the country abandoned to its own fate, without really being prepared to meet the challenges of democracy immediately.

"With times as they are now, it is necessary to be brave to speak about the things that the Pope mentions"

Tue, 19 Oct 2009 17:13:44 GMT

The Faculty of Theology has begun the academic year with a study conference on Caritas in veritate, the first social encyclic published by Benedict XVI. The encyclic, which commemorates 40 years of the Populorum preogressio, by Paul VI and attempts to bring his teachings up to date for today´s world, has development as its main theme. "With times as they are now, it is necessary to be brave to speak about the things that the Pope brings up", stated Profesor Julio Martínez, SJ. Boldly, Luis González de Carvajal pointed out as "the main argument of the encyclic, his defense of the alternatives to capitalism".

The two best lawyers of under 40 years of age from the Iberian Peninsula, alumni of Comilas - ICADE

Sat, 16 Oct 2009 08:45:31 GMT

Teresa Paz-Ares, a member of Uría Menéndez, and Leopoldo González-Echenique, Secretary General of the NH Hotels Group and Vice-Secretary of the board of directors, have been honoured with the Outstanding Achievement Award in the Iberian Lawyer under Forty Award 2009, which honours the best lawyers of under 40 years of age. The prize recognises them as the best two lawyers in the Iberian Peninsula in their age group. Both lawyers were classmates in the graduating class of 1993 in the undergraduate degree in Law and Business Administration and Management (E-3), in the Faculty of Law (ICADE).

More than 50 players participate in the second alumni golf tournament

Fri, 15 Oct 2009 18:20:45 GMT

The Alumni Office organised, for the second consecutive year, the Universidad Pontificia Comillas Golf Tournament. More than 50 golfers ventured to the Lomas - Bosque Golf Club in order to participate in the competition.

Among the champions in the men´s competition are the winners of the first prize: Javier Boter Vidal, Yanes Trophy for first place and Ignacio Colsa Suárez de Tangil, Dupont Trophy for second place. In the second category, Samuel Oquiñena Muguerza obtained the Yanes Trophy for first place, and Javier Jarabo Vela, the Dupont Trophy for second place. María Luisa Sayas Ibáñez obtained the Yanes Trophy for the winner of the women´s competition, and Anna Bajo Sanjuan, who came in second place, won the Dupont Trophy.

Some 30 graduate students are enrolled in the Masters Degree in Finance and Auditing PricewaterhouseCoopers Comillas

Sat, 09 Oct 2009 12:01:04 GMT

Some thirty students, university graduates, who are joining PricewaterhouseCoopers in a professional capacity comprise the first eventual graduating class in the Masters Degree in Finance and Auditing, which Comillas has begun to offer in collaboration with this professional services firm. This programme for in-company training, which represents a private degree from the University, will end in December of 2010 and is taught principally by professors from the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE).

Comillas begins the academic year with 12 undergraduate degrees, 16 Official Masters Degrees and 5 Doctoral Programs

Thu, 07 Oct 2009 08:48:03 GMT

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas inaugurated the academic year 2009-10 with 12 undergraduate degrees, 16 Official Masters Degress and 5 Doctoral Programmes, adapted to the European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish). During this new academic year, the University will submit the degrees in Engineering and new Masters Degrees and Doctoral Programmes for official recognition, until its degree offering is complete, as the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, stated in his opening speech for the academic year.

Comillas offers the Masters Degree in Auditing and Managerial Development, by Deloitte

Wed, 06 Oct 2009 18:47:18 GMT

Comillas is one of the five University institutions that are offering the Masters Degree in Auditing and Managerial Development, which has just been created, in collaboration with the professional services company Deloitte, together with Deusto Business School (Bilbao), ETEA (Seville), the IDEC, at the Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona) and the Valencia Polytechnic University.

Manuel da Silva Rodrigues, new Auxiliary Bishop of Braga, is a Doctor of Theology at Comillas

Wed, 06 Oct 2009 15:32:23 GMT

The new Auxiliary Bishop of the Portuguese city of Braga, since last September 20, Monseñor Manuel da Silva Rodrigues Linda, obtained his Doctorate in Theology from our University.

This Portuguese Bishop, who obtained his Doctorate in Moral Theology in 1998, with the thesis entitled "Andragogia política em D. António Ferreira Gomes", was born 53 years ago in Freguesia de Paus (Portugal). He obtained an Undergraduate Degree in Humanities from the Faculty of Philosophy in Braga, at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Portuguese Catholic University, UCP, in Portuguese); he is a graduate in Theology, from the Faculty of Theology (Porto) at the UPC, and he has a canon law degree in Theology, with a specialization in Moral Theology (Second Cycle of Ecclesiastic Studies), from the Accademia Alfonsiana, at the Instituto Superior de Teología Moral at the Universidad Pontificia Lateranense (Advanced Institute of Moral Theology at the Universítà Pontificia Lateranense, Rome).

Manuel da Silva was ordained as a priest in 1981 and carried out diverse responsibilities in the priesthood. He was parish priest, diocesan assistant for Acción Católica (Catholic Action), military chaplain, Promotor of Justice and Defender of the Link to the Diocesan Ecclesiastical Tribunal, as well as a member of the diocesan team, responsible for the Pastoral Youth Service and for the Movimento dos Convívios Fraternos (Movement for Fraternal Cohabitation), as well as many other duties.

Javier Berriatúa San Sebastián, General Registrar at the University between 1995 and 2001, passes away in August

Thu, 30 Sep 2009 13:52:54 GMT

Born in Bilbao, in 1934, Berriatúa studied as an undergraduate with the Jesuits and graduated in Law at the University of Oviedo, in 1956. He devoted himself to widening his knowledge of Private Law until 1962. From 1965 to 1966, he studied Philosophy for two years at the Facultad San Ignacio de Loyola (Saint Ignatius of Loyola Faculty), at the University of Deusto, and subsequently he obtained his undergraduate degree in Theology at Comillas

Comillas helps to build a home in Kenya

Thu, 30 Sep 2009 11:22:39 GMT

They left as companions and they returned as brothers, "Kenyan brothers". Jorge, Marta, Idoia, María, Miguel, Ignacio and Belén travelled to Kenya to work with children who are ill and those affected by the HIV epidemic, in projects by the organisation called Nyumbani ("home", in Swahili), and they returned feeling that, in effect, they had left behind a home. Each one of the programmes in which they collaborated had become their home, and the people that participated, their families. "There I felt like a part of a big family; the children were my brothers and sisters and the "mammies" (the care-takers), my mothers", affirmed María.

The Kenya Project,which began this year, is one of the international volunteer programmes that isorganised by the Commitment to Solidarity and Development Cooperation Service,in which the members of the University Community at Comillas can participate. As explained bythe Director, Carlos Prieto, the initiative arose from the Development NGO "Friends of Nyumbani", and fits in perfectly with the plans of the Service, since it involves "a project with characteristics different from previous ones; it involves contact with the reality of Africa and HIV, but within an active project and where the participation of the volunteersisgiven at specific times".

Father Ignacio Iglesias, former Grand Vice-Chancellor at Comillas, passes away

Thu, 23 Sep 2009 15:30:28 GMT

Father Ignacio Iglesias González, aged 84, with 68 years of service in the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), and Vice-Rector of the "Seminario Menor", and Rector of the "Colegio Máximo" at Comillas, passed away in Valledolid. He was named Provinicial Director for Spain of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1981, and was Grand Vice-chancellor of the Universidad.

"T-Reto (T-Challenge)", by David Martín, winner of the Fifth Edition of the Business Project Award of the ICADE Business Club

Wed, 22 Sep 2009 17:07:17 GMT

David Martín, former student in Business Administration and Management (E-2), has won the Fifth Edition of the Business Project Award, organised by the ICADE Business Club, with the entry "T-Reto" (T-Challenge). Proenergetics Europe Inc. and From the Musician for the Musician obtained the second and third places, respectively. Moreover, the jury awarded an additional special mention to the projects Asclepio and NSQP.

Professor José Luis Fernández is inducted as a member of the Caux Round Table

Wed, 22 Sep 2009 09:18:52 GMT

José Luis Fernández, Director of the Javier Benjumea Chair (Focus Abengoa) in Business and Work Ethics and professor in the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE), has been made a member of the Caux Round Table (CRT), an organisation of international leaders who are working for a reasonsible business and political system. The slogan of the instituition is "moral capitalism for a better world".

Father Joaquín López de Prado, former Professor of Canon Law at Comillas, passes away

Tue, 14 Sep 2009 13:20:28 GMT

Father Joaquín López de Prado, SJ, Emeritus Professor in the Faculty of Canon Law at Comillas, passed away on August 26, at the age of 93 years, and with 74 years as a Jesuit, in Villagarcía de Campos.

Three students from the Faculty of Law (ICADE), among the best law students of the year

Sat, 11 Sep 2009 09:21:44 GMT

The Young Law Students Award 2009, organised by the Thomson Reuters Aranzadi Publishing Company, the Garrigues Centre for Studies, and the University of Navarra, was attended by a large number of students from Comillas. Joaquín Martín, a Law and Business Administration and Management student (E-3), and Gonzalo Bleda, from Law (E-1), won the second and third places, while Daniel Pérez, also of E-1, reached the finals.

The General Council for The Judicial Branch and Comillas sign an agreement for collaboration

Fri, 10 Sep 2009 08:49:17 GMT

Students in the Faculty of Law (ICADE) will be able to do their internships in law offices, with judges and with magistrates as tutors, thanks to the agreement which has been reached between the University and the General Council for the Judicial Branch (CGPJ, the Consejo General del Poder Judicial, in Spanish).

Comillas is the only Spanish university which coordinates an Erasmus Mundus international doctorate

Wed, 08 Sep 2009 09:57:10 GMT

Sustainable Energy Technologies and Strategies (SETS) is the only international doctorate among the 13 Erasmus Mundus awarded all over Europe for all areas of knowledge which is coordinated by a Spanish university. SETS will lead to the awarding of a joint degree by Universidad Pontificia Comillas, which coordinates the programme, Delft University of Technology (Holland) and KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden), together with Johns Hopkins University (USA), Florence School of Regulation (Italy) and Paris SUD 11 Université (France).

Carlos Ballesteros has been invited to collaborate with the Observatory for Advertising and Communication on Environment and Development

Tue, 07 Sep 2009 10:09:19 GMT

The IPADE Foundation has invited the lecturer Carlos Ballesteros from the Department of Marketing of the Comillas Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (ICADE), to collaborate with the Observatory for Advertising and Communication on Environment and Development, which is being implemented together with other institutions.

Miguel Ayuso Torres has been awarded a honorary doctorate by the University of Udine

Sat, 04 Sep 2009 12:05:04 GMT

The lecturer Miguel Ayuso Torres from the Commillas-Icade Faculty of Law has been awarded a honorary doctorate by the University of Udine. During the celebrations of the tenth anniversary of its Faculty of Law, the Italian university paid tribute to Ayuso together with the Argentinean jurist Eugenio Raúl Zaffaroni. In the words of the Dean, Danilo Castellano, we have given "equal recognition to two different scholars, with differing disciplines, profiles, and approaches, which demonstrates the spirit of a faculty open to plurality of thought and capable of considering all positions, even those which are different, when they are based on solid and valid science and which are capable of raising problems which stimulate the rationale of jurists".

The Santander Chair for Law and Minors has participated in a United Nations meeting on health

Fri, 30 Jul 2009 11:14:38 GMT

The Proferssor from the Faculty of Law (ICADE) Federico de Montalvo has participated -as a member of the Santander Chair for Law and Minors- in a United Nations Organization (UNO) conference on health. The meeting, which was held in Geneva, coincided with the Year of Health celebrations.

The Programme Inside Beijing-Shanghai has been suspended because of the alarm caused by an alleged spread of H1N1 flu

Fri, 30 Jul 2009 08:39:14 GMT

The 4th edition of the programme Inside Beijing-Shanghai, which should have taken place from 8 to 28 July, was interrupted by the health scare caused by the suspicion that the group comprised of 21 students and 2 coordinators from Comillas, who participated in the course, could be affected with H1N1 flu.

"The stereotype of the abandoned minor does not fit in with the actual situation"

Thu, 29 Jul 2009 08:20:15 GMT

The Comillas University Institute for Studies on Migrations (IUEM) and the Nuevo Sol Foundation have conducted research on the international migration of sub-Saharan unaccompanied foreign minors (MENAS) to the Canary Islands. In his presentation, Juan Iglesias—university researcher and co-author of the study alongside Francisco Legaz—assured that "the stereotype of the abandoned minor does not fit in with the actual situation".

The published study depicts the social markers and migratory profile of the minors. The fact they belong to large or very large families where the father is frequently present is notable. This fact breaks the myth of the abandoned child, an issue which the study looks at in greater depth by stating that its migration-related cases are family-related and form part of wider networks: 80% of cases have a history of migration within the family.

The Faculty of Theology ends the academic year with six doctoral theses and numerous scientific publications

Wed, 28 Jul 2009 10:14:30 GMT

Six doctoral theses defended during the academic year 2008-09 and numerous scientific works published in the last three years (books, chapters, papers, etc.) are the result of the constant research activity carried out by the Faculty of Theology of Universidad Pontificia Comillas, in its decided approach to research.

Of the six doctoral theses defended, three were in the Department of History of the Church, two in the department of Spiritual Theology, and one in the department of Dogmatic and Fundamental Theology. The six new doctors include two of Portuguese nationality, two lay people, one woman, and one lecturer from the department.

Rafael Palacios received the award for the 100 Best Ideas of 2008 from the journal ACTUALIDAD ECONÓMICA

Tue, 27 Jul 2009 18:30:12 GMT

Rafael Palacios—a researcher from the Institute of Technological Investigation (IIT) and a lecturer at the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI)—received the award for the 100 Best Ideas of 2008, given by the journal ACTUALIDAD ECONÓMICA, for a cheque reading system developed by the IIT in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Comillas and ESADE create a joint programme on leadership for next academic year

Fri, 23 Jul 2009 14:10:11 GMT

The ESADE Foundation and Comillas have signed a collaboration agreement to teach the new Programme for Leadership Development (PLD). The programme -aimed at managers with consolidated corporate experience (at least 5 years)- could be offered as of next academic year 2009-10 and will be taught by staff comprised of lecturers from both institutions. José Ramón Busto, SJ, Chancellor of Comillas, and Carlos Losada Marrodán, Director General of ESADE, signed the agreement.

Julio Martínez and Romano Giannetti are the new Vice-Chancellors for Research and International Relations

Thu, 22 Jul 2009 10:09:02 GMT

The lecturers Julio Martínez, SJ, and Romano Giannetti have begun their new posts of Vice-Chancellor of Research, Development, and Innovation and Vice-Chancellor of International Relations and Services for the University Community respectively, during an act chaired by the Chancellor, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and which was attended by a large number representing the university community.

Comillas and the Adecco Foundation sign an agreement to help disabled students find work

Wed, 21 Jul 2009 13:37:23 GMT

The Chancellor of Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and the Chairman of the Adecco Foundation, Emilio Zurutuza, have signed a collaboration agreement to commence a programme for insertion into the labour market for disabled students and former students.

The Adecco Foundation will work together with the university"s social work unit with the aim of disabled students managing to finalise their knowledge and experiences in order to have more opportunities when seeking work.

The book Innovation and Management of new products. A strategic and practical vision, has been presented

Sat, 17 Jul 2009 10:15:36 GMT

There was no other book like this on the Spanish market which, combined with the broad training and experience of the author as a lecturer and professional in public and private companies, makes Innovation and Management of new products. A strategic and practical vision very useful for teaching and extremely attractive for experts, stated Miguel Santesmases Mestre, lecturer at the University of Alcalá, during the presentation of this book by Alfonso Fernández del Hoyo, lecturer at the Faculty of Economic and Corporate Sciences (ICADE), of Comillas; the book is published by Ediciones Pirámide.

Comillas will collaborate with the ICAI Engineers Foundation for Development

Fri, 16 Jul 2009 10:52:01 GMT

The Chancellor of Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and the Chairman of the ICAI Engineers Foundation for Development (ICAI Foundation pD), Miguel Ángel Agúndez, who also chairs the ICAI National College of Engineers, have signed a joint collaboration agreement with the shared aim of fighting the causes of poverty and the undertaking to educate and increase awareness of students on cooperation and social responsibility in order to train ethically prepared and socially responsible engineers.

Comillas celebrates the 25th anniversary of the foundation of its Institute of Technological Research (IIT)

Tue, 13 Jul 2009 09:41:16 GMT

Comillas commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Institute of Technological Research (IIT) with a day in which the three Chancellors who have led the university during the centre"s quarter century participated: Guillermo Rodríguez Izquierdo, SJ; Manuel Gallego Díaz, SJ, and José Ramón Busto Saiz, SJ, in addition to representatives of entities and institutions linked to the IIT since its foundation.

Comillas and the Office of the Citizen"s Ombudsman sign an agreement for collaboration

Wed, 07 Jul 2009 09:51:09 GMT

The University and the Office of the Citizen´s Ombudsman (for Protection of Citizen´s Rights and Complaints) have signed a framework agreement for collaboration in order to take advantage of, and to maximize, their teaching, methodological and technical resources. Among the areas of work included are educational and academic cooperation, the development of research projects and studies concerning social problems, development cooperation in the Third World, and cooperation in European programmes.

The debate on the future of nuclear energy is plagued with political, regulatory and economic uncertainties

Tue, 06 Jul 2009 08:58:21 GMT

The Second Annual Conference of the Spanish Association for Energy Economics (AEEE, in Spanish) on "The cost of investment and the economic viability of new nuclear power plants", held at Comillas, allowed those attending to confront arguments by proponents and critics of nuclear energy, and to hear opinions, as well, which unveil uncertainties and doubts in the debate on the future of nuclear energy.

The children of immigrants in Barcelona do not feel rejection from the native residents of the city

Sat, 03 Jul 2009 09:19:19 GMT

The children of immigrants -the second generation- residents in Barcelona, do not feel rejection from the native residents of the city: more than half have never felt discrimination and only 6 percent (5 percent in Madrid) state that they have felt this "many times", although the reasons are often self-induced - weight, height, personality - and not necessarily related to race or nationality. However, there is a clear gap between their aspirations and their educational expectations. 56.8 percent hope to attend university (53 percent in Madrid), but only 38.3% really believe that they can achieve it. Only 10 percent (9 percent in Madrid) aspire to the highest degree of education, a University post-graduate degree, and only 6.1% (5% in Madrid) believe that they can reach this goal.

This data comes from the first phase of the research study "The second generation in Barcelona. A longitudinal study", on the social and economic adaptation of the children of immigrants in Spain, presented in the city of Barcelona (often referred to as the "Ciudad Condal" in Spanish), at the main office of the CIDOB Foundation. The results of the research done in Madrid were presented last March. The authors of this study are Alejandro Portes, of the Centre for Migration and Development, at Princeton University; Rosa Aparicio, of the University Institute for Migration Studies, at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI-ICADE and William Haller, of Clemson University. There is no knowledge of any other project with the same scope and reach as this one in other European countries.

Father Adolfo Fernández Díaz-Nava, long-time Director of the Colegio Mayor Comillas (Comillas Hall of Residence) passes away

Fri, 02 Jul 2009 11:02:19 GMT

Father Adolfo Fernández Díaz-Nava, SJ, a former student and Professor of Theology at the University, and long-time Director of the Comillas Hall of Residence (Colegio Mayor Comillas), passed away at the age of 86 years in Salamanca, having spent 65 years with the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

The graduates in Social Work at Comillas, the first Spanish university students to receive the diploma adapted to the European Space for Higher Education

Wed, 30 Jun 2009 13:45:51 GMT

The first Spanish university students who have obtained the undergraduate degree adapted to the European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish), the graduates in Social Work at Comillas, received their diplomas in the graduation ceremony for the academic year 2008-09, held from June 19 to 21 at the Cantoblanco campus at this university. The first graduates in Social Work make up the almost one hundred students receiving a degree in this specialization who have finished the course work in completion of the degree, which Comillas has been offering since last October, in which they have received a complementary academic training which allows them to be awarded the new degree adapted to the European Space for Higher Education.

Another new feature of the graduation at Comillas was that, among the nearly 1650 new graduates, there were students for the first time from a dozen new University Masters Degress which are a result of the implementation of the European Space for Higher Education, taught by the different Faculties, Schools and Institutes at the University.

Awards for the Best Final Projects in the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI) are handed out

Wed, 30 Jun 2009 10:38:02 GMT

The Regional Secretary for Education for the Autonomous Region of Madrid, Lucía Figar, participated in the award ceremony for the prizes for the Best Final Projects in the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), sponsored by the Association-Professional Colleage of ICAI Engineers, Accenture, Endesa, Iberdrola, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the la BP Chair for Sustainable Development, in a ceremony presided over by the Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ.

The ACAP holds a conference on evaluation systems and national and international accreditation at Comillas

Tue, 29 Jun 2009 11:12:39 GMT

Comillas welcomed the International Conference "New tendencies in the evaluation of results of knowledge and the accreditation of programmes", organised by the Agency for Quality, Evaluation and Control for the Universities in Madrid (ACAP, in Spanish), at which Spanish and international experts, academic authorities, professors and university administrators involved in these themes met, as well as representatives of the ANECA, and from some of the evaluation agencies from the autonomous regions of Spain.

More than 400 students attend the programme in the Senior Citizens University during the 2008-09 academic year

Wed, 23 Jun 2009 11:48:21 GMT

The fifty fifth-year students in the Senior Citizens University received their diplomas during the graduation ceremony for the programme, which was presided over by the Rector of Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ. He was accompanied by the former Rector of ICAI-ICADE, José María Díaz Moreno, SJ, who delivered a graduation speech on "New moral problems in the family. A Christian attitude", and by the Director of the programme, Isabel Romero, and the Coordinator, Ángelo Valastro.

Approval by ANECA for the nine undergraduate degrees presented by Comillas for the academic year

Tue, 22 Jun 2009 14:36:10 GMT

The ANECA has given a definitive favorable report on the nine undergraduate degrees, adapted to the European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish), which Comillas had presented for the process of approval for this academic year.

The nine undergraduate degrees which were approved are: Law, Business Administration and Management, Political Science and Public Administration, Translation and Interpreting, International Relations, Philosophy, Psychology, Nursing and Physiotherapy. In addition to this list, it is necessary to add the three degrees approved during the past academic year, which are being taught during the current academic year: Pre-School Education, Primary School Education and Social Work. All nine degrees add up to an academic offering of 14 programmes adapted to the European Space for Higher Education for the next academic year.

In 2008 families from Asturias adopted more children from Spain than from abroad

Sat, 19 Jun 2009 11:36:08 GMT

For the first time in nine years, in 2008 adoptions of Spanish children in Asturias were greater in numbers than adoptions of children from abroad: there were 29 adoptions of Spanish children compared to 28 adoptions of minors from abroad, according to the data compiled in the First Guide on Adoption and Adjustment to the Family in and from Asturias, drawn up by researchers from the University Institute of the Family at Comillas, as requested by the Association of Adopting Families of Asturias, Asturadop.

Father Antonio López de la Rica teaches his last class at Comillas-ICAI

Thu, 17 Jun 2009 12:46:38 GMT

Father Antonio López de la Rica, SJ, taught his last class at the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), after 44 years of teaching, on Wednesday, June 10. Throughout his extensive academic career, he was a Professor at Comillas-ICAI, as well as at the Complutense University. where he taught Calculus, Algebra, Differential Equations, Differential Geometry, Complex Variable Analysis, Numeric Calculus and Mathematical Logistics. His last class, in the subject of Calculus, was given to students of first year in Industrial Engineering. As stated on the web page of the One-Hundredth Anniversary Celebration of ICAI, López de la Rica is one of the protagonists of the history of the institution.

Nearly 200 international students, in Summer Courses at Comillas

Wed, 16 Jun 2009 13:19:26 GMT

Nearly 200 students from a dozen universities located in 8 European and Latin American countries, as well as in the United States, are participating in the first session of International Summer Courses which, inaugurated at the end of May, are being taught during the month of June, organised by the International Relations Service.

The BP Chair devotes the sixth edition of its forum to the challenges of sustainable tranport in Europe and Spain

Tue, 15 Jun 2009 13:57:21 GMT

In order to achieve a sustainable model for transport it is necessary to evolve in three fundamental aspects: from a model based on mobility to another that seeks accessibility, from the current tendency of urban dispersion to protection from density, and from the search for speed, as a unique model to compensate for distance, giving priority to proximity. This is the main conclusion reached by more than 30 Spanish and international experts, after two days of reflection, at the Sixth BP Forum for Energy and Sustainability 2009, organised by the BP Chair for Sustainable Development at Comillas, in collaboration with the Spanish Club for Energy, which is committed to debating the most appropriate solutions to confront the challenges of sustainable transport in Europe and in Spain.

Comillas and the Spanish Society for Radiological Protection sign an agreement for collaboration

Fri, 04 Jun 2009 16:21:44 GMT

The university and the Spanish Society for Radiological Protection (SEPR, in Spanish) have signed a framework agreement for collaboration to carry out activities and studies of common interest and educational cooperation programmes which facilitate the training of future professionals, the possibility to do internships and the recycling of those who are practicing professionals.

An application for iPhone developed by Comillas-ICAI, leader in downloads at Apple iTunes

Sat, 05 Jun 2009 12:51:41 GMT

An application developed by researchers at Comillas-ICAI holds first place in downloads from Apple Store in the category of travel. iMetro-city is a programme for iPhone and iPod Touch that finds the best route on the underground for different cities and is the only one that calculates appropriate routes for the handicapped. Neither the web pages of the most important underground systems nor the rest of the web or mobile applications take into account accessiblity in stations when calculating the routes.

A student from Comillas-ICADE, among the best three business law students in Europe

Tue, 08 Jun 2009 08:53:51 GMT

Asun Almajano, a fifth-year student of Law and the Diploma in Business Studies (E-1), placed third in the European Prize 2009 for the Best Business Law Student, organised by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and the Financial Times. The award involves the possibility of carrying out internships in the office of Freshfields and a financial reward, either in cash or as a grant for the furthering of studies.

Yolanda Moratilla presides over the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Institute for Engineering in Spain

Fri, 04 Jun 2009 16:29:32 GMT

The Director of the Rafael Mariño Chair for New Energy Technologies and Professor of the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), Yolanda Moratilla, has been named President of the Committe on Energy and Natural Resources of the Institute for Engineering in Spain (IIE, in Spanish).

Nuclear energy, at the crossroads of political blockage and the economic state of emergency

Fri, 04 Jun 2009 10:02:31 GMT

The possibility for Spain to find a competitive economic model which allows it to overcome the particular causes of its crisis clashes with political attitudes that block the role that reasonably corresponds to nuclear energy in the Spanish model for energy. This is one of the central ideas in the speech of the respresentatives of the academic, scientific and entrepreneurial world that participated in the Sixth Annual Conference of the Rafael Mariño Chair for New Energy Technologies at Comillas, dedicated this year to "Nuclear Energy: Analysis and future possibilities", which saw the attendance of some 200 participants.

Comillas awards trophies to the best sportsmen and sportswomen

Thu, 03 Jun 2009 16:29:09 GMT

Comillas held, as it does each year, the award ceremony for trophies to honour the best sportsmen and sportswomen at the University during the 2008-09. The Vice-rector for International Relations and Services for the University Community, Miguel Juárez, SJ, presided over the ceremony. Along with him, the representatives of the sponsoring entities were also present: Pilar Rotaeche, from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and Álvaro Tabernero, from Accenture, and the members of the Sports Office: Alberto Giménez, Roberto Pérez and Victor Delgado.

A team from Comillas-ICAI has won the Deloitte Business Game

Thu, 03 Jun 2009 09:34:46 GMT

Diego Martínez, María Teresa Peña, Francisco Javier Nieto and Jorge Lobo won the second edition of the Deloitte Business Game, by carrying out work in Strategical Consulting on the winning team, in the competition composed also of teams from other universities. With the help of their tutor, Alexis Cantizano, these students of Fifth Year of Industrial Engineering won the competition which awards a good atmosphere and team work in the decision-making process. "We were able to all come together perfectly and defend a viable solution together, taking into account all of the data", they explain.

"Immigrants have contributed to the period of greatest economic development in Spain"

Tue, 01 Jun 2009 17:02:50 GMT

The Forum for Social Work at Comillas, organised by the Department of Sociology and Social Work, in the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, addressed the subject of "Immigration and social work in times of crisis" in its latest edition. Professionals and researchers analysed the consequences of the crisis in matters of immigration, and reviewed the past years of immigration in Spain. Among the conclusions, there are three that stand out: immigrants have contributed to the period of greatest economic development in Spain, with their participation in Social Security (socialised medical care), a positive balance and lower crime rate. Immigrants are not a problem, but rather, a solution, since they represent a work force with a great deal of mobility and a capacity to adapt, and they offer a degree of internationalisation, rare in Spain. And, finally, a certain social risk is being detected, since the system lacks resources for the purpose of attending to immigrants; thus, social cohesion could be broken.

Students from the fourth graduating class of the Specialist Course in Electric Systems Operations receive their diplomas

Tue, 01 Jun 2009 16:08:28 GMT

The twelve students from the fourth graduating class of the Specialist Course in Electric Systems Operations REE-ICAI received their diplomas personally from the Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, the Director of the Course, Enrique Lobato, and high-level managers from Red Eléctrica de España (REE, the Electric Network of Spain).

Students of Human and Social Sciences will be able to do internships abroad and perfect their languages

Tue, 01 Jun 2009 12:52:42 GMT

Comillas and Sheffield Centre have signed an agreement for collaboration for the perfecting of linguistic and professional skills for students in the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, who will be able to do internships abroad while perfecting their knowledge of languages. Moreover, thanks to this agreement, the company is offering a grant for a three-week language course in other countries. The winner of this grant was Miriam Lozano Jimenez, a first-year student from Social Work.

José Ramón Busto: “We owe what we know today as Philosophy at Comillas to Professor Hortal"

Wed, 26 May 2009 16:39:10 GMT

Comillas has published Ethics, thought out and shared, a book which represents a tribute to Augusto Hortal, SJ, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy who has left his mark on many generations of students, professors and researchers, and who, in the words of the Rector,
José Ramón Busto, SJ, during the presentation ceremony for the book, has been vital for the development of this discipline. "We owe what we know today as Philosophy at Comillas to Augusto Hortal".

The number of future university students participating in the University Open House Day at Comillas increases

Thu, 20 May 2009 12:04:23 GMT

10% more candidates than last year participated in the University Open House Day which is organised by the Promotion and Recruitment Office to orientate future university students. More than one thousand high school students attended, together with their relatives, for the purpose of famiiliarising themselves with the different university sites and the academic offering, which has been overhauled this year due to the implementation of the European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish).

Successful first year of the Executive Inside New York-Washington Program

Tue, 11 May 2009 18:32:30 GMT

Post-graduate students and young professionals participated in the Executive Inside New York-Washington Program, organised by the International Relations Service at Comillas, in collaboration with Georgetown University. This course, for young people with a more professional profile than that of undergraduate students, was adapted for Easter Week from the already veteran Inside summer courses.

The Rector of Comillas attends the Nineth Board Meeting of Universia

Sat, 08 May 2009 13:28:41 GMT

Universia, the largest network of universities in the world, held its Nineth General Board Meeting at the "Paraninfo" (on the campus) of the Complutense University, in which José Ramón Busto, SJ, Rector of Comillas, participated. The meeting was presided over by the Rector of the Complutense University, Carlos Berzosa, who was accompanied by Emilio Botín, President of Universia; Federico Gutiérrez-Solana, President of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE, in Spanish); José Antonio Villasante, General Manager of the Santander Universities Global Division, and Jaume Pagés, General Manager of Universia. The entire board of Universia in Spain, 77 Spanish universities and institutions of higher education, was also in attendance.

"It was not the war, nor the holocaust, but the violence afterwards that turned the survivors into refugees"

Sat, 08 May 2009 12:38:10 GMT

Rhoda Henelde Abecasis, a survivor of the holocaust, participated in the day of commemoration of the Shoah (of the Holocaust) which was held at Comillas, organised by the Centre for Judeo-Christian Studies, and in collaboration with the Sefarad Israel House. This Jewish woman of Polish origin, who forms part of the generation of the children of the holocaust, narrated her experience during the conflict, but above all, during the time that followed it: "It was not the war, nor the holocaust, but the violence afterwards which turned the survivors into refugees" she confirmed. Besides her testimony, the round table, presided over by the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, saw the participation of Jacobo Israel Garzón, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain (FCJE); Miguel García Baró, philosopher and professor at Comillas; Alex Baer, philosopher and professor at the Complutense University, and Henar Corví, who is responsible for cultural activities at the Sefarad House.

A professor at Comillas, elected Vicar General of the Barefoot Carmelites

Sat, 08 May 2009 09:00:17 GMT

Emilio J. Martínez González de Santa Teresita, professor and former student at Comillas, has been elected Vicar General of the Barefoot Carmelites, for the six-year period 2009-2015. He received his Doctorate in Theology from the Advanced Institute of Moral Sciences, when it was affiliated with Comillas. Martinez was, until now, a Professor in the Faculty of Theology, where he carried out his teaching and research responsibilities in the area of Spiritual Theology. Previously, he had taught classes at the San Esteban Theological Institute, in Salamanca, and at the Advanced Institute for Moral Sciences, in Madrid.

Cancelling the information on a certificate of baptism is not renouncing Church membership according to Canon Law

Fri, 07 May 2009 11:38:02 GMT

Declarations of renunciation of the Church which are carried out as an instrument of protest against certain doctrinal pronouncements or activities by members of the ecclesiastical hierarchy do not have anything to do with renunication of the Church under canon law standards, typified in the code, since cancelling the information on the certificate of baptism is not a renunciation of the Church. The speakers at the conference to study declarations of renuniciation of the Church, organized by the Faculty of Canon Law at Comillas, agreed on this argument.
José Luis Sánchez-Girón, SJ, Professor in the Faculty and Silverio Nieto, Professor and Director of the Judicial-Civil Service of the Episcopal Conference, analysed canon law and judicial-civil aspects of the formal abandoning of the Church, together with the Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Canon Law, Gabino Uribarri Bilbao, SJ, and Professor Cristina Guzmán, who acted as moderator.

The Dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE) in The Economist

Fri, 07 May 2009 11:25:59 GMT

The prestigious weekly magazine The Economist, in its edition of last May 2, offers the opinions of Alfredo Arahuetes, Dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE) at Comillas, concerning the protective effect of investments in Latin America against the economic slowdown in Spain.

Acccording to Profesor Arahuetes, while unemployment in Spain has just reached 17 percent, more than double the European average, and the International Monetary Fund is warning that the Spanish GNP will shrink 3 percent this year and 0.7 percent in 2010, it seems that production in Latin America will shrink less and will recover sooner. The international strength that this region has should protect it from the worst part of the crisis, and for that reason, Spanish companies with business in Latin America trust that they will be able to weather the global downturn better, according to Arahuetes.

Students from Comillas-ICADE visit European institutions in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg

Wed, 05 May 2009 09:22:13 GMT

Students from the double degree in Law and Business Administration and Management (E3) visited, over a period of five days, the home offices of European political organisations in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg, the geographical triangle known as the heart of the European Union. This activity was organised by the Jean Monnet Chair, in the Faculty of Law (ICADE), with the sponsorship of EADS (European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company EADS N.V.).

Professors from Comillas participate in the Second Internacional Conference on Human Development

Wed, 05 May 2009 09:24:11 GMT

The Professors from Comillas Cristina Gortázar, Director of the University Institute for Migration Studies, and Fernando Vidal, of the Department of Sociology and Social Work, participated in the Second Conference on Human Development, held in Madrid, whose central motif was sustainable cities and the challenges of human poverty. These themes were addressed by well-known scholars and relevant figures, both national and international, from the world of development cooperation.

Julieta Moreno-Torres: "Judicial proceedings do not consider the time of minors"

Wed, 05 May 2009 08:53:02 GMT

The Santander Chair for Law and Minors presented the book Judicial Security in the System of Protection of Spanish Minors, by Julieta Moreno-Torres, coinciding with the celebration of the Day of the Book. The event consisted of the participation of: Consuelo Madrigal Martínez-Pereda, court lawyer and Coordinator for Minors on the Supreme Court; Isabel Lázaro González, Director of the Chair; Camino Cañón Loyes, Director of the Publications Service at Comillas, and the author. The work, serious and bold, examines the system of protection of minors, detects wide gaps in judicial insecurity and invites the treatment of a reform which guarantees the higher interests of children in an efficient manner. One of the aspects that causes the most problems is that of time frames, according to Moreno-Torres, "judicial procedures do not consider the time of minors".

Antonio Obregón: "The most outstanding aspects of the Bologna have their roots in the tradition of our university"

Fri, 30 Apr 2009 18:18:30 GMT

The Vice-rector for Academic Order and Professors, Antonio Obregón, explained the process of adaptation at Comillas to the European Space for Higher Education on the web of the UNESCO Chair for Political and University Management, at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, and commented on the most controversial matters and current events that surround the so-called Bologna Process.

The President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts requests the collaboration of the Faculty of Canon Law

Thu, 29 Apr 2009 17:39:06 GMT

The President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts of the Holy See, Archbishop Monsignor Francesco Coccopalmerio, has requested the collaboration of the Body of Professors of the Faculty of Canon Law at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in the tasks of his dycastory. During his visit to the Faculty, Monsignor Coccopalmerio offered orientation on concrete ways of carrying out this collaboration and emphasised the fact that he expects his visit to be returned, In Rome, by members of the University.

Father Albert Dou, Rector of ICAI during the years of its merging with Comillas, passes away at age 93

Tue, 27 Apr 2009 12:54:29 GMT

On April 18, Father Albert Dou i Mas de Xexàs, SJ, aged 93, passed away in Sant Cugat. In 1977 he was named Rector-Academic President of the Catholic Institute of Arts and Industries (ICAI), which is commemorating its one-hundredth anniversary during the current academic year, where he was a professor, occupied different high offices and formed part of the mixed commission on the incorporation of ICAI and ICADE into the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in 1978.

Two students from Comillas-ICADE reach the finals in the BNP Paribas international strategy game

Fri, 23 Apr 2009 18:16:28 GMT

Ignacio Zunzunegui and Marcus Saxby, students in their second year in Business Administration and Management (E-2) have reached the finals of ACE Manager, the BNP Paribas international strategy game. The Comillas-ICADE students put together a multi-national team, called The Elite (International), in which Elizabeth Lawrence, from the University of Pennsylvania and Xiang Li, from the National University of Singapore also participated.

In Paris, The Elite will compete against four other teams made up of students in the first years of their degree from around the world. As Ignacio Zunzunegui, the manager of the group, explained, the possibility of working and competing with students of other nationalities is one of the most attractive points of the game. Moreover, the chance to test the knowledge acquired and personal skills is especially interesting for students in their first years of university, who do not possess much experience in the practical aspects of their studies. Some 4000 students from all over the world participated in the game, of which 78 are students from Spanish universities, and among these, 36 are students from Comillas.

The Rector inaugurates the exhibit "The Year of Saint Paul in 27 Bibles"

Thu, 22 Apr 2009 09:27:21 GMT

"We have before our eyes a sample of the greatest cultural monument of mankind", stated the Rector of Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, on the inauguration of the exhibit "The Year of Saint Paul in 27 Bibles", which will remain open until April 28, in one of the vestibules of the University Library (located at calle Alberto Aguilera, 25), and from May 4 to 13 at the Cantoblanco campus, where a small sample of the valuable bibliographical patrimony of the University can be viewed.

The exhibit brings together six publications from the 16th century, three more from the 18th century, five from the 19th century and seven from the 20th century. All of them have been selected as the most representative ones to highlight the commemoration of the life of Saint Paul because of their age, illustrations or due to their bibliographical relevance.

Monsignor Braulio Rodríguez Plaza, former student at Comillas, named Archbishop of Toledo

Wed, 21 Apr 2009 14:07:33 GMT

Pope Benedict XVI has named Monsignor Braulio Rodríguez Plaza, currently the Archbishop of Valladolid, and former student at Comillas, where he graduated in Theology, with a major in the Holy Scripture in 1973, as Archbishop of Toledo, the Prime Archbishopric of Spain.

Two students from Comillas-ICAI win second place in a European programming competition

Sat, 17 Apr 2009 12:18:57 GMT

José Luis Gorroño and Pablo Moncunill, third year students in Computer Science Engineering in the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), have placed second in the national finals of the European programming competition Ricoh and the Sun Java Platform Powered by U!, organized by Sun Microsystem and Ricoh.

Students from Engineering represent Comillas in the International Fair at the University of Sydney

Sat, 17 Apr 2009 09:12:19 GMT

The students from the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), Ismael Fernández and Eduardo Uriarte Ruiz, who are on exchange in the University of Sydney (Australia), have represented Comillas in the International University Fair, organised by this academic institution.

The University and the Spanish Nuclear Society sign an agreement for training and the recycling of professionals

Fri, 16 Apr 2009 15:41:13 GMT

Comillas and the Spanish Nuclear Society (SNE, in Spanish) have signed a framework agreement for cooperation to develop activities and studies of mutual interest, as well as programmes for educational cooperation that facilitate the training of future professionals and the recycling of those that are now working in the field.

Comillas wins the Fourth Debate Tournament at the Francisco de Vitoria University

Wed, 14 Apr 2009 18:37:03 GMT

A team from Comillas has won the Fourth Debate Tournament at the Francisco de Vitoria University, held at the main site of this academic institution. 24 teams from 13 educational institutions met for this fourth edition: Pablo de Olavide University, Complutense University, San Pablo-CEU University, Camilo José Cela University, Comillas University, the University of Extremadura, the University of Las Palmas, Carlos III University, Miguel de Cervantes University, Antonio de Nebrija University, Deusto University, the host university for the competition, and the university-affiliated institution, ETEA.

Comillas, final champions, for the second year in a row, in the UNIJES 2009 Tournament

Sat, 03 Apr 2009 12:45:24 GMT

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas has been declared the winner, for the second straight year, in the overall totals in sports competitions in the UNIJES 2009 Tournament. At this competition, in which all of the university institutions which belong to the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Spain meet, the participants were: IQS (Instituto Químico de Sarríá, the "Chemical Institute of Sarriá"), which organised this edition, ESADE, ETEA, INEA, SAFA (all Jesuit institution in Spain, with their Spanish acronyms) and the Universities of Deusto and Pontificia Comillas.

Presentation of “The echo of those voices. The Schola Cantorum of the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas”

Sat, 03 Apr 2009 12:22:35 GMT

Comillas has published the book "The echo of those voices. The Schola Cantorum" of the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas", a review of the history of the institution that was the soul of Spanish religious music and whose sounds can still be heard in musical groups in Spain and Latin America. The work, written by Carlos Muñoz Álvarez, reviews the life of the Schola from its founding in 1910 to its disappearance in 1967, through bibliographical and journalistic references, concerts, liturgical acts, radio re-transmissions, trips abroad, and above all, biographical memories of the protagonists. The book is published with an accompanying DVD, which includes historical recordings which have been recovered from slate-based and vinyl records.

Charles Vest, President of the National Academy of Engineering of the USA, "doctor honoris causa"

Sat, 03 Apr 2009 12:19:00 GMT

The President of the National Academy of Engineering of the United States of America, and President Emeritus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Charles M. Vest, has been named "doctor honoris causa" at Comillas, at the proposal of the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI). The academic act is a part of the celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of ICAI.

Comillas is the first European university to concede this award to Vest, which, in addition to the recognition of his teaching and research accomplishments, attempts to serve as an expression of gratitude to MIT for the close relationship that it maintains with ICAI, thanks to which professors and researchers from the School have enlarged and enrichened their knowledge through periods of stay at this US institution.

Internships are fundamental for university students, according to 95 percent of companies in Madrid

Sat, 03 Apr 2009 09:22:56 GMT

95 percent of companies in Madrid consider that internships are fundamental for the process of training in university students, according to conclusions drawn from the Project "EU Converge", a forum for collaboration between companies and the 16 universities in Madrid, in which Comillas participates. The final report, whose title is "University training versus business needs" was presented by the "Fundación Universidad-Empresa" (Foundation of Universities and Companies) and the Chamber of Commerce of Madrid, catalysts of the initiative.

The European Space for Higher Education will increase the doubtfulness when choosing degree and university

Fri, 02 Apr 2009 11:47:32 GMT

The implementation of the new European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish), which is a result of the Declaration of Bologna, will suppose a considerable increase in the doubtfulness of students and their families upon choosing a degree and university. This is one of the conclusions of the first information session on the European Space for Higher Education, aimed at parents, high school students, teachers and counsellors, organised by the Office for Recruitment and Promotion at Comillas, in which the speaker was the Vice-rector for Academic Order and Professors at Comillas, Antonio Obregón. This talk will be repeated on three different dates: April 27, May 20 and June 17, at 7:00 pm, at calle Alberto Aguilera, 23.

A system for reading cheques created by researchers at Comillas, among the 100 Best Ideas of 2008

Sat, 27 Mar 2009 13:56:59 GMT

A team of researchers from the Institute for Technological Research (IIT, in Spanish) at Comillas has developed, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a system for reading bank cheques that deciphers handwriting and allows transactions to become automatically read, thus speeding up work and reducing mistakes. This initiative has been selected by the periodical ACTUALIDAD ECONÓMICA as one of the 100 Best Ideas of 2008.

Upon presenting this invention, the periodical points out that "it saves time and money, since a computer system recognises all of the data on the cheque, even though it may be written by hand and in bad handwriting". According to Rafael Palacios, Professor at Comillas-ICAI and co-author of the project along with Amar Gupta of MIT, the volume of cheques that banks must process carries with it a high and spiralling expense; for that reason, the interest in making the process automatic has been responsible for the development of this method, which uses optical recognition techniques of figures based on neuron networks to read the amount of the cheque.

"The theory of evolution supposes a point of introspection into the understanding of the human condition"

Thu, 25 Mar 2009 18:36:43 GMT

Theology, anthropology, technology, philosophy and economics, all with regard to Darwin. Through these fields of knowledge, and through a multitude of transversal matters, the author of the theory of evolution has been paid homage to in a series of lectures and round tables which celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of the Origin of the Species, organised by the Pastoral Service, the Service for Solidarity and Development Cooperation, and the Departments of Cultural Activities, Seminars and Conferences, Social Services and the Chair in Science, Technology and Religion.

The "San Juan de Dios" University School decides the awards for its 29th Nursing Competition

Wed, 24 Mar 2009 10:19:26 GMT

Three employees at the Cabueñes Hospital of Gijón have won the first prize in the category of research projects for the 29th Competition in the "San Juan de Dios" University School of Nursing and Physiotherapy. "Prevailing suspicions of mistreatment of patients over 65 years in age visiting a hospital emergency ward" is the title of the study with which María del Carmen Álvarez, principal researcher and nurse in the Emergency Ward; Adolfo Suárez, teaching specialist in the Area of the Digestive Apparatus, and Guadalupe de la Riva, Medical Coordinator for the Emergency Ward, won the 9000 euro cash prize.

In times of economic recession, the priority should be a reinforcement of the social infrastructure

Thu, 18 Mar 2009 17:17:37 GMT

The Director of the Institute for Migration Studies (IEM, in Spanish), Cristina Gortázar, and one of its researchers, Mercedes Fernández, participated in the Meeting "Immigration, training and employment in times of crisis", organised by the law firm Gómez-Acebo & Pombo, the "Centro Pueblos Unidos" (the United Peoples Centre), of the Jesuits of Castille, and the Institute for Migration Studies.

In her lecture "Economic growth, employment policies and social cohesion", Mercedes Fernández ascertained that in times of economic recession, it is fundamental to support cohesion, in such a way that the priority for authorities should be the reinforcement of social infrastructure, such as health or education, with the goal, among others, being that the native population does not perceive that there is an excess of people. Regretably, the government has applied a cut of 30 percent to the Funds for the Integration of Immigrants, a "lamentable" gesture, in the words of Fernández, compared to the deficit in basic infrastructure to absorb new inhabitants in the country.

Attendance record for the University Open House Day at Comillas-ICADE

Thu, 18 Mar 2009 12:37:49 GMT

Almost 1500 candidates to study at the university and their family members attended the University Open House Day in the Faculties of Law (ICADE) and Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE), organised by the Office for Promotion and Recruiting at Comillas. This figure establishes a new record for attendance at the Open House Day, with approximately a 30 percent increase over last year´s participation.

PricewaterhouseCoopers and Comillas-ICADE launch the first Masters Degree in Auditing and Finances on the market

Thu, 18 Mar 2009 09:12:59 GMT

Comillas and PricewaterhouseCoopers have signed an agreement to begin the PricewaterhouseCoopers-Comillas Masters Degree in Finances and Auditing, the first of these characteristics which is being launched in Spain. This Postgraduate programme will have a duration of 15 months; its first graduationg class will begin the course next September and will finish in December of 2010. Throughout the duration of the Masters Programme, participants will be able to combine their professional life with this educational activity.

"Dynamics of violence: minors as assailants, minors as the assailed", theme of the First Conference on Psychology

Sat, 13 Mar 2009 12:58:15 GMT

“Dynamics of violence: minors as assailants, minors as the assailed", is the global theme of the First Conference on Psychology which, organised by the Department of Psychology, of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences at Comillas, has been carried out for the past two years at the central campus of the university, with the sponsorship of CES Project Mankind and the Association Aspacia for Fraternal Existence Institute Stoa (Asociación Aspacia para la Convivencia Instituto Stoa), and the collaboration of the Santander Chair for Law and Minors, the Department for Psycho-social Intervention (Uninpsi) and the University Institute for the Family, all of these at Comillas.

Comillas organises the University Ski Championship of Madrid

Thu, 20 May 2009 10:06:29 GMT

Sixty-four skiers participated in the University Ski Championship of Madrid, which Comillas organised at the Valdesquí ski station, with the collaboration of the Madrid Federation of Winter Sports and the Pilar Club.

Comillas organises the University Chess Championship of Madrid

Fri, 12 Mar 2009 17:07:57 GMT

Sixty-three participants competed in the University Chess Championship of Madrid, which was held at Comillas. Thanks to widespread participation, this year it was possible to establish, for the first time, a women´s competition. Students from Comillas competed for the Rector´s Trophy, at the same time as competing for the inter-collegiate trophy.

The graduates of the last graduating class in the Post-graduate Programme in Electric Energy are working in the sector

Fri, 12 Mar 2009 11:18:31 GMT

The growth of the electric sector and the challenges that is is raising, along with the experience and the prestige that the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI) has accumulated, and teaching in energy technologies have contributed to the fact that all of the students in the last graduating class of the Masters Degrees in the Post-graduate Programme in Electric Energy are working in the sector. Many of the professionals that register for classes come from the large companies and organisations in the field, and upon completing their course, all of them find work in these institutions. Endesa, which sponsors one of the courses, Red Eléctrica Española (Spanish Electric Network), Iberdrola, Unión Fenosa or the National Commission for Energy are the main origins or final destinations of the graduates.

Presentation of "The ICAI Engineer and Sustainable Development", a work by 88 professors at the University

Wed, 10 Mar 2009 13:15:44 GMT

"Sustainability means that we cannot maintain the current level of consumption. This is the greatest conflict that humanity faces today. The fact that our School of Engineering is delving into this problem is a motive of satisfaction, since this is the work of the University". The Rector of Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, delivered these words at the presentation ceremony for The ICAI Engineer and Sustainable Development, a joint work by 88 professors at the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), published by Comillas and the Association of ICAI Engineers, with the sponsorship of the National College of ICAI Engineers, Endesa and Indra.

The presentation of the book, which was presided over by the Rector, is a part of the commemorative events for the one-hundredth anniversary of ICAI, and was under the supervision of Manuel Acero García, President of the Engineering Institute of Spain, and of the Secretary of State for Climate Change, Teresa Ribera Rodríguez. Also participating were the Director of the School, Fernando de Cuadra, and the President-Dean of the Association-College of ICAI Engineers, Miguel Ángel Agúndez.

The Prince and Princess of Asturias in the commemorative ceremony for the One-Hundredth Anniversary of ICAI

Tue, 27 Apr 2009 13:10:30 GMT

Their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Asturias, presided over the main commemorative ceremony for the One-Hundredth Anniversary of ICAI, held today in the Main Auditorium (Aula Magna) at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Among those accompanying HRH Felipe and HRH Letizia at the presidential table were: the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ; the Apostolic Papal Nuncio, Manuel Monteiro; the President of the Autonomous Region of Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre; the Secretary of State for Research, Carlos Martínez Alonso; the Great Vice-Chancellor of the University and Provincial Head of Castille, Juan Antonio Guerrero, SJ, and the Director of the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), Fernando de Cuadra.

Technology and training form the core of the collaboration between Comillas and the Banco Santander

Sat, 06 Mar 2009 08:30:29 GMT

The technological modernisation of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas and the development of training activities, fundamentally in matters of finance and law, are specified as the main areas of collaboration in an agreement signed by José Ramón Busto, SJ, Rector of the academic institution, and Emilio Botín, President of the Banco Santander. The agreement renews and expands the relationship that both institutions have maintained since 1998.

The Prince and Princess of Asturias received the participants in the Inside 2008 courses at an Audience

Sat, 06 Mar 2009 08:18:24 GMT

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Asturias, HRH Felipe and HRH Letizia, received the students on the Inside 2008 courses in an Audience. Sixty-four students, accompanied by the Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ; the Vice-rector for International Relations and University Services, Miguel Juárez, SJ; Professor Laura Gismera; the Director of Inside Programs in the United States, José Herrero; and the coordinator of the courses, Álvaro Lozano, as well as the Vice-president of the Georgetown Club of Spain, Sergio Iranzo.

At the audience, which the Prince offers traditionally in his role as Honourary President of the Georgetown Club of Spain, there was time to talk about the students´experience, both in the United States as well as in China, and of the importance of internationalisation for students, a field in which the Inside Programs are leaders. The Prince and Princess also commented on matters related to the monarchy in Spain with the participants, their role in international relations in our country and their daily life.

Comillas and Princeton carry out in Spain the most important study on second generations in Europe

Thu, 04 Mar 2009 18:04:11 GMT

The children of immigrants, the so-called second generation, do not perceive, at least in Madrid, a large-scale rejection coming from the native population and have faith in the existence of opportunities for upward mobility for all. However, there is a clear gap between their aspirations and their expectations. 52 percent aspire to go to university, but less than half - 23 percent - really count on gaining access to it. 9 percent aspire to the highest educational level - university post-graduate studies - but only 5 percent believe they can achieve it. For many of those scholars on the theme of migration studies, this gap between aspirations and expectations has been the source of conflicts which have occurred in other European countries with second generations (France, Great Britain).

The previous data comes from the first phase of the research study The second generation in Madrid: A longitudinal study, presented today, on the social and economic adaptation of the children of immigrants - the second generation - in Spain, and includes only results which refer to Madrid. The authors of the study are Alejandro Portes, of the Center for Migrations and Development, of the University of Princeton; Rosa Aparicio, of the Institute for Migration Studies at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, and William Haller, of the University of Clemson. The former two participated in the press conference offered today.

This initial phase of research, which relied on the support of the Spencer Foundation, of Chicago (Illinois), consists of a representative sample of second generation students from schools in the metropolitan areas of Madrid and Barcelona, both public and government-funded. The objective of the study is to give the survey once again to those that make up this sample within a few years, to find our how their lives and their expectations for integration in Spanish society have evolved.

Work is a fundamental step in the integration of immigrant youth

Thu, 04 Mar 2009 09:43:49 GMT

Integration into the job market for the children of immigrants constitutes a fundamental step in order to mature into adult life, as work represents the first step toward the integration of a full-fledged citizen. This is one of the essential ideas of the Conference "Young children of immigrants: the process of integration into adult life", organised by the University Institute of Migration Studies (IUEM, in Spanish) at Comillas, for researchers, professors, Post-graduate students and social agents.

The conference was opened by the Vice-rector of Research, Development and Innovation, Ángela Jiménez; the Director of the Institute for Migration Studies, Cristina Gortázar, and the Director of the Spanish Observatory for Racismo and Xenophobia, Amapola Blasco. The experiences presented centered around the detection of needs, to support immigrant youth in different aspects of their lives and the development of projects for intervention. Leisure and free time, educational supervision of those that leave school, counselling for parents, and professional training for youth without papers were the subjects that were treated.

18 percent of adolescents in Madrid have had sexual relations, on the average, at age 14

Wed, 03 Mar 2009 18:25:30 GMT

18 percent of adolescents in Madrid have had sexual relations, on the average, at age 14, and these relations increase with age. In the past year, among those that had sexual relations, 93 percent of adolescents used some method of contraceptive device. 76 percent had received some type of information on sexuality or contraception in their education, through school, friends or, as a last resort, parents.

This data, which refers to adolescents in Madrid, is part of the conclusions in the research paper Adolescence and risk: a comparative study in three autonomous regions, sponsored by the National Plan R+D+i, of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, between the years 2006 and 2008. The study was coordinated by Comillas, by a research team composed of Carmen Meneses (Director), Jorge Uroz and Silvia Giménez, of the Department of Sociology and Social Work, of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences. In the project, which includes the autonomous regions of Andalusia, Madrid and the Basque Country, researchers from the Universities of Granada, Seville and the Basque Country, and the Basque Health Services, also participated.

Although the data presented by the professors at Comillas centers around Madrid, since they were the first to be processed, comparing the results obtained in the three autonomous regions, Madrid stands out for its violent conduct; Andalusia, for its lack of street safety, and the Basque Country for drug use, especiallly alcohol abuse.

Gala concert at the Royal Theatre to commemorate the One-Hundredth Anniversary of ICAI

Tue, 02 Mar 2009 18:24:52 GMT

The music of Mozart and the extraordinary setting of the Royal Theatre of Madrid came together to enhance the commemorative concert on the one-hundredth anniversary of ICAI, organised with the sponsorship of the Santander Bank, National College of ICAI Engineers, Endesa, IBM, Sitech, Structuralis and Wincor Nixdorf; and the collaboration of the ICAI Engineers Association, the Association of Technical Engineers of ICAI and the Alumni Office of the University.

The musical programme by Mozart opened with the 29th Symphony in La Major K 201, interpreted by the Andrés Segovia Chamber Orchestra, with Karl Sollak as conductor. Following this, the orchestra interpreted the Exsultate, jubilate, K 165, with soprano Alina Furman. After the intermission, mezzosoprano Angélica Mansilla, tenor Luis Dámaso, bass Miguel Ángel Zapater and the Choir of the Prince of Asturias Foundation came on stage to perform the Mass of the Coronation, in Do Major K 317, together with Furman and the orchestra, with maestro Sollak conducting.

There is no reliable data concering the situation of unaccompanied foreign minors in Spain

Sat, 27 Feb 2009 12:53:35 GMT

There is no reliable official data concerning the current situation of immigrant minors who are alone in Spain, which prevents us from knowing their numbers, how the established legal protection system is working, and how it can be improved. This situation was exposed at the Meeting on Unaccompanied Foreign Minors, organised in February by the Santander Chair for Law and Minors at Comillas, with more than 250 participants.

The Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, opened the event, accompanied by Alfredo Albaizar, Director of the Area of Universities for Spain, and Professor Isabel Lázaro, Director of the Chair, which is sponsored by the aforementioned financial institution. Albaizar expressed the pride of the Santander Bank on participating in this research activity with such a rigourous university institution, and resulting from the social and human transcendental nature of the subject.

Javier Gómez Lanz, new Director of the Institute for Post-graduate Studies and Continuing Education

Fri, 26 Feb 2009 14:55:19 GMT

Francisco Javier Gómez Lanz, Professor in the field of Penal Law in the Law School (ICADE), has taken on the position of Director of the Institute for Post-graduate Studies and Continuing Education, in which he replaces Pilar Melara San Román, in a ceremony presided over by the Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ.

Henar Rodríguez wins the Tenth Holy Father Rubio, SJ Award with a work on immigrant student integration

Wed, 24 Feb 2009 13:32:44 GMT

Henar Rodríguez Navarro, a researcher and professor from the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Valladolid, has won the Tenth "Holy Father Rubio, SJ Award for Advancement in the Knowledge of Immigration", held by the Institute for Migration Studies at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI-ICADE, with the sponsorship of the Society of Jesus (Province of Castille). The jury awarded the first prize to the piece of research "The process of integration of the new immigrant student in primary education", for having concentrated on a highly sensitive social issue, with broad and complex field work, and whose results are significant, practical and operative for the optimization of educational policies in the field of migration studies.

Comillas holds University Day on the occasion of the festivity of Saint Thomas Aquinus

Wed, 17 Feb 2009 10:16:18 GMT

"Those of you who have received a special award on the completion of your studies are a shining example of the intellectual and personal excellence of our students and an incentive for our professors and all of us involved in the university community, since excellent students require professors and services of high-quality as well", stated the Rector of Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, upon congratulating the 28 students who received their awards during the commemorative act to celebrate University Day, which is celebrated on the occasion of Saint Thomas of Aquinus. Also in attendance were the Apostolic Papal Nuncio, Manuel Monteiro de Castro; The Provincial Representative of Spain for the Society of Jesus, Elías Royón, SJ, and the General Director for Religious Affairs, from the Ministry of Justice, José María Contreras Mazarío.

"Our university is well-known and recognised not only because of the attention that our professores devote to the students, but also due to the human and intellectual excellence of our students: because of their values, their critical spirit, their capacity for work, their responsibility and their availability for collaboration", added the Rector.

Comillas-ICAI offers a Masters Degree in Regulation of the Electrical Industry in the Dominican Republic

Wed, 03 Feb 2009 11:54:06 GMT

The Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI) and its Institute for Technological Research (IIT) will offer the Masters Degree in Regulation of the Electrical Industry in the Dominican Republic, in collaboration with the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (FUNGLODE, in Spanish). Besides designing the content and methodology for teaching and learning, Comillas-ICAI is contributing the majority of the professors on the course.

Students from Comillas-ICAI will represent Spain in the international finals at L´Oréal Ingenius 2009

Tue, 02 Feb 2009 13:32:45 GMT

A team of fifth-year Industrial Engineering students, composed of Alicia Peña, Óliver Al-Nabhani and Enrique Donaire, will represent Spain in the international finals of the L´Oréal Ingenius 2009 game simulation for Engineers, which will be held in March.

"In schools in the Congo, not only learning to add or to speak French are taught, but also living in peace"

Sat, 30 Jan 2009 12:02:58 GMT

Juanjo Aguado, SJ, a former student at Comillas and member of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS, in its acronym in English), visited the university to explain his experience with the displaced in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the region of North Kivu, in a talk organised by the Pastoral Service, the Service for Solidarity and Development Cooperation and the Departments of Cultural Activities, Seminars and Conferences and Social Services.

Aguado has been working in the past months as Director of a JRS educational project in the city of Rutshuru. His objective, to integrate displaced children into the schools in the area: "In schools in the Congo, not only learning to add or to speak French are taught, but also living in peace", he confirmed. "They are sacred ground. The first thing that children do if they manage to arrive at school is to take off their shoes, showing respect and reverence for the school and its teachers". There, with classes of up to 80 students, "the spirit of learning is greater than that which I was able to find here in my days as a professor", said Aguado. "Any place protected from the sun and the rain is good for learning".

The ICAI Engineers Foundation for Development opens a delegation office at Comillas

Fri, 29 Jan 2009 12:55:32 GMT

The ICAI Engineers Foundation for Development has opened a delegation office at the University - office D-123 in the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI) - for the purpose of attending to students´ concerns for acquiring social values through work on Engineering projects.

The foundation has the support of three basic pillars, which are present in the School of Engineering: the Foundation "Entreculturas - Fe y Alegría" (a Jesuit NGO), the Association of ICAI Engineers, and the National College of ICAI Engineers. It receives, moreover, collaboration from other organisations, such as Energy without Borders, and Engineering without Borders.

Comillas presents the first edition of the Executive Inside Programme for Easter Week

Sat, 23 Jan 2009 13:42:00 GMT

With a programme aimed at young professionals and Post-graduate students, International Courses at Comillas are expanding with the Executive Inside Programme to be held during Easter Week. From April 2 to 12, participants will spend five days in New York and five days in Washington in order to familiarise themselves with the world of business, banking and international relations in the United States.

On the occasion of the one-hundredth anniversary of ICAI, Iveco Spain donates an engine to the university

Fri, 22 Jan 2009 17:49:34 GMT

On the occasion of the celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of ICAI, which is being commemorated throughout the entire 2008-2009 academic year, Iveco Spain has donated a supercharged diesel engine to Comillas, which will be used in practical classes in the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI).

Gabino Uríbarri takes over from Santiago Madrigal as Head of the Faculties of Theology and Canon Law

Sat, 23 Jan 2009 11:31:20 GMT

Gabino Uríbarri Bilbao, SJ, is the new Dean of the Faculties of Theology and Canon Law at Comillas, substituting Santiago Madrigal Terrazas, SJ, who has occupied this position for the past six years. The changing of officers was held in the Main Auditorium (Aula Magna) at Cantoblanco, and was presided over by the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, with the presence of the Vice-Great Chancellor of the University and Provincial Head of Castille of the Society of Jesus, Juan Antonio Guerrero, SJ.

Michel: "Football is not a sport; it is, more than anything, an absolute business"

Thu, 21 Jan 2009 16:29:38 GMT

The former football player and trainer, Michel -José Miguel González Martín del Campo- participated in the Wednesday Lecture Series at Comillas, with a talk in which students, professors and university personnel had the opportunity to ask him about his life in sports, his experience as a trainer, his disputes with Real Madrid and the status of the club, in particular, and football, in general. Regarding the latter, he was especially critical: "Football in not a sport; it is, more than anything, an absolute business".

Michel points out three types of people in the world of football: opportunists, more interested in the business than the sport; those with knowledge of the sport, under suspicion by all; and those that do not have a clue, but who impose themselves on the ones with knowledge. In his opinion, the first type and the latter are the majority, and the second type "only once in a while, by chance, manages to sneak in. It is customary to say that the environment surrounding this sport is rotten, but this is no longer valid, because it is rotten from within", ascertained Michel.

The "San Juan de Dios" School of Nursing and Physiotherapy awards its Thirteenth Short Story Prizes

Sat, 16 Jan 2009 12:19:55 GMT

Juan Antonio López Segura, physical therapist from Castellar del Vallés (Barcelona), won the first prize in the Thirteenth "San Juan de Dios" Short Story Prizes with a story titled "The brown donkey". The award, given by the "San Juan de Dios" University School of Nursing and Physiotherapy, in collaboration with the San Rafael Hospital, has a cash prize of 2100 euros.

Graduation and awarding of diplomas to the fifteenth and sixteenth graduating classes of the Executive MBA

Fri, 15 Jan 2009 19:24:25 GMT

The students of the fifteenth and sixteenth graduating classes of the Executive MBA received their diplomas in an academic ceremony presided over by the Rector of Comilllas José Ramón Busto, SJ, who was accompanied by Pilar Melara, Director of the Institute for Post-graduate Studies and Continuing Education, and Vicente Rodríguez Rubio, General Director for the Economic Office of the Navy, who was the special guest and honorary witness of the graduates.

Carmen Valor: "Social action is not a gift, the donation has an opportunity cost"

Fri, 15 Jan 2009 12:00:35 GMT

Carmen Valor, a Professor in the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE), has won the Alimerka Foundation Award for short essay on social actions in the business world. The prize-winning article, "Proposal for a strategic global model for business action", describes an alternative model to the current policies concerning social action. The study proposes, among other matters, that "social action is not a gift, because the donation has an opportunity cost".

The men´s indoor football team at Comillas wins third place in "Euromilano 2008"

Wed, 13 Jan 2009 11:44:58 GMT

More than 20 universities from all over Europe and 1200 athletes participated in the championship, held in Milan The men"s indoor football team at Comillas placed third in the university championship "Euromilano 2008", held in Milan, after eliminating a Russian team in the quarter finals.

The team from our university was composed of 19 students who competed in men´s indoor football, women´s basketball and tennis in both categories and for both sexes. Some 1200 students from more than 20 universities from all over Europe, who competed in the men´s and women´s competitions, in the areas of indoor football, basketball, volleyball and tennis, participated in the championship.

European and Latin American Jesuits consider European immigration policies to be unjust and contrary to freedom

Tue, 12 Jan 2009 12:46:02 GMT

For European and Latin American Jesuits, the Directive on the Return of Illegal Immigrants and the European Pact on Immigration and Assylum "gives precedence to security to the detriment of freedom and justice", according to the declaración of the declaration of the Jesuit Social Apostolate of Europe and Latin American and the Caribbean, in which Comillas participated through its University Institute of Migration Studies (IUEM, in Spanish). This was on the occasion of the celebration of World Migrants Day, on December 18, which commemorates the signing of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migratory Workers and their Families, from 1990.

The Inter-Provincial Commission for the Spanish Social Apostolate encharged a legal report some time ago on the consequences of the Directive on the Return of Illegal Immigrants and the European Pact on Immigration and Assylum to the Jesuit Service for Migration, to which the University Institute of Migration Studies at Comillas belongs. The Director of the Institute (IUEM), Cristina Gortázar, drew up the report, which, along with other analyses of this issue, has given rise to the declaration of the delegations of the Jesuit Social Apostolate of Europe and of Latin America and the Caribbean.

José Luis Cano, appointed as the new Executive Secretary of the Catholic Education Foundation

Fri, 08 Jan 2009 14:56:06 GMT

José Luis Cano, SJ, has been appointed as new Executive Secretary of the Catholic Education Foundation, substituting Valentín Matilla, SJ, who recently passed away. This foundation was created in 1992 on the recommendation of the Spanish Federation of the Religious in Teaching (FERE, in Spanish) for the purpose of avoiding the closure of any Catholic instititions which could be viable, and which met their social and ecclesiastical function of training children and youth in a human and Christian manner.

José Luis Cano was born in Murcia, and joined the Society of Jesus in 1957, in the center for novice priests in Aranjuez, and was ordained as a priest in 1970. As a graduate in Theology at Comillas, in Philosophy at the Faculty of Theology of the Sociey of Jesus in Alcalá de Henares, and in Chemisty at the University of Murcia, he has dedicated his entire life to teaching. Cano was an Instructor in Mathematics, Chemisty and Religion at several high schools.

Birgitta Baumann, first prize from Accenture for the best final-year thesis in International Business Sciences

Thu, 07 Jan 2009 16:50:43 GMT

Birgitta Baumann won the first prize from Accenture for the best final-year thesis in International Business Sciences (E-4) for her work on "Business Answers to the Daily Consumer Needs of the Handicapped", directed by Professor Carlos Ballesteros García.

Moreover, from the 18 works that were presented, three runner-up prizes have been awarded to Vanessa Campion Álvarez, for her thesis on "Real estate assets as an example of investment", directed by Marta Ramos Aguilar; Rita Muller, for "The Internationalisation of wholesale commercial distribution: conditioning factors and current challenges. The case of the Spanish textile sector", directed by María Victoria Labajo González; and Nadine Schenten, for "The impact of the liquidity crisis on the activity of capital risk", directed by Rocío Sáenz-Díez Rojas.

Presentation of "This is our history", a book that helps children to understand the process of their adoption

Fri, 18 Dec 2008 13:24:46 GMT

Ana Berástegui and Blanca Gómez Bengoechea, researchers in the University Institute of the Family at Comillas, presented This is our History. The book of your adoption. The work, published by SM, is the first to be written and published in Spanish to help children in the understanding of the process of their adoption and to speak to them about their roots and the training of the family to which they now belong.

José Bono, President of the Congress of Deputees, was the special guest at the presentation and explained his experience as an adopting father. He stated that, to him, the most important thing is that the child knows that he or she is adopted before understanding its meaning. Bono said that the past is a right of the child and should not be "missing", and for that reason, it is necessary to "treat it with repect and to be natural". Moreover, he reminded the audience that Spain is the second country, after the United States, which carries out the most adoptions.

A team from Comillas, runner-up in the Second Round-Robin Debate Tournament

Fri, 18 Dec 2008 09:33:16 GMT

A team at Comillas finished as runner-ups in the Second Round-Robin Debate Tournament. Miriam Pastor Martínez, a student in her Fifth Year of Law (E-1), and Beatriz Pardo González, Daniel Pérez García, Cristóbal Rodríguez Giménez and the captain Rocío Villegas Martos, all in their Fifth Year of Law and Business Administration and Management (E-3), competed in the finals with the Competitive Debate Society (Sodeco), debating one of the two subjects proposed by the tournament organisation: "Will the Bologna Project cause an improvement in the quality of teaching in Spain?".

Presentation of "Historical Atlas of the councils and the synods", latest work by Juan María Laboa

Thu, 17 Dec 2008 17:40:38 GMT

"In 40 years of delving into the details of the history of the Church, I have learnt that human beings commit, time and time again, the same mistakes", said Juan María Laboa, Professor Emeritus at Comillas, during the presentation ceremony of his latest work, "Atlas histórico de los concilios y de los sínodos" in Spanish ("Historical Atlas of the councils and synods"), at the main campus of the University, with the Rector José Ramón Busto, SJ, presiding.

The book, published by the San Pablo (Saint Paul) Publishing Company, is a compilation from what is commonly known as the Jerusalem Council, a meeting of the apostles and elders, until the last meeting of the American bishops with Benedict XVI in Aparecida (Brazil). A story which has taken place over the past 20 centuries, of meetings, synods and councils, generally for bishops and, often, with the collaboration of priests and lay people, in which the current state of the Church was assessed, difficulties were examined and precepts and doctrines were adopted. The work is illustrated with numerous maps and photos of paintings, mosaics and bas-relief.

Psychology Professors at Comillas disclose the serious social status of the mentally ill in Madrid

Thu, 17 Dec 2008 10:36:23 GMT

A male between 30 and 50 years of age, diagnosed with squizophrenia, who lives with his mother, on a meager family income, jobless and without any training to fend for himself, lacking aid and information to obtain it, is the profile of the mentally ill person from Madrid which is disclosed by the study "Quality of life and squizophrenia", carried out by a team of psychologists at Comillas, AMAFE (Madrid Association of Friends and Family Members of those Ill with Schizophrenia, in Spanish) and the Social Work Office of Caja Madrid.

This is a matter of the most-extensive research project carried out in Spain, based in the Autonomous Region of Madrid, regarding the serious situation that the mentally ill are facing, their behaviour, needs, and professional deficiencies, in their habits and in their experiences with professionals. The sample for the study is composed of 778 people from the Autonomous Region of Madrid, which includes both the mentally ill patients and their family members.

The authors of the study are Doctors in Psychology, Juan Pedro Núñez Partido, Head of the Psychology Laboratory; Rafael Jódar Anchía and Rufino Meana Peón, SJ, the latter being the Director of the Department for Psycho-social Intervention (UNINPSI); all of them are professors at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI-ICADE, and María Teresa Ruiz Jiménez, graduate of Psychology and Director of AMAFE. The Vice-Rector for Research, Development and Innovation participated in the presentation of the project, and pointed out that Comillas can be found at the cutting-edge of research on schizophrenia.

Comillas hosts the presentation of the Greek-Spanish bilingual edition of the "Synopsis of the Four Gospels"

Wed, 16 Dec 2008 12:06:55 GMT

The university was the site of the presentation of the "Synopsis of the Four Gospels", a Greek-Spanish bilingual edition published by the Biblical Society, with the Greek text of a previous editoin by Kurt Aland, and the adaptation and Spanish translation by Antonio Vargas-Machuca, SJ, Professor of the Faculty of Theology.

Second Meeting of Universidad Pontificia Comillas Alumni from the Canary Islands

Wed, 16 Dec 2008 11:38:57 GMT

Ten business organisations from the Canary Islands have signed the United Nations World Agreement and two of them are members of the Spanish network of this pact, as the General Manager for this network, Isabel Hernández, manifested during the speech that she delivered on the occasion of the celebration of the Second Meeting of Universidad Pontificia Comillas Alumni from the Canary Islands, held at the Hotel Santa Catalina, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

"It is up to universities to dream about a better future"

Sat, 12 Dec 2008 12:20:57 GMT

The Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ, affirmed at the inauguration of the course that "the Declaration of Human Rights invites us to incorporate our committment to freedom and justice into the work of the university". With this underlying statement, and convinced that "it is up to universities to dream about a better future", the Pastoral and Solidarity Services and the Departments of Cultural Activities, Seminars and Conferences and Social Work organised a series of debates on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the passing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Alfredo Arahuetes takes possession of the office of Dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Studies

Sat, 12 Dec 2008 11:26:49 GMT

The new Dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Studies (the Business School, ICADE), Professor Alfredo Arahuetes, took possession of his office in a ceremony presided over by the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and in the presence of his predecessor, María Josefa Peralta, and the General Registrar, Clara Martínez

Natalia Sánchez wins the Special Undergraduate Award from the Autonomous Region of Madrid

Wed, 09 Dec 2008 19:27:06 GMT

Natalia Sánchez, first-year student of Law and the Diploma in International Relations (E-1), at Comillas, has won one of the 23 Special Undergraduate Awards which correspond to the academic year 2007-08 in the Autonomous Region of Madrid. The prize consists of an economic award of 600 euros, an official diploma and an official note of recognition signed on the academic transcript and in the official record book of grades.

In Natalia´s opinion, Law is something that is vocational. "I would like to devote myself to it in the future. When I finish my studies, I would like to do "oposiciones" (exams to be a State Civil Servant) for a public position, something that I have been thinking about for a few years. But I don´t know very well yet if for property registrar, State Attorney, notary, or legal member of the State Council, as one never knows what one is capable of, and there are many goals that can be fulfilled".

José Bono: "I began in politics because of my religious committment and I have been able to keep it"

Wed, 09 Dec 2008 12:18:05 GMT

José Bono, President of the Congress of Deputees (the Spanish House of Representatives or House of Commons), and a former student at Comillas, participated in the Nineth Conference for Orientation and Committment to Solidarity "Yes, you do have rights. Comillas in the real world" by speaking about his relationship with politics and social reality. "I began in politics because of my religious committment, and even though it has not been easy, I have been able to keep it", confirmed Bono, upon remembering that this university was "a Jesuit island, which some of us knew how to take advantage of to begin to participate in politics".

He was clear regarding his political committment: "I am a Socialist, I believe in solidarity and I am Spanish". And he confirmed that, for him, solidarity is on the same level as equality: "Radical equality is a fact, although privileges may be disguised to convert them into rights". Asked about his ability to work for the rights of the most marginalised people, he responded that one must be a rebel with a cause, because rebellion against the establishment is a sign of committment and respect. "Everyone has the right to eat and to live and, either we give it to them, or they will take it for themselves", he pronounced.

Secretary General for the Defense of Minors: "We must do justice with the most vunerable"

Fri, 04 Dec 2008 13:51:41 GMT

Comillas hosted the International Conference on Childhood and Adolescence, organised by the Freudian Analysis Association, in collaboration with the University. With the title "Contributions from psycho-analysis and other fields of reflection", the sessions purport to be a contribution from the point of view of psycho-analysis and other fields of reflection to the problems of children and adolescents.

Edward Freeman, father of the Stakeholder theory, Doctor honoris causa at Comillas

Wed, 02 Dec 2008 17:16:48 GMT

The creator of the Stakeholder theory for modern business, Professor Edward Freeman, has received the award of Doctor honoris causa from the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI-ICADE, proposed by the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences (the Business School, ICADE), in a solemn academic ceremony held this morning.

This is the first time that a university has given Freeman an award of this kind, but as his academic sponsor in the ceremony, Professor José Luis Fernández, Director of the Javier Benjumea Chair (Focus-Abengoa) for Economic and Business Ethics stated, "it will not be the last time to receive an award for his contribution to the task of consolidating this area of knowledge and the practical environment of business ethics, and for contributing to the inward explosion of the phenomena of corporate social responsibility, which now is perceived to be growing vigorously".

60 universities participate in the Fourth International University Exchange Fair

Tue, 01 Dec 2008 18:46:50 GMT

The University Exchange Club, Comitas Exchange, in collaboration with the International Relations Service, held its fourth International University Exchange Club. Some 60 universities from more than 20 countries were present to inform students concerning the different possibilities for which they can opt in the event that they wish to request an Erasmus grant or a bilateral exchange.

Alex Rovira fills the house at the Anual Alumni Meeting 2008

Tue, 01 Dec 2008 18:41:17 GMT

With the venue filled to the brim, which forced the closing of registration for participants several days before, Comillas held the Annual Alumni Meeting 2008 on November 15 in which, besides the attractive nature of a collective meeting, an added attraction was the keynote speaker included in the programme: Alex Rovira.

The Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, opened the round of speeches and, after welcoming those present, said that this year life at Comillas is taking a path between the celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of ICAI and the implementation of the new degrees adapted to the European Space for Higher Learning.

"We have been trying –he added- to make that founding impulse a reality. Our institution has changed, it has grown, and it has become bigger, but the goals of its founders continue to be ours. All of this is being made possible, to a large extent, thanks to the collaboration of alumni who, individually and also grouped together in different associations which the university provides, have been encouraging and supporting the work of our university institution in many different ways". Precisely, in order to thank and to recognise the collaboration of alumni, the Rector stated that the "Junta de Gobierno" (University Senate) has agreed to concede the Gold Medal of the University to the ICAI Engineers Association.

Professor Alfredo Arahuetes, new Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences (Business School)

Fri, 27 Nov 2008 17:17:18 GMT

On Tuesday, December 2 at 1:00 pm in the Sala de Conferencias (Lecture Hall), located at calle Alberto Aguilera, 23, Professor Alfredo Arahuetes García will take possession as Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences (the Business School), replacing Professor María Josefa Peralta Astudillo, who has been in this position for six and a half years. The Rector and all of the members of the University wish to thank Professor María Josefa Peralta for her efforts and for her generous availability throughout these years as Head of the Faculty, and would like to send their best wishes to the new Dean as he embarks on this new era.

A research team from the IIT (Institute for Technological Research) creates a system for reading bank cheques

Thu, 26 Nov 2008 18:45:02 GMT

A research team from the Institute for Technological Research (IIT, in Spanish) has carried out, together with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a system for reading bank cheques which deciphers handwriting and allows transactions to be mechanised, thereby fomenting these tasks and reducing mistakes.

The volume of cheques that banks need to process currently supposes increasing costs each year. The interest in mechanising the process has led to the development of this system, which uses techniques of optical character recognition based on neuron networks in order to read the amount of the cheque.

The Ministry of Science and Innovation awards the "distinction of quality" to a Doctorate in Electric Energy at Comillas-ICAI

Fri, 20 Nov 2008 09:05:51 GMT

The Doctoral Programme in Electric Energy at Comillas - ICAI has obtained the "distinction of quality" awarded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, through the Secretary of State for Univerisities. This distinction is a recognition of the scientific and technical solvency of the programme that, as its Director Pablo García González explains, encompasses the quality in training of the Doctorate, the research activity of the professors involved, and the Doctoral theses defended by students.

The program is evolving and there are more and more students who are carrying out periods of stay in other countries, and visiting professors who are teaching there. "I believe that the true challenge of the Doctorate is its internationalisation. European funds for research are greater and greater and, moreover, it is the only way of maintaining an acceptable volume of students. In Europe, we compete with the same conditions as other universities, and not being public does not suppose a limit to the accessing of funds", assures García González.

The Superior General of the Jesuits congratulates ICAI on the celebration of its one-hundredth anniversary

Thu, 19 Nov 2008 12:10:20 GMT

The Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Father Adolfo Nicolás, expressed his congratulations to ICAI on the celebration of its one-hundredth anniversary during his stay in Barcelona, where he delivered a lecture at the campus of ESADE, on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary, and where he visited the John XXIII Centre, in Bellvitge, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the presence of the jesuits in this neighbourhood.

In the context of his lecture on the mission of the Society of Jesus in the realm of the university, titled "Mission and University: what future do we want?", delivered at ESADE, Father Nicolás said: "I cannot conclude this greeting without referring to another joyous commemoration for the Society. On October 15, 1908, the "Instituto Católico de Artes e Industrias" or "Catholic Institute of Arts and Industries", ICAI, in Spanish, began its teaching activity with 25 students in classes for workers, which were free of charge, and with another 40 students in classes of mechanical technicians and electricians. The happiness of this celebration is interspersed with my emotional personal recollections, since I was a student for three years in the other section of the institution, the Areneros High School." "That utopian dream of the creators of ICAI is still alive today in those that inherited and furthered it, those who believe in the value of university training to make other people´s lives better, and in Christian and Social humanism as a necessary ingredient for the training taught at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, to which I send my heartfelt congratulations and my best wishes for the future", concluded Father Nicolás.

Beatriz Vara de Rey, awarded as Student of the Year at the Alfonso Ussía Awards, at LA RAZÓN (Spanish Newspaper)

Wed, 18 Nov 2008 15:29:22 GMT

triz Vara de Rey, a student of Law and Business Administration and Management (E-3), at Comillas, has won the Student of the Year Award at the first edition of the Alfonso Ussía Awards, given by the newspaper LA RAZÓN. The award acknowledges one of the best academic transcripts of marks in the second year of studies for the 2007-08 academic year, in which she received the final comprehensive mark of "matricula de honor" (highest honours). The distinction has meant "a reward for my efforts" to Beatriz, and "encourages her to keep striving".

Beatriz chose Comillas because of the prestige that it enjoys and the opportunities for employment which, as a consequence, arise. "I did not do an entrance exam for any other university", she states. Comillas-ICADE has surpassed the expectations that I had, she likes her professors "very much", and her desire to be in a favourable environment, which she considers so important, has been met to perfection. "Here I am comfortable in class and I come eagerly. The people make you like to be in class, I ask questions unashamedly, I pay attention and I understand what they say.

"Noche de Paz (Night of Peace, "Silent Night")" wins the Christmas card contest 2008 at Comillas

Fri, 13 Nov 2008 19:48:41 GMT

Rosa María Martín Gudiel, member of the Department of Administration and Services at the Universidad, has won the Christmas card contest 2008 at Comillas, with the work titled "Noche de Paz" (Night of Peace, "Silent Night").

The Dean of Theology and Canon Law enters the Royal Academy of Doctors of Spain

Fri, 13 Nov 2008 19:43:32 GMT

The Royal Academy of Doctors of Spain, in a decision adopted at the plenary session of full members, has elected Professor Santiago Madrigal Terrazas, SJ, Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Canon Law at Comillas, as a full member of the First Section of Theology.

Competencies, underlying theme at the Second Meeting for School Counsellors, organised by Comillas

Thu, 12 Nov 2008 19:33:19 GMT

Some thirty school counsellors, about half coming from private schools and half from public schools in Madrid, attended the Second Meeting for School Cousellors, held under the framework of the Tenth Comillas Employment Forum, whose underlying theme was competencies.

After being welcomed by the Vice-Rector for Financial Affairs, Cecilio Moral, and visiting the Forum, the work session began, which was opened with the presentation of the Web Orion, a unique tool available for school counselling, directed by Comillas Professor Vicente Hernández and which has been remodeled recently.

Following this, a round table was begun which treated the central theme of the meeting.

In times of crisis, the number of candidates and their interest in the selection process increases

Wed, 11 Nov 2008 18:13:12 GMT

Under the present economic circumstances, the number of candidates interested in participating in selection processes is increasing, while at the same time expectations are being lowered, and as a consequence, the possibilities of being selected by a company are increasing. This is the main conclusion of the questionnaire that the Universidad Pontificia Comillas has distributed in 93 companies, leaders in their respective fields, which participated in the Tenth Comillas Employment Forum, held on November 5 and 6, in the main building of the University.

Although it is still early to detect large variations in the access to the job market for recent graduates, companies recognise that in times of crisis, such as the present time, student interest in selection processes is increasing vis-à-vis a first job and that, moreover, students become less selective. Proof of this is the success of the attendance at the Forum by students and former students at Comillas, who flocked to the company stands to provide them with their resumés and to receive information on the possiblities of selection and the options for professional development offered to them by the companies, in case they join their professional staff.

Health, technology, sustainability and challenges to the family, at Science Week at Comillas

Wed, 11 Nov 2008 13:18:35 GMT

Health, sustainable development and energy technologies, the application of new technologies to knowledge and more stimulating and current challenges which families face today make up the varied themes of the programme that Comillas will offer during the Seventh Madrid Science Week 2008, organised by the Autonomous Region of Madrid, from November 10 to 23, with the intervention of specialists in the different subject matters.

Spain lacks global programmes for the problems of immigrant families when taking in immigrants

Tue, 10 Nov 2008 17:13:34 GMT

The complex phenomena of transnational immigrant families requires global and inter-disciplinary responses to their problems, so for that reason, it is adviseable to incorporate the transnational perspective into the academic arena, into migratory policies and into intervention into social, economic and health areas, etc., according to the conclusions reflected in the Eleventh Conference of the Meeting FOrum for Universities - Social Agents "Family and immigration: the transnational immigrant family, indispensable agent in Spanish society", organised by the University Institute for Migration Studies (IUEM, in Spanish), at Comillas.

The more than 60 participants at this latest edition of the annual meeting between universities and social agents who are acting in the field of immigration manifested the absence of global programmes to take in immigrants, aimed at immigrant families.

In the words of the coordinator of the conference and member of the IUEM, Joaquín Eguiren, the legal measures adopted by the Spanish Administration do not appear to be sufficient for the re-grouping of families among immigrant parents and their children. This situation originates psychological problems for the members of the family and difficulties in the evolution of the family. "A woman of twenty-some years of age, who arrives in Spain as an immigrant and who has to spend, at least, five years egalising her situation in the country, could be separated from her children during the formative stages in which they most need her", emphasises Eguren.

Francisco Javier López Bartolomé received the Javier Benjumea Award in its fourteenth edition

Tue, 10 Nov 2008 11:33:35 GMT

Francisco Javier López Bartolomé, President of the Regions of America and Iberia of Wincor Nixdorg, received the Javier Benjumea Award, in its fourteenth edition, at the commemoration of the one-hundredth anniversary of ICAI, which was held in the Aula Magna (Main Auditorium) at Comillas, with the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, presiding. The graduating classes of ICAI which are holding their golden and silver anniversaries this year were also welcomed.

José Ramón Busto: "Benedict XVI is a Pope who has been a theologian and who would like to continue to be one"

Fri, 06 Nov 2008 10:33:42 GMT

The Faculty of Theology has organised its fifth conference with the title of "The thoughts of Joseph Ratzinger, theologian and Pope." For three days, instructors and researchers delved into the theology of Ratzinger, through his works and his judgements. In his inaugural speech, José Ramón Busto, SJ, Rector of the University, certified that, if analising the thoughts of a prestigious theologian is always interesting, it is even more so when he has been Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and is the Pope. This dual role is important because, in the words of the Rector, "Benedict XVI is a Pope who has been a theologian and who would like to continue to be one".

Comillas, in solidarity with the University of Navarra after the terrorist attack

Thu, 05 Nov 2008 18:42:33 GMT

Students, professors and academic authorities at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas gathered in the hall of each of the buildings of the university to express their solidarity, by means of a minute of silence, with the University of Navarra, for the terrorist attack suffered on that university campus.

The Association "Club Inside" (The Inside Club) is born for cultural exchange and the training and creating of awareness in free peoples

Thu, 05 Nov 2008 11:41:30 GMT

The graduation ceremony to award diplomas for the sixth edition of the Inside Programmes served as a platform for the presentation of the Association "Club Inside" (The Inside Club). This organisation, open to all of those who have participated in any of these international programmes, and to those who have worked for them, has the intention of "fomenting a critical and independent social group, which will contribute to cultural exchange and to the training and creating of awareness in free peoples, capable of analising events and reasoning in an objective manner."

The Inside Programmes, which have been running since 2003, have provided a unique international experience to nearly 500 students, the majority from Comillas. This sixth edition witnessed the participation of 92 students: 34 in the Inside Washington Program, 35 in the Inside New York Program y 23 in the Inside Beijing–Shanghai Programme.

Comillas joins the CRUE in condemming the terrorist attack on the University of Navarra

Sat, 31 Oct 2008 12:57:28 GMT

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas is joining the declaration of condemnation by the Rectors Conference of Spanish Universities (CRUE, in Spanish) as a result of the terrorist attack which occured on the campus of the University of Navarra. As a sign of solidarity and rejection for the attack, a minute of silence will be kept tomorrow, Friday, October 31, at 12:30 pm, in the hall of each building.

The first Graduating Class for the Masters Degree in Business Taxation, which is offered together with Deloitte, receives its diplomas

Tue, 03 Nov 2008 14:48:32 GMT

The first graduating class for the Masters Degree in Business Taxation which is taught by Comillas, in collaboration with Deloitte, Attorneys and Tax Consultants, has received their diplomas in an academic ceremony presided over by the Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ, in which the second edition of the programme was inaugurated at the same time.

The goal of this Masters Degree is to provide undergraduates who are joining Deloitte every year as tax consultants with specialised training and the largest measure of academic and professional excellence required to carry out their work. The classes are given over the length of the academic year and are taught on Fridays at the Instutite for Post-graduate Studies and Continuing Education at Comillas, which is organising the programme together with the Faculty of Law (ICADE), on behalf of the University. The teaching team includes Inspectors from the Tax Office and professionals from Deloitte, Attorneys and Tax Consultants, as well.

Daniel Pérez and Cristobal Rodríguez, winners of the Eighth Rector´s Trophy for University Debate

Sat, 31 Oct 2008 10:41:24 GMT

Daniel Pérez García and Cristobal Rodríguez, students of the Fourth Year of Business Administration and Management and Law (E-3), are the winners of the Eighth Rector´s Trophy for University Debate. In the finals, the teams composed of Daniel Pérez García and Cristóbal Rodríguez (Fifth Year of E-3), and Rafael Agrafojo Ramos and Álvaro de Diego Pérez-Cameselle (Fourth Year of E-3) competed against each other.

The Eighth Rector´s Trophy was held over two days, with a total of 23 debates in which 10 teams participated. The theme chosen for this edition was "Should Madrid host the celebration of the Olympic Games?", a question which, according to the organisation, has hardly been discussed in the public realm despite its importance.

José Ramón Busto: "Saint Paul was never an anti-feminist. This is one of the unfair statements that he has to withstand"

Fri, 30 Oct 2008 17:25:03 GMT

The Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, opened the Alonso Schökel Lecture Series with a lecture titled "Was Paul an anti-feminist?". The question was answered quickly, since at the beginning of the presentation, he stated: "Saint Paul was never against women. This is one of the unjust statements that he has to withstand". Professor Busto insisted, in front of an audience largely composed of women, that "with the exception of Musonio Rufo, there is no one in the ancient world more feminist than Paul".

One hundred thirty runners take part in the Comillas Inter-university Cross

Wed, 28 Oct 2008 17:26:55 GMT

One hundred thirty runners take part in the Comillas Inter-university Cross held at the Cantoblanco campus at Comillas. The race, with a new record of participation, is the first of the Madrid university circuit for the 2008-09 academic year. As usual, along with the Inter-university competition, the Comillas Rector´s Trophy was held for students from this university.

"We have not invented anything; people have always been communicating, and we have only given them a more efficient and better tool"

Wed, 28 Oct 2008 13:41:18 GMT

"We have not invented anything; people from all over the world have always been communicating. We have only given them a new tool, and we have made it more efficient and better". Mark Zuckerberg, 24 years of age, creator and Board Member of Facebook, answered one of the most applauded questions asked by students at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas this afternoon in this way, during a lecture which he gave for the programme of activities planned for the one-hundredth anniversary of the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), introduced by its Director, Fernando de Cuadra.

Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros, Eva Castillo, Javier Calvet and Kishore Shyam, winners of the ICADE Association Awards

Thu, 22 Oct 2008 17:54:33 GMT

Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros, Eva Castillo Sanz, Javier Calvet Stoffel and Kishore Shyam Karani have received the first ICADE Association Awards. With these distinctions, the Association wishes to recognise those former students who have demonstrated an excellent professional trajectory, and who have stood out in the field of business for their accomplishments and professional, ethical and academic values.

The awards ceremony, which was held at the main site of the university, was presided over by the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, who presented the awards along with the President and the Vice-President of ICADE Association, Marcelo Prieto and Daniel Villar, respectively. Among the general public in attendance were family members, friends and workmates of the award winners, as well as recognised members of the business world.

Comillas hosts the first meeting of the Network for International Adoption

Thu, 29 Oct 2008 15:26:18 GMT

Fifty-eight researchers from different universities, hospitals, companies, public enterprises and associations of adopting families make up this Network for International Adoption, which has held its first meeting at Comillas, with the title "The Integration of the internationally-adopted: inter-disciplinary perspectives."

This network arose as an initiative by Comillas to bring together the efforts of different research teams located all around Spain, and joins work groups involved in 11 projects active in the National Plan I+D+i(Research+Development+Innovation).

The network has created a web page (www.upcomillas.es/adopcion) in order to spread the knowledge which is being generated in Spain in relation to adoption from the point of view of different groups.

Professor José Ignacio Pérez Arriaga receives the Outstanding Engineer Award

Thu, 15 Oct 2008 12:01:53 GMT

José Ignacio Pérez Arriaga, Professor in the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), Director of the BP Chair for Sustainable Development and member of the Royal Academy of Engineering, received the Outstanding Engineer Award, given by the Spanish Chapter of the Society for Power and Energy, of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). Victoriano Casajús, President of the Spanish section of the institution, presented the prize to him, obtained for his contribution to "the theory and practice of the electrical markets".

This recognition is the highest distinction that the chapter awards to one of its members for his or her professional career. Professor Pérez Arriaga is the third recipient of this award and the second ICAI Engineer to receive it, after Professor José Luis Torá, who is now retired.

Forty percent of students in the Master in International Cooperation are from Latin America, Africa and the EU

Wed, 14 Oct 2008 17:12:00 GMT

The University Masters Degree in International Development Cooperation has begun its classes in the twelfth edition for 2008-09, which is the first as an official post-graduate programme adapted to the European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish), with its 50 places covered by 60% of Spanish students and the remaining 40%, students coming from Latin America, Africa, and the European Union.

The "Comunidad de Madrid" (Autonomous Region of Madrid) is the place from which the majority of the Spanish students come, followed by the Autonomous Region of Valencia, Andalucía, the Basque Country, Castille and Leon, Extremadura, and others.

Ninety percent of the students registered in this course have university undergraduate degrees. The academic background is varied, from Technical Architecture to Philology, covering areas such as Sociology, Political Science, Law, History, Economics, Business, Veterinary Studies and different fields of Engineering, and those who are working do so in the so-called third sector, which included non-profit organisations.

Comillas welcomes more than 300 international students during the first semester of the academic year 2008-09

Wed, 14 Oct 2008 17:11:32 GMT

More than 300 university students coming from 139 universities in 28 foreign countries chose Comillas to continue their studies in the first semester of the academic year 2008-09. The classrooms of our university have opened their doors to 305 international students during this semester, compared to 284 that visited us in the same period for the past academic year, amounting to a 7 percent increase.

This numerous group of students arrived at Comillas thanks to Erasmus grants, different bilateral agreements and specific programmes. During the past academic year, the International Relations Service expanded its network of collaboration, signing exchange agreements with new universities in China, The Philippines, The United States, Colombia, France, Norway, The United Kingdom, and Russia.

The students were welcomed by the Vice-Rector for International Relations and University Services, Miguel Juárez, SJ; the Director of the Interational Relations Service, Inés Fernández, and by representatives of the different University services.

"Outsourcing" services represent 36 percent of income in the consulting sector

Sat, 10 Oct 2008 10:38:56 GMT

The Asociación Española de Empresas de Consultoría (Spanish Association of Consulting Firms, AEC, in Spanish) presented its report "Outsourcing. Lever of growth and creation of worth". Fernando de Cuadra, Director of the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería (Advanced Technical School of Engineering, ICAI); José de Rafael, Director General of the AEC; Ricardo Penalva, Vice-President of the AEC and member of the Board of Directors of Everis, and Antonio Crespo, Director of Quint for Spain and Portgual, participated in the event.

The AEC is drawing up an annual report on consulting, as well as three studies on the sector. This year it has chosen "outsourcing" as the theme of one of these reports, because of the great interest that it stimulates in the sector. According to the report, in the consulting business, the services of "outsourcing" or "lowering of costs" are the most dynamic and represent 36 percent of the income in the sector.

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas opens the 2008-09 academic year, during which the School of Engineering, ICAI, will celebrate its 100th Anniversary

Thu, 08 Oct 2008 19:39:18 GMT

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas inaugurated the 2008-09 academic year, during which the one-hundredth anniversary of the School of Engineering, ICAI, the "Instituto Católico de Artes e Industrias" (Catholic Institute of Arts and Industries) will be celebrated. It has formed a part of this university since 1978, as the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, pointed out in his speech.

The Undergraduate Degrees in Social Work, Pre-school Education and Primary School Education offered now for the first time

Wed, 07 Oct 2008 10:39:55 GMT

With the beginning of the academic year, Comillas has begun to offer the new undergraduate degrees in Social Work, Pre-school Education and Primary School Education. The students that are beginning their classes will be the first graduates of our university to enter the labour market in four years. In the Autonomous Region of Madrid, only Comillas offers the European Degree in Social Work; in the case of Pre-school Education and Primary School Education, it is the only Spanish University that offers the degree adapted to the European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish).

On the occasion of the one-hundredth anniversary of ICAI, Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler donate two vehicles to the university

Tue, 06 Oct 2008 17:42:11 GMT

On the occasion of the celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of ICAI, which will be commemorated throughout the entire 2008-09 academic year, Mercedes-Benz Spain and Chrysler Spain have donated one vehicle each to the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI-ICADE, which will be used in practical classes in the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI).

The two cars donated are a Mercedes Benz Vito 109 CDI and a Dodge Caliber with a 1.8 liter gas engine. Both vehicles will be used so that the students in the final years of studies in Engineering can carry out experiments with their engines and mechanical systems.

These donations are the result of the many years of collaboration between the university and the two automobile manufacturers, and of the interest of the latter in having one of the best schools in the country train its future engineers with their brand-name products.

The Masters Degree in Railway Systems begins its seventh edition, now becoming an official degree

Thu, 01 Oct 2008 15:14:31 GMT

The University Masters Degree in Railway Systems began the 2008-09 academic year with the graduation ceremony for the members of the sixth graduating class, and the presentation of the new edition, in which the degree has now become official, with its adaptation to the European Space for Higher Education. Both former and new students, as well as the large number of people attending, had the opportunity to witness a round table on super high-speed trains, with the participation of the main operators and manufacturers in the world.

Antonio Fernández Cardador, Director of the Masters Programme, reminded those present that the degree was born as a result of the demand of the Spanish railway sector for high-speed trains and from a number of lines in Madrid. Thanks to the productive relationship between universities and companies which Comillas-ICAI enjoys, the Masters Degree has numerous and important collaborating entities, which bring both students and professors to the course.

Fernando Vidal and Rosalía Mota present the largest survey on early childhood in Spain to the media

Wed, 30 Sep 2008 17:52:50 GMT

The professors from Comillas, Fernando Vidal and Rosalía Mota, presented their research, "Survey on early childhood in Spain 2008", a sociological study published by the university, the SM Foundation and the "Movimiento Júnior-Acción Católica" (Júnior-Acción Catholic Movement), which reflects the situation of childhood in our country, at a press conference. This study is the largest survey on the childhood population carried out in our country and offers an ample and extensive portrait of its current situation.

Among its main conclusions, the survey points out that Spanish children live in close-knit and sociable homes. The physical presence of parents is habitual at home, although there are 17% of children that spend all afternoon without them and 27% of the childhood population eventually feels lonely at home. The children of immigrant parents are those that are most left alone all afternoon, those that have the greatest number of televisions in their room, and those that most recur to video games on a daily basis.

The Library at Comillas receives the Seal of Quality Commitment for European Excellence from the EFQM

Tue, 29 Sep 2008 14:06:05 GMT

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas has received the Seal of Quality Commitment for European Excellence from the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) for the management of its library archives.

In order to obtain this distinction of quality, the university was submitted to a process of external evaluation whose last phase, between July 17 and 23, was carried out by the Club for Excellence in Management, as the organism that represents the EFQM in Spain.

The Council of Ministers has approved three new university degrees at Comillas

Tue, 22 Sep 2008 12:07:31 GMT

Bachelor´s Degree in Social Work, Bachelor´s Degree in Primary Education, and Bachelor´s Degree in Pre-School Education are the degrees adapted to the European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish), which were approved by the Council of Ministers and which will be offered beginning in October.

Comillas is the only university that will offer the new degrees, Bachelor´s Degree in Pre-school Education and Bachelor´s Degree in Primary Education. Moreover, only Comillas will offer the Bachelor´s Degree in Social Work in Madrid, adapted to the European Space for Higher Education.

Only Comillas will offer the European Undergraduate Degree of Social Work next school year

Tue, 15 Sep 2008 14:56:46 GMT

In Madrid, next school year 2008-09, studying the undergraduate degree in Social Work, which has been adapted to the European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish), and which has lived up to the academic level expectations, will only be possible in Comillas Pontifical University.

More information.

Comillas, only university to offer Primary School Education and Pre-School Education European degrees

Fri, 11 Sep 2008 18:50:52 GMT

Comillas Pontifical University is the only Spanish institution offering undergraduate degrees in Pre-School Education and Primary School Education, which have been adapted to the European Space for Higher Education, in the academic year 2008-2009. Classes will take place in 21, Quintana Street, in the centre of Madrid.

More information.

Juan Antonio Guerrero was sworn in as Provincial Leader of Castille

Fri, 04 Sep 2008 14:25:46 GMT

Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves, SJ, has been sworn in as Provincial Leader of Castille before more than 130 jesuits, in Villagarcía de Campos (Valladolid). Father Guerrero was a former student and teacher at Comillas and, as Provincial Leader, is also Vice Grand Chancellor of this university. Father General Adolfo, SJ, elected Guerrero to substitute for Joaquín Barrero, SJ, who was named Regional Representative of the Southern European Region.

First class to complete the Masters in Finance from Comillas-ICADE graduates

Thu, 30 Jul 2008 12:56:16 GMT

The first class, composed of 24 students, to complete the Masters in Finance from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (ICADE) has graduated. Out of the class, 58 per cent came from other Spanish universities (one of them private), 33 per cent from foreign universities in Europe, America and Asia, and 8 per cent from Comillas.
Despite the programme’s novelty, created after the reform in the European Higher Education Area, this course ensued from a previous programme called Masters in Business Administration Executive which was taught to 32 classes, and from a subsequent Masters in Finance Economy, taught to 15 classes, as pointed out by Cecilio Moral, programme director.

Metanexus Institute, from the United States, holds its 2008 annual Conference at Comillas

Wed, 02 Sep 2008 09:54:23 GMT

For the first time, Metanexus Institute, Pennsylvania, is holding its annual conference away from the United States and is taking place in Madrid, from July 13 to 16. The gathering has been organized in collaboration with Comillas Pontifical University, under the title Subject, Self, and Soul: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Personhood. Metanexus is an international network of scientists, theologians, philosophers, historians, teachers, artists and religious leaders.
José Ramón Busto, SJ, Rector of Comillas; Edward Devinney, President of Metanexus Institute; Javier Leach, Director of the Chair of Science, Technology and Religion; David Schrader, Executive Director of the American Philosophical Association, and Eric Weislogel, Executive Director of Metanexus all participated in the welcoming session.

The Rector of Comillas went over the Institution’s history and insisted that both the spirit inspiring Metanexus and the topic chosen for the annual conference are remarkably linked to the university’s future. "Given its history and tradition, Comillas is an ideal place for this conference to take place", he stated. In addition, José Ramón Busto emphasized the work of Comillas-ICAI and the Chair of Science, Technology and Religion, since both institutions Qhave proven that science and technology can not only dialogue, but also integrate with religion".

Jesuit Luis Ladaria appointed as Secretary for the Doctrine of the Faith

Thu, 30 Jul 2008 12:55:23 GMT

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Luis Ladaria, SJ, from the province of Aragon, as Secretary for the Doctrine of the Faith, with a rank of Archbishop. Father Ladaria was professor at Comillas Faculty of Theology, where he had also been a former student, from 1976 until 1987. He will be ordained in Rome on July 26.

Ladaria was born in Manacor (Balearic Islands) on April 19, 1944. He joined the Society of Jesus on October 17, 1996, and was ordained as priest on July 29, 1973. He holds a degree in Law from Madrid University (1961-66), he studied Philosophy at Comillas Pontifical University (1967-69), and attained a degree in Theology from Sankt Georgen (Frankfurt, 1968-73). He obtained a PhD in Theology fom the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome (1973-75), with a thesis on "The Holy Spirit in Hilary of Poitiers".

The second class to complete the Master of Company Law graduates

Fri, 24 Jul 2008 08:45:00 GMT

The Vice Dean of the Madrid Bar Association, Luis Rodríguez, has fostered the second graduating class to complete the Master of Company Law. Comillas, University of Deusto and ESADE-Ramon Llull University have adapted this official degree to the European Higher Education Area and issue the degree.

Almost 95 per cent of students enrolled on this programme came from different universities: 60 per cent from state universities, and the rest, from private universities.

William Nordhaus: Technologies which take into account the real cost of fuel must be developed

Wed, 15 Jul 2008 08:47:20 GMT

William Nordhaus, Economics professor at Yale University has visited Comillas to deliver a conference on "Economic aspects of global warming", organised by Iberdrola Chair of Investigation on Economy of Climate Change, and the Institution of Studies in Applied Economics (FEDEA), in collaboration with Comillas Pontifical University.

In his lecture, Nordhaus admitted that, according to present research, climate change is predicted to have a relatively small impact on more advanced economies in the next 50 to 100 years. However, "great potential problems lay beyond this margin: abrupt changes of temperature, ecological disruptions, pressure on developing economies, or even gradual floodings which will rise the sea level". A clear example is that of hurricanes. In previous years, the increase of temperatures and the rising of sea level have resulted in currents which have caused cyclones of higher intensity leading to severe consequences on local economies and infrastructures.

A new approach, suggested by Nordhaus, would be the "international harmony on carbon taxes". This tax would draw fossil fuels value near to their real ecological and economic price. Therefore, each country would pay the fees of climate change in due proportion, without forgetting necessary compensation for developing economies, and as a consequence, fostering sustainable technology. Nordhaus recognized taxes are unpopular, but hopes attitudes will change. After all, "it is a topic which will be present throughout our lives and even beyond", he stated.

A graduate of Comillas-ICADE, the best student in the Master of Laws, at Columbia University

Sat, 11 Jul 2008 08:28:59 GMT

"I was very eager to study in an English-speaking country, not only to perfect the language, but also to acquire a good overview of its legal system", notes Teresa Méndez Flórez, a graduate in 2004 in Law and Business Administration (E-3), who has just been awarded the Walter Gellhorn Prize at Columbia University for being the Master of Laws student with the highest grade point average in her graduating class.

Teresa remembers that E-3 was a great training ground for her as far as the organisation of her time, capacity for group work and performance under pressure are concerned. "At Columbia, marks are given in a competitive way There is a set grade curve. Only between five and ten percent can get the best mark, and for foreign students it is especially difficult because we are competing against American students, who are in their second or third year, and who know the system much better, besides not having any problem with the language", explains Teresa, who studied the Master of Laws at Columbia thanks to a Fulbright Continuing Education Scholarship.

The first graduating class to complete the five years of studies in the Senior Citizens University receives their diplomas

Fri, 10 Jul 2008 09:15:33 GMT

The first graduating class in the Senior Citizens University at Comillas, which has finished the five years of academic studies in the programme, received their official diplomas. The Vice-Rector for International Relations and University Services, Miguel Juárez, SJ, along with the Director, Isabel Romero, the former Director, Alfonso Ángel Cuadrón de Mingo, and the coordinator of the courses, Angelo Valastro presided over the ceremony in which diplomas were awarded to 39 graduates.

Success in participation at the First "Comillas - ICAI - ICADE Alumni" Golf Tournament

Thu, 09 Jul 2008 09:24:22 GMT

The First "Comillas - ICAI - ICADE Alumni" Golf Tournament, organised by the Alumni Office at the university, with the sponsorship of Lovells and of S.T. Dupont, and the collaboration of BMW Movilnorte and Aymerich Golf Management, was held with a great success in participation. Forty-four alumni travelled to the Lomas-Bosque Golf Club to take part in the competition.

Relations between bishops and those in religious professions, debated at an event organised by the Faculty of Canon Law

Thu, 02 Jul 2008 13:55:12 GMT

The Faculty of Canon Law at Comillas organised the academic event "Bishops and religious in Spain: current challenges 30 years after Mutuae Relationes", which was presided over by the Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and moderated by Professor José Luis Sánchez-Girón, SJ. Intervening as speakers were the President of the Episcopal Commission for Religious Life (CEVC, in Spanish) and Bishop of Huesca and Jaca, Monseñor Jesús Sanz; Vice-President of the Spanish Conference of Religious (CONFER, in Spanish), and Superior General of the Theresian Carmelite Sisters of San José, Sister Cecilia Barreda, and Professor of Canon Law Teodoro Bahillo.

Awards for the best final projects presented to 14 engineers from Comillas-ICAI

Wed, 01 Jul 2008 09:07:09 GMT

Fourteen graduates in Engineering at Comillas-ICAI have received the Awards for the Best Final Projects for the academic year 2006-07, which are sponsored by Accenture, Endesa, Iberdrola, the Association-Professional College of ICAI Engineers and,for the first time, Barloworld-Finanzauto and the BP Chair for Sustainable Development, during an academic ceremony which saw the participation of the General Director for Universities of the Ministry for Science and Innovation, Felipe Pétriz Calvo, and which was presided over by the Rector José Ramón Busto, SJ.

All of the representatives of the sponsoring organisations pointed out that the decisions regarding the awards turned out to be very difficult, given the high level of all of the projects presented. The Director General for Universities personally extended his congratulations to Comillas, to the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), to the award-winners, their relatives and to the directors of the projects, and emphasised that these awards are a sample of the excellence which is contained in the university slogan.

Official closing of the academic year 2007-08 with the graduation ceremony and awarding of diplomas to graduates

Sat, 27 Jun 2008 14:11:34 GMT

The campus at Cantoblanco hosted the closing ceremonies for the academic year 2007-08 in which, from June 20 to June 22, more than 1400 students at Comillas, accompanied by their relatives and friends, received their diplomas under the direction of the Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ.

On the afternoon of Friday, June 20, graduates of the Faculty of Law (ICADE), in the degrees of Law (E-1 and E-3) and from Political Science and Admininstrative Sciences received their diplomas. Mónica García Álvarez, a student of E-3, spoke on behalf of her classmates in the graduating class, to point out that the memories of this event would remain engraved forever in their hearts. After a brief look at the past, she remembered fondly her classmate Cristina Melero, who passed away just a few days before graduation, due to a serious illness, and added that it will always be the "perfect memory of a perfect person who will remain anchored in our hearts".

The Faculty of Law honours Profesors Blanco Gómez, Pérez de la Cruz and Ruiz de Velasco

Sat, 27 Jun 2008 09:47:10 GMT

The Faculty of Law (ICADE) held a ceremony to pay homage to three of its professors: Juan José Blanco Gómez, Antonio Pérez de la Cruz and Adolfo Ruiz de Velasco, members of the professorial staff who, because they have reached the legal retirement age, will retire this year.

The Dean of the Faculty, Concepción Molina Blázquez, was responsible for conducting the ceremony and transmitting her joy to these three professors for having shared both the classroom and the halls with them, and her sadness on their moving on. Along with her, three colleagues from the professorial staff were responsible for paying homage to the retirees.

Comillas-ICADE and Ernst & Young Lawyers will offer an innovative Masters Degree for new professionals in the law office

Thu, 25 Jun 2008 09:58:09 GMT

Ernst & Young Lawyers and Comillas have signed an agreement to teach jointly a Masters Degree specialised in fiscal matters to young professionals who are joining the law firm. This post-graduate course is a part of the new carreer plan that Ernst & Young Lawyers has implemented within the international project EY University, with which it plans to foment the carreer of its professionals, for the purpose of attracting the best, and training future prestigious international lawyers. The Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and the General Managing Director of Ernst and Young Lawyers, Víctor Gómez de la Cruz signed the agreement.

The Masters Degree has a theoretical orientation, taught by the professorial staff at Comillas-ICADE, and an innovative, practical perspective, as it provides professionals from Ernst & Young Lawyers and the Tax Agency, which will teach two thirds of the programme.

Forty-four prison inmates receive classes at Comillas/Post-graduate Institute to work as telephone call centre operators

Wed, 24 Jun 2008 11:44:44 GMT

Forty-four prison inmates were trained as telephone call center operators at the Institute for Post-graduate Studies at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, thanks to the programme of Grants for Prison Inmates, of the Social Work Office at "La Caixa", in collaboration with the Secretary General for Penal Institutions, which depends on the Ministry of the Interior.

The Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ; the General Director of the "La Caixa" Foundation, Jaime Lanaspa; the Secretary General for Penal Institutions, Mercedes Gallizo, and the General Delegate for Entreprises at "La Caixa" in Madrid, Luis Cabanas, awarded the diplomas for the successful completion of the course to the 44 students, encarcerated at the Penitenciary Centre Madrid III-Valdemoro and the Centre for Social Reinsertion Victoria Kent.

José Ramón Busto congratulated and thanked the participants and informed them that they can consider themselves alumni of Comillas, with the obligations and guarantees that this represents. "Wherever you may go, you will take with you our name; whatever people think of you, they will think of us", affirmed the Rector. Mercedes Gallizo encouraged them to use the opportunity that has been given to them responsibly. "Do not fail us", asked the Director of Penal Institutions, "because the opportunity that other inmates have to obtain a diploma depends on what you do with your diploma". Jaime Lanaspa also addressed the students on the programme in order to congratulate them for their "excellent performance".

Comunication, mediation and recognising mistakes, the best tools in health conflicts

Wed, 24 Jun 2008 08:30:02 GMT

Good communication between doctors and patients can solve many of the problems that arise from claims concerning medical mistakes, in the opinion of Francisco Miranda, one of the speakers at the third day of the International Conference "The advances of law vis-à-vis the advances in medicine", held by the Faculties of Law of Jesuit Universities in Spain (Deusto, Comillas-ICAI-ICADE and ESADE), which has been officially closed by the deans of the three institutions, Juan Ignacio Echano, Concepción Molina and Pedro Mirosa.

At the conference, Francisco Miranda, Chilean attorney of law, specialist in medical law and Director of the Ibero-American Society of Medical Law (SIDEME, in Spanish), presented his pioneer experience in Chile, where mediation has been established in health conflicts, as a mandatory tool, before the legal process. "Mediation is an ideal move so that patients or their relatives establish appropriate communication, clarify the nature of their expectations and create voluntary and creative solutions to the conflict, as well as solving claims and even promoting better inter-personal relations in the long term, avoiding the problems of the judicial system", he explained.

Confidentiality of health information, a personal right of minors vis-à-vis their parents

Sat, 20 Jun 2008 11:19:28 GMT

Legislation does not solve conflicts between the confidentiality of health information of the minor when compared to the right of the parents to know. For that reason, doctors who are involved can turn to judges, if necessary, as the protection of the privacy of mature minors and their right to confidentiality is innate to them as persons. This proposal was defended by Isabel Lázaro and Eduardo Molinero, Professors in the Law School (ICADE), in the speech presented on the second day of the conference, dedicated to patients´ rights, at the International Conference "Advances in Law vis-à-vis advances in Medicine", organised by the Faculties of Law at the Universities of Deusto, Comillas and ESADE (Ramon Llull), in Madrid.

The maturity of the minor remains at the discretion of doctors, although, after age 16, it is understood that he or she has sufficient maturity to grant consent for medical treatment. But, this criteria is not transferred to the right to be informed or to access hospital records, according to the speakers, and there are some sentences in which the judge considered that parents do not have the right to access hospital records. In one case, which became famous, a father obtained the hospital records of his daugher by force upon learning that she had become pregnant and had terminated the pregnancy, and the judge declared the father guilty, considering that this was a matter of privacy for the minor, whose maturity level was lowered to 14 years of age, from 16. Surely, concludes Isabel Lázaro, "the fundamental criteria is the priority of the minor".

The State cannot constantly award indemnizations when there is no direct guilt in the health system

Sat, 20 Jun 2008 08:57:24 GMT

Public Administration cannot become a universal insurance company for the general population regarding the negative consequences of health care without the existence of a direct system of responsibility. This idea, supported by different speakers, was made manifest on the first day of the International Conference "The advances of law vis-à-vis the advances of medicine", inaugurated on Monday, June 16 at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, organised by the three faculties of Law of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Spain, at the Universities of Deusto, Comillas and ESADE (Ramón Llull).

The first day of the conference, whose inauguration was presided over by the Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, focussed on the progress made in medical responsibilities. Luis González Morán, member of the Chair in Bioethics at Comillas, pointed out that positions previously held concerning objective responsibility, which is produced independently of the guilt of the responsible party, cannot be sustained, because the State cannot take on permanent indemnizations resulting from any negative results. González Morán purports that there was never an objective responsibility by public institutions and that this cannot exist.

Comillas brings its inter-disciplinary point of view on illness, death and beliefs to the Tenth World Conference on Psycho-Oncology

Thu, 18 Jun 2008 16:31:25 GMT

Five professors from the Faculties of Theology and Human and Social Sciences at Comillas particpated in the Tenth World Conference on Psycho-Oncology, held in Madrid from June 10 to 13, at the round table "Illness, death and system of beliefs", undertaken with an open approach to inter-disciplinary themes, and with a special preoccupation for connecting psychology with other viewpoints on the human condition, from the point of view of Philosophy, Ethics and Theology.

Clara Martínez García is sworn in as the new General Registrar at Comillas

Wed, 17 Jun 2008 10:33:25 GMT

The new General Registrar at Comillas, Clara Martínez García, took possession of her office in a ceremony presided over by the Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and in the presence of her predecessor, Ana Soler Presas, members of the university management team, her colleagues in the Law School (ICADE) and of numerous representatives of the core of professors and services at the University.

After five years of decreases, interest in professional training grows from students in Madrid

Tue, 16 Jun 2008 10:12:24 GMT

After a significant period of decline between 2002 and 2006 in the global demand for the Advanced Cycle in Professional Training studies (FP, in Spanish) in the Autonomous Region of Madrid, a slight increase of 2.95% during the past academic year 2007-08 over the previous school year can be observed, which raises the trend to 15.4%, while 13.2% are still undecided with regard to the studies that they will pursue, according to data collected in the study "Vocational Interests of students. On-line Evaluation". This study represents a part of the Orion Project carried out by Comillas, with the sponsorship of the Social Work Office of Caja Madrid (Savings and Loan) and the Regional Council for Education in the Autonomous Region of Madrid.

Orion is a research project which reflects the academic and professional preferences of secondary students in the Autonomous Region of Madrid, and offers, through its web page (www.upcomillas.es/orion), a comprehensive and practical tool to educational counsellors to help in the selection of studies by students.

According to the data in the study, directed by Professor Vicente Hernández, in the training cycles of the latter years of studies, an imbalance continues to exist between the places available and the number of applications by students for their first choice, depending on the different fields of studies. During the 2007-08 school year, 59 degrees were offered in higher education. In 23 of them (39 percent), the number of applications was greater than the number of places available; for that reason, almost 2000 students (1975) were not able to enter the cycle that most interested them as a first choice. On the contrary, in 36 of these professional degrees, there were places remaining that went unfilled because of a lack of interested students.

The Rafael Mariño Chair dedicates its Fifth Annual Conference to energy efficiency

Fri, 12 Jun 2008 19:20:28 GMT

Twenty-four companies and institutions have participated in the Fifth Annual Conference of the Rafael Mariño Chair for New Energy Technologies, devoted this year to energy efficiency, which was attended by more than one-hundred participants.

The conference, which was organised in conjunction with the Spanish Association for Energy Consumption, for the purpose of bringing in line the technological viewpoint of the chair with available strategies and successful experiences, was structured around five round tables, in which 25 speakers participated.

Eighteen members of the university, awarded in cultural contests and competitions for 2007-08

Thu, 11 Jun 2008 14:10:51 GMT

For yet another year, the awards ceremony for the contests and competitions organised by the Department of Cultural Activities, Seminars and Conferences was held at Comillas. In total, 19 prizes were awarded, counting first and second prizes and honourable mentions. Essay, poetry, philosophical essay, journalism, photography and plastic arts are the categories in which all of the members of the university community competed. In the current edition, five undergraduate students received awards, as well as five students from the Senior Citizens University, two Post-graduate students, three former students, two professors and a member of the university services.

Comillas inaugurates its presence at the Book Fair of Madrid

Fri, 05 Jun 2008 18:37:00 GMT

Comillas is participating, for the first time, in the Book Fair of Madrid which, from May 30 to June 15, is holding its 67th edition in the Retiro Park; it is celebrating, moreover, its 75th anniversary since its inauguration in 1933, interrrupted for several years due to the Civil War, among other causes.

Comillas will be located at stand 196 of the 364 that have been opened in this edition, dedicated to Latin America (20 more stands than last year), with a total of 428 exhibitors, in an activity dedicated to spreading its image for quality and promoting its editorial inclinations, which are carried out by the Publications Service.

Violence within a family is more dramatic as the perpetrator is someone who should protect the victim

Fri, 05 Jun 2008 12:32:23 GMT

The consequences of violence within a family turn out to be more dramatic, and intervention is more complex, since it procedes from the very people who are called to support, take care of and protect the victims with whom they have a family relation, as pointed out in the conclusions of the Conference on Intra-Family Violence: Toward Family Relationships without Violence, held at Comillas, whose University Institute for the Family organised this meeting, along with the General Office for Women, and the General Office for the Family, of the Autonomous Region of Madrid.

For two days, the leading Spanish specialists related in an inter-disciplinary way to the problem of violence within the area of families (university researchers, psychologists, doctors, lawyers, social workers, among others) met to study this phenomena from all possible angles which, up to the present time, had not been focussed as a whole, but rather from scattered points of view regarding the different types of violence (abuse of minors, school violence, violence against women, sexual harrrassment, etc.)

Juan Antonio Guerrero, elected new Provincial Leader of Castille and Vice Grand Chancellor of Comillas

Thu, 04 Jun 2008 20:02:40 GMT

Father Juan Antonio Guerrero, SJ, will be the new Vice Grand Chancellor of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, for which he was elected by the Father General, Adolfo Nicolás, SJ., when he takes possession as Provincial Leader of Castille of the Society of Jesus on July 26, in the Jesuit residence of Villagarcía de Campos.

Father Guerrero substitutes Joaquín Barrero Díaz, SJ, who has carried out this responsibility since June 18, 2004 and was named Regional Representative of the Southern European Region, which comprises Portugal, Italy and Spain, during the past General Congregation 35.

Father Guerrero Alves was born on April 20, 1959 in Mérida (Badajoz). In 1979 he entered the Society of Jesus, in the novice residence of Madrid (Saconia). Ordained a priest in Madrid on May 30, 1992, he completed the third phase in Puente Grande (Mexico) between 1997 and 1998, and he took his final vows on June 18, 1999, in Alcalá de Henares.

He is a graduate in Economic and Business Sciences (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 1986), Philosophy (Universidad Pontificia Comillas and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 1993), and in Theology (Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Faculty of Theology of Lyon, France, and the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, 1994). He also studied Political Philosophy (1998-99) in Boston (USA). He was the moderator of the Jesuit Volunteer Communities, Professor of Social and Political Philosophy at Comilllas (1994-2003), Superior Head of two Jesuit residences, one of them that of the Pozo del Tío Raimundo (Madrid), and Provincial Delegate for Social Action (2000-03). He has been a member of the board of editors of the magazine Sal Terrae since 2002. In 2003 he was named Rector and Instructor of Novices of the Jesuits in Spain, and in addition to this position that of Advisor for the Province of Castille, since 2004, can be added, .

The Province of Castille (which added the former provinces of Toledo and Castille in June of 2004) includes nine autonomous regions (Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, Castille and Leon, Castille-La Mancha, Madrid, Extremadura and Murcia), and has a presence of Jesuits in 17 cities (La Coruña, Burgos, Gijón, León, Logroño, Oviedo, Palencia, Salamanca, Santander, Santiago de Compostela, Valladolid, Vigo, Alcalá de Henares, Badajoz, Madrid, Murcia y Toledo) and two towns (Villafranca de los Barros, Badajoz, and Villagarcía de Campos, Valladolid). 624 Jesuits take part, who lend their services in 18 high schools, three university institutions, 11 parishes, 10 houses of worship, 7 houses of spiritual exercises, one publishing company, various intellectual centres which promote the duality of faith-culture, various foundations and numerous social services.

The Rector at Comillas explains his experience at the General Congregation of the Society of Jesus

Thu, 04 Jun 2008 18:22:55 GMT

José Ramón Busto, SJ, Rector at Comillas, offered the University Community the possiblity of gaining more in-depth knowledge of the happenings of the General Congregation 35 of the Society of Jesus, in which he participated as an elected member. At the lecture, organised by the Pastoral Service, the Rector revealed the different phases of the meeting: the resignation of Father Kolvenbach, SJ, the process of the election of the new General, the election of Father Adolfo Nicolás, SJ, and the drawing up and approval of the new decrees.

See "A universal mission under the Roman Pope", article by the Rector of Congregation 35

A speech by Mariano Rajoy at Comillas attracts the attention of the media

Tue, 02 Jun 2008 19:57:26 GMT

Mariano Rajoy, leader of the Popular Party and head of the opposition, visited the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in order to deliver a speech titled "Why is it so?". At the colloquium which followed, students asked several questions concerning national politics and, above all, regarding his future and that of his party.

Celia Cobo-Losey, a student of Law and International Relations (E-1) made her way on to the front pages of the national media for having asked a very direct question "Will Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón be the Secretary General of the Party?", to which the leader of the Popular Pary answered with praise for the current Mayor of Madrid and confirmed that he has not yet spoken with him, but that he expects him to figure in the management of the PP.

The presentation, organised by the Student Delegation, was presided ove by José Ramón Busto, SJ, Rector at Comillas, and witnessed the participation of Antonio Serrano, Coordinator of the Wednesday Lecture Series, who moderated the colloquium, and David Delegado, student delegate.

The Chair for Bioethics at Comillas is celebrating its 20th Anniversary

Tue, 02 Jun 2008 08:35:01 GMT

The Chair for Bioethics at Comillas celebrated its 20th Anniversary: twenty years of life for a Chair, above all in a discipline which is barely three decades old, is enough time to carry out many things. This center has become a point of reference with the creation of the Masters Degree in Bioethics, 44 publications, 10 Doctoral theses, 35 conferences, more than 50 courses and professional meetings, nearly 1000 speeches and more than 20 research projects which have been carried out.

Well into the year 1987, Father Javier Gafo, SJ founded the Chair for Bioethics at Comillas, with the objective of bringing to light moral problems arising in the advances of bio-medical sciences and establishing a multi-disciplinary dialogue. Paul VI and John Paul II had pointed out to the Jesuits their obligation of placing themselves in the "crossroads of ideologies", and Father Arrupe, their General, had distinguished Bioethics as one of those "trenches" where the work of the Society (of Jesus) was needed most. Sprouting from the seed of an inter-disciplinary seminar with an enormous repercussion in Spain and Latin America, due to its highly scientific level, which had been started two years before, Gafo initiated the Chair directly within the Faculty of Theology.

Twenty years later, friends and collaborators in the Chair for Bioethics met to celebrate its twentieth anniversary. In a Sala de Conferencias (Lecture Hall), filled with faces familiar to the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ, Rector at Comillas; Javier de la Torre, Director of the Chair; Julio Martínez, SJ, Professor at Comillas, former Director and member of the Board of Advisors of the Chair; Juan Ramón Lacadena, chair in Genetics at the Complutense University and member of the Board of Advisors, and Camino Cañón, Director of the Publications Service reviewed the activities of the chair, its history and its challenges.

The Jean Monnet Chair of the Faculty of Law (ICADE) celebrated the Day of Europe at the University

Thu, 28 May 2008 19:33:34 GMT

The Jean Monnet Chair of the Faculty of Law (ICADE) invited Enrique Barón, Member of the European Parliament, President of the Socialist Group and former President of the European Parliament, ex-Minister and Comillas alumni, to commemorate the Day of Europe. Along with him, in attendance at the celebration were the Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and a panel of experts formed by Bruno Aguilera, Department Chair and Director of the Conde de Aranda Institute of International Judicial Studies at the King Juan Carlos University, Phillipe de Bruycker, Professor of Public Law at the Institut d"Études Européenes (Institute of European Studies) and Coordinator of the academic network Odysseus, at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Free University of Brussels), and Cristina Gortázar, Professor of International Public Law and Director of the Jean Monnet Chair and of the Institute for Migration Studies at Comillas.

In his lecture, titled "Europe: between passion and reason", Enrique Barón reviewed both his personal trajectory and historical and political happenings. "I have been a bricklayer and architect of the European Union", affirmed Barón, who also stated that this commitment to European politics is that of "a man of action".

Returning to the present time, he underscored the importance of the Treaty of Lisbon, in which objective principles and values are proclaimed, and in which the challenges for the future and the channels for development of the European Union are proposed. "It is certain that in the first phase of the Eurpean Union, the building was done in a pragmatic and functional manner. We have already achieved its existence; now the task is to consolidate it with an active defense of citizens and open to the world", summarized Barón.

Miriam Pastor and Gonzalo Bleda, winners of 7th Rector´s University Debate Trophy

Thu, 21 May 2008 10:43:23 GMT

Miriam Pastor and Gonzalo Bleda, fourth-year students of Law (E-1), were victorious over Blanca Rodríguez and Laura Picó, students of third year of Law and Business Administration and Management (E-3), in the finals of the 7th Rector´s University Debate Trophy, held on Friday, May 9.

The two teams debated the theme "Can Spain lead the Ibero-American Community of nations in an effective manner?" for 30 minutes, with the possibility of participating in three rounds of rebuttal.

Ignacio Galán, President of Iberdrola, presents the "Manual of Law for Engineers" at Comillas

Wed, 20 May 2008 11:23:52 GMT

Comillas hosted the presentation of the work "Manual of Law for Engineers", an initiative brought to fruition by the Association-Professional College of ICAI Engineers and Iberdrola, in a ceremony presided over by the Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ, accompanied by the President of the electric company, Ignacio Galán, and by the two co-editors of the book, Miguel Ángel Agúndez, President of the professional college organisation and Julián Martínez-Simancas, General Secretary of the company.

Agúndez stated that the need to cover this branch of knowledge for engineers was detected at the heart of the association, and that Ignacio Galán was excited by the idea and put all of the resources of the company behind the project. Martínez Simancas, after thanking all of those who had made the publication of this work possible, pointed out that the catalyst for the idea is to work for and in benefit of engineers, from the exercise of law.

After showing their satisfaction on presenting this work in an institution that is his own, the President of Iberdrola pointed out that the excess of rules that currently exists in all of the areas is due to a lack of values and principles; for that reason it is important that the first chapter of the manual is dedicated to ethics. Galán added that this work will become a meeting point for lawyers and engineers, uniting two socially-necessary disciplines.

The Rector, who closed the ceremony, said that this study painfully points out what could possibly be a deficiency in university teaching, which has been specialising, more and more, in a process with advantages and disadvantages, and underscored that, at some point, universities will have to go back to a more global education.

The book, whose profit will be donated to the activities of the ICAI Engineers Foundation for Development, is aimed at engineers from any specialisation, with the goal of facilitating the necessary judicial knowledge so that they can operate effectively in the environment in which they carry out their activities.

Francisco Bueno Arús dedicates his Farewell Lecture to terrorism

Wed, 13 May 2008 18:14:55 GMT

Francisco Bueno Arús, Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Law (ICADE), delivered his Farewell Lecture, dedicated to the judicial treatment of terrorism, in front of an Aula Magna (Main Auditorium) which was filled with teaching companions, students and alumni.

The Dean of Law, Concepción Molina, and the Vice-Rector for Academic Order and Teaching Staff, Antonio Obregón, presented, in a cordial and affectionate manner, the long trajectory and extensive Curriculum Vitae of their Professor in Penal Law, on which such positions appear as General Technical Secretary and General Director of Legislative Policy and International Judicial Cooperation, at the Ministry of Justice.
"He is a great Professor, who has educated numerous generations in this institution", explained Professor Molina, who added that she felt respect and affection for her dear "Paco", to whom she owed her first steps in research, since he directed her doctoral thesis. "I was also a disciple of Paco and I consider him an authentic Maestro. He has a great sense of humanity", added Antonio Obregón, emphasising, as he continued that, besides being a Professor, Bueno Arús had been a politician because of his sensibility and his good ways, and pointed out his passion for language, calling him a poet.

Bueno Arús, who began to teach classes in ICADE in 1973, came to the podium and admitted that, faced with so many compliments, he was no longer nervous. In his speech, he explained that in matters of terrorism, there continues to be unresolved questions in Law which need a rapid solution.

Those in the legal professions, pointed out Bueno Arús, need to be authentic and loyal to the office, apply the norms and not give in to the demands of politicians. If law and morality are independent, terrorism should not be judged by the latter. "It is difficult, because a terrorist attack affects society more than a death by accident. There is a moral repercussion which exists. For that reason, those who govern try to negotiate with terrorists, seeking peace". But, according to Bueno Arús, there should be no negotiation with criminals, nor should we use their language (cease-fire, armed conflict, etc.).

International Relations at Comillas obtains the Seal of Commitment to European Excellence from the EFQM

Tue, 12 May 2008 17:24:15 GMT

Comillas has received the Seal of Quality for Commitment to European Excellence from the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) for the management of its International Relations.

In order to obtain this distinction for quality, the university underwent a process of external evaluation which, in its last phase, has created the Club for Excellence in Management, as an entity which represents the EFQM in Spain. The seal obtained allows future access to the next levels of European Excellence which have been established.

The process of improvement in the quality of International Relations at Comillas began in December 2005 with the participation, along with four other Spanish universities, in the pilot project for the evaluation of International Relations promoted by ANECA. As a result of a self-evaluation, and another external evaluation report from ANECA, the Committee for Quality in International Relations at Comillas, which is presided over by the Vice-Rector of International Relations and University Services, drew up a plan for improvement for the purpose of ensuring and increasing quality in this field.

Three of the 29 designated plans for improvement were submitted for approval, among which the Strategic Plan for International Relations and the norms for the management of exchanges and academic recognition were included, in order to achieve the seal of quality.

Prize-winning tickets in the drawing for those attending the University Open House Orientation Days

Fri, 08 May 2008 17:50:41 GMT

The tickets withnumbers 000226, 000366 and 000744 were the winners in the drawing for those who attended the University Open House Orientation Day at Comillas, which were held on Saturday, March 1, and Saturday, April 12 of this year, with the sponsorship of Ernst and Young. Each of the prize-winners has won a PDA HP iPAQ hw 6915.

The drawing was held with the General Registrar of the University, Ana Soler Presas, as legal witness.

Ricardo Pinilla directs the course "Francisco Giner de los Ríos and the Institución Libre de Enseñanza", at the University of Alicante

Thu, 30 Apr 2008 13:46:30 GMT

The Professor at Comillas, Ricardo Pinilla, directed the course "Francisco Giner de los Ríos and the Institución Libre de Enseñanza" at the University of Alicante. Along with Pedro Aullón de Haro, Professor at this Alicante institution, Pinilla designed a programme for the purpose of explaining the fundamental aspects of the figure and works of Francisco Giner de los Ríos, as well as his most outstanding pedagogical creation, the Institución Libre de Enseñanza.

During the six days of the conference, held throughout the month of April, the Professors at Comillas had a special role while participating. Enrique Menéndez Ureña, SJ, Pedro Álvarez, SJ, and José Manuel Vázquez Romero, as well as Professor Pinilla himself, participated with different speeches. During the course, the results of new research projects were presented and the audience, coming from the university world and educational fields, was able to enjoy the discussions which manifested that the issues brought forth are still in vogue at present.

The Association-Professional College of ICAI Engineers donates acoustic measurement equipment to Comillas

Thu, 30 Apr 2008 10:17:05 GMT

The Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI) has received acoustic measurement equipment donated by the National Association-Professional College of ICAI Engineers, which increases the sound measurement resources, used for teaching and for internships for its students.

The donation was made official at a simple ceremony; in attendance were the Dean of the professional college, Miguel Ángel Agúndez Betelu, and the Secretary General, Juan Zaforas de Cabo, and on behalf of Comillas, the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ; the Director of the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), Fernando de Cuadra, and José Ignacio Linares, professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Awarding of diplomas to the third graduating class for the Specialist Course in Electrical Systems Operations REE-ICAI

Wed, 29 Apr 2008 11:37:21 GMT

The students of the third graduating class for the Specialist Course in Electrical Systems Operations REE-ICAI received their diplomas in a closing ceremony presided over by the Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, accompanied by the Director of the school, and managers from Red Eléctrica Española, which was held in the Aula Magna (Main Auditorium) at the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI).

Fourteen technical engineers received their diplomas, the majority of them having received scholarships from REE, and the rest, coming from the companies Endesa, Hidrocantábrico and Iberdrola.

This course was aimed at training technical operators from the control centres of the electrical companies encharged with ensuring the security of the electricity supply. Comillas-ICAI teaches the fundamental theory of the programme, and REE, the practical applications, at its operator training simulators.

Comillas and the Banco Popular Español sign an agreement for collaboration

Fri, 24 Apr 2008 12:13:03 GMT

Comillas and the Banco Popular signed an agreement for collaboration which extends the cooperation that both institutions have maintained since 2004, for the purpose of fomenting employment for students and alumni of the university at this banking institution.

Both parties agree that, circumstances permitting, the Banco Popular will hire a minimum of 15 students or alumni from Comillas-ICAI-ICADE per year, including, for this purpose, those embraced by the programme for educational cooperation established between both entities, as well as those who are taken on with a contract for employment.

Reducing greenhouse gases requires new technologies and changing the model of consumption

Thu, 23 Apr 2008 11:39:04 GMT

It is not enough to utilise current low-carbon technologies to reach the objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GEI, in Spanish), but rather it is necessary to develop new techniques and to implement them massively. But, moreover, it is essential to change behaviours, because technologies will not be of any use if the model of consumption is not changed. These are the first two conclusions reached by the BP Forum for Energy and Sustainability, organised by the BP Chair for Sustainable Development at Comillas, dedicated this year to analysing the promotion of investment in low-carbon technologies.

With the collaboration of the Spanish Club for Energy, Iberdrola, and the Bank of Santander, the BP Chair at Comillas held the fourth edition of its Forum for Energy and Sustainability for two days, in closed-door sessions, with the participation of a panel of experts coming from the most prestigious universities, research centres and energy companies in the world.

The objective of the sessions for this year was focussed on examining the perspectives of regulators, academics, and companies regarding the most interesting and effective policies to promote the different low-carbon energy technologies as a factor in the global strategy for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The policies for the promotion of renewable energies, savings and energy efficiency, clean coal and nuclear energy were reviewed; the interaction between technological policies and global policies for the reduction of greenhouse gases were analysed, and a panel of experts was formed on the role of technological agreements in the future global regime against climate change.

The conclusions were presented in an open session, in the Aula Magna (Main Auditorium) of the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), to which the BP Chair belongs, and was presided over by the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ; with the participation of the Director of the Chair, José Ignacio Pérez Arriaga, and Christiana Figueres, a distinguished international figure from the Centre for Sustainable Development in the Americas, from Costa Rica.

First University Orientation Day for students in First Year of "Bachillerato" (second-to-last year of High School) and professional training programmes

Thu, 23 Apr 2008 11:37:01 GMT

Around 800 students from First Year of "Bachillerato" (second-to-last year of high school) and from advanced professional training programmes from 15 institutes and high schools in Madrid attended a new event: the First University Orientation Day, organised by Comillas, with four sessions whose purpose was to provide information which will facilitate choosing a field of studies.

The four round tables, which were carried out simultaneously for two hours, were related to four educational areas: legal-business, health, engineering and human and social sciences, such that students could choose according to their preferences. The sessions were moderated by counsellors from their own secondary schools. Three from public institutes and one from a private institution. Each round table witnessed the participation of a professor from Comillas, a representative from a company or institution (Endesa, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Eulen and a Fire Brigade), a student from Comillas and one from a different university.

An large amount of the questions asked were in relation to details and peculiarities of the university system arising from the development of the European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish), most of which were answered by professors at the university: what is a credit?, what will the future access be like from undergraduate to post-graduate studies? if there will continue to be double degrees, how specialised training will be implemented, if the MIR and PIR (for Medicine) programmes will change, how bilingual education will affect teacher education in music, or if dentistry will still be able to be studied, among others. Also of interest were methodological matters and questions concerning job opportunities: if it is useful to have another degree to be a lawyer, what job options are available to graduates in Fine Arts (the most naive plan to open an art gallery, but the true options are graphic design, restauration of art works, and teaching, replied a student of the degree at the Complutense University).

Comillas, winners of the 2008 UNIJES Tournament

Wed, 22 Apr 2008 12:14:17 GMT

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas was the winner in the general scoring for specialised sporting events at the UNIJES Championship 2008, which was held in Úbeda (Jaén) at the beginning of April.

At this tournament, which brings together all of the institutions belonging to the Sociey of Jesus (Jesuits) in Spain, Comillas won in women´s basketball and in men´s, women´s and mixed doubles tennis, besides being crowned runners-up in men´s basketball and reaching a well-deserved third place in men´s indoor football.

The women´s basketball team from Comillas won the finals, winning the two matches played against ETEA, from Cordoba. In tennis, Isabel Fernández Fernández and Julio Martínez Estaire beat ETEA in all of the categories.

The men´s basketball team at Comillas came in second place after losing to ETEA in sudden death, with a score of 65-60.

Participating In the 2008 edition of UNIJES, which was sponsored by Accenture, were ESADE, ETEA, INEA, IQS and the Universities of Deusto and Pontificia Comillas.

Psychologists help people to express suffering and to build up for mourning to face death

Tue, 21 Apr 2008 16:56:45 GMT

In a society that today seems to flee from death, students in Psychology decided to confront this decisive moment by organising the Third Conference for Integration in Psychology, titled, "Living through the process of Dying". In the words of Belén Urosa, Dean of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, the choice of this theme "implies values" and places the psychologist in the challenge of bringing light to a life that is being snuffed out, of making this passing as easy as possible for the person who is dying as well as for those who surround him or her.

The conference was organised around a series of presentations and workshops thought out, by the student organising committee, on the premise that knowing and understanding death is something that is essential, since, as the student Laura Reina explained, "death is not something which is dark". In the same way, one of the ideas shared by all of the speakers was that all responses to death are "normal reactions".

Javier Barbero, joint psychologist in the Hematology Service at the Hospital de la Paz (Madrid) and a former student at Comillas, gave the inaugural lecture "The psychologist vis-à-vis death: dialectics between facts and values". Barbero reaffirmed that we live in a death-fearing society, where death is perceived as a failure. During his speech, he pointed out the keys, in his opinion, to confronting death from the perspective of psychology. In the development of this approach, Barbero criticised the usual model for intervention in which the patient does not participate in the process of illness and in the previous process of mourning. "Decisions concerning death are biographical; they need to be connected to the values of the person", he confirmed. On this point, the speaker pointed out a key concept, deliberation, understood as the most appropriate process for shared decision-making. "The right to differences consists of dying as each person wishes, in relation to values", he concluded.

A professor at Comillas, new Dean of the Official Professional College of Social Workers of Madrid

Sat, 18 Apr 2008 17:44:48 GMT

Manuel Gil Parejo, Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Work in the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences has been sworn in as Dean of the Official Professional College of Social Workers of Madrid, heading the new managerial board on which a former student of Comillas, José Ignacio Santás García, also sits

In his speech, after taking possession, the new Dean stated specifically that Comillas is one of the two Spanish universities that plans to implement, for the 2008-09 academic year, the undergraduate degree in Social Work, which follows the reform of the European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish).

Castille-La Mancha, among the autonomous regions with the greatest fiscal benefits for taxes on inheritance and donations

Wed, 15 Apr 2008 17:53:43 GMT

Castille-La Mancha is one of the autonomous regions that offers the most fiscal benefits for the inheritance tax and tax on donations, according to research carried out by the Altae Chair for Financial and Fiscal Studies at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, which was presented in Ciudad Real at an event presided over by the General Director for Taxes in Castille-La Mancha, María de los Ángeles Abad de la Mata.

Castille-La Mancha passed, effective January 1, 2008, a reduction of 95% on the amount of taxes on inheritance and donations, with the objective of facilitating the transfer of goods and rights with regard to families. This discount is applicable to acquisitions due to inheritance or donations made among parents, offspring, spouses or legal partners, and supposes the near disappearance of this tax in themes regarding families in Castille-La Mancha.

"The judge who is not independent cannot be impartial", according to the Magistrate Antonio García Martínez

Wed, 15 Apr 2008 12:38:58 GMT

Faced with a social, political and a mass media context which constantly questions the work of judges, the Faculty of Law (ICADE) has presented the challenge of analysing the current situation, giving a voice to teachers and professionals, at the Conference on Ethics and Judicial Independence which is being held from March 27 to April 24.

Antonio García Márquez, Magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Basque Country, treated the relationship between judicial independence and the media in one of the sessions. Based on the premise that "the judge who is not independent cannot be impartial", García Martínez reviewed the guarantees of judicial independence and questioned to what extent the legitimacy of a judge can be placed in doubt, based on his declarations or reflections made public in the media. In his opinion, "it does not seem reasonable to think that judges lack ideology", so the dilemma lies between emphasising the supression of a judge´s thoughts or considering him or her to be a person with a great capacity for abstraction. "The impartial judge is not one who lacks ideology, but rather one who is capable of subordinating it to the common will of the general public", he concluded.

The Graduating Class of 1998 in Engineering opens the celebrations organised by the Alumni Office

Tue, 14 Apr 2008 17:13:57 GMT

The Alumi Office at Comillas began the commemoration of the different 10th and 25th university graduating classes for 2008 on Friday, April 4. The first of these events witnessed the celebration of the 10th anniversary of graduates from Comillas-ICAI, who finished their studies in 1998. The event, presided over by the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, also saw the presence of the Director of the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), Fernando de Cuadra, and that of the Director of the Alumni Office, Carmen Jiménez.

The celebration took on a special nature, since precisely 10 years ago the University School of Technical Industrial Engineering and the Advanced Technical School of Industrial Engineering joined to form one teaching institution, the Advance Technical School of Engineering (ICAI). The first graduating class of computer science engineers at the university, which graduated ten years ago, participated in the event along with the graduating classes of industrial engineers, technical industrial engineers, and technical computer science engineers, who also graduated from the institution 10 years ago.

Schools are in need of counsellors to attend to students reprimanded for violent conduct

Sat, 11 Apr 2008 15:15:16 GMT

The Secretary General of the Omsbudsman for the Autonomous Region of Madrid, José Antonio Luengo Latorre, and the Ararteko (Omsbudsman) for the Basque Country, Íñigo Larmarca Iturbe, agree that it is necessary to include counsellors in schools to rehabilitate students who are facing disciplinary measures for conflictive behaviour, such as temporary expulsion, since an immediate response to the first acts of violence or abuse is a fundamental factor in the prevention of mobbing and violence in schools and educational institutions. The "Artateko" added that studies in Teacher Training should be revamped to train future teachers to face conflictive situations in schools.

Luengo and Lamarca participated in the Sixth Conference on Law for Minors, organised by the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI-ICADE, which focussed on the search for "Answers to group and school violence: Mechanisms for integration", which ended today in Madrid.

José Antonio Luengo stated that, in our society, parents work an excessive number of hours and conditions are awful to educate children. "The permanent questioning of school and the models of behaviour of adults - he added - are elements that compromise the possibilities of educating by the family and at schools". It is necessary to add to all of this the influence of the media, and not only television, which is watched less and less by minors, but rather of video games and computers, at whose screens students spend more time than in contact with their teachers at school.

As did the majority of the speakers, Luengo emphasised that the attitude of parents is an important element in the conduct of children. "In most of the situations in which adolescents attack their teachers, they are acting according to family models of behaviour", he said.

Íñigo Lamarca also enlarged on the responsibilty of parents as he pointed out that more than 90 percent consider that their children are incapable of abusive acts.

School violence declines in Spain between 1999 and 2006, according to a report by the State Omsbudsman

Fri, 10 Apr 2008 17:50:56 GMT

Bullying among peers due to an abuse of power in Spanish educational institutions declined between 1999 and 2006, especially in the most common and least serious conducts, according to the report presented by the Second Assistant to the State Omsbudsman, Manuel Aguilar Belda, at the Sixth Conference on Rights for Minors "Answers to school and group violence: Mechanisms for integration", organised by the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI-ICADE.

The opening ceremony for the conference was presided over by the Rector at Comillas-ICAI-ICADE, José Ramón Busto, SJ, who was accompanied by the Omsbudsman for Minors´ Rights for the Autonomous Region of Madrid, Arturo Canalda González; Ignacio Mayoral Narros, member of the Legal Department of the Digrama Pyscho-Social Intervention Foundation, and the General Coordinator of the SEUR Foundation, Francisco José García Guadiana del Alcázar. These three institutions are sponsoring the conference.

Distinguishing between violence and harrassment
Not all violent conduct at school (disruptiveness, vandalism, criminal acts, lack of discipline, etc.) can be considered school harrassment. Violence among peers becomes harrassment when it is repeated and when there is an imbalance of power, in such a way that intimidation is a key element in school harrassment, according to Angustias Roldán, Professor of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology in the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI-ICADE, who also participated in the round table, the framework of the conference.

Princess Elena visits the Comillas stand at the International Student and Educational Offer Fair "AULA 08"

Wed, 08 Apr 2008 09:12:27 GMT

After inaugurating the Sixteenth Edition of the International Student and Educational Offer Fair AULA 08 at the IFEMA Fair Complex, Her Royal Highness, Princess Elena visited the Comillas stand, as she is a former student of the University, and was greeted by the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and the Director of the Office of Promotion, Juan Carlos Torre (as witnessed by the photo).

From April 2 to 6, more than 80 representatives of Comillas, among them professors, students and administrative personnel, will attend to the requests for information concerning the educational offer for undergraduate and post-graduate studies of thousands of visitors to the university´s stand, located near the entrance of Pavillion 9 at IFEMA, host to AULA 08.

In last year´s edition, the Fair received more than 130,000 visitors, among them high school students and students in professional training, university students, parents, professors and school counsellors.

The Diagrama Foundation will collaborate with Comillas on the Sixth Conference on Rights for Minors

Fri, 10 Apr 2008 17:27:18 GMT

As has been the case for the past four years, the Diagrama Foundation for Psycho-Social Intervention is collaborating with Comillas in activities that contribute to the improvement of personal, social and work-related situations for minors and young people in situations of risk and social exclusion, with its sponsorship of the Sixth Conference on the Rights of Minors "Answers to school and group violence: Mechanisms for integration", organised by the Research Group "Law and Minors", in the Faculty of Law (ICADE), on April 3 and 4.

The first collaboration between the Diagrama Foundation and Comillas in this area originated in 2005, arising from a study in Comparative European Law on the protection of minors; later, the objective focussed on the systems of protection of minors in the Spanish autonomies, which were the subject of the fifth edition of the Conference on Law for Minors in 2006. This gave rise to a publication on the subject, and finally, the foundation offered its support to analyse and reflect on school violence and youth groups and on the search for solutions to integrate its perpetrators, which constitutes the programme for the sixth conference.

La Fundación Diagrama colabora con Comillas en las VI Jornadas sobre Derecho de los Menores

Thu, 02 Apr 2008 20:18:20 GMT

The SEUR Foundation sponsors the Sixth Conference on Law for Minors

Tue, 07 Apr 2008 14:35:36 GMT

The SEUR Foundation is sponsoring the Sixth Conference on Law for Minors "Answers to group and school violence: Mechanisms for integration", organised by the Universidad Pontificia Comillas for April 3 and 4, as well as the publication of the book which will compile the contents of the session.

The sponsorship on behalf of the SEUR Foundation was established in the specific agreement signed between the University and the Comillas-ICAI University Foundation, under the framework agreement for collaboration which these institutions instituted in 2005. The Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, the President of the Comillas-ICAI University Foundation, Ignacion Bayón Mariné, and the President of the SEUR Foundation, Ramón Mayo González signed the specific agreement.

The interest of the SEUR Foundation in supporting the work being developed by the Research Group "Law and Minors", in the Faculty of Law (ICADE), which is responsible for the organisation of the conference, is not new. It had already sponsored, in the year 2005, the Sixth Conference on Law for Minors, which resulted in the publication of the book "New challenges to the Law posed by foreign minors".

The "San Juan de Dios" School presents the awards in the 28th Nursing Contest

Fri, 03 Apr 2008 10:14:54 GMT

David González and María del Carmen Solano were the winners of the 28th Contest in the "San Juan de Dios" (St. John of God) School of Nursing and Physiotherapy. "Schedule for nursing procedures for the negative syndrome of schizophrenia" is the title of the work with which David González won the prize in the category of research projects, with a cash award of 9000 euros. González is a graduate of the three-year programme in Nursing and a university expert in Psycho-Social Nursing and Mental Health, and works as a nurse at the Mental Health Services in the Principality of Asturias. There was no winner of the second prize in this category.

In the category of research projects, the jury decided not to award the first prize, and awarded the second prize to María del Carmen Solano, for her work "The life of persons who have suffered an acute heart attack after one year of improvement". This professor in the University School of Nursing at the University of Alicante es a graduate of the three-year programme in Nursing and a university graduate in Social and Cultural Anthropology. The prize has a cash award of 3000 euros.

Comillas wins six prizes in the Madrid Inter-University Golf Championship

Tue, 07 Apr 2008 12:23:19 GMT

Comillas won six prizes in the Madrid Inter-University Golf Championship, which was held at the course located on the Air Force Base in Torrejón de Ardoz. Victoria Eugenia Martínez (Psychology) and Alejandrina Pérez (Law) won silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the scratch competition. By virtue of their handicap, Pilar Sousa (Law) won the gold, Cristina García (Law, and Business Administration and Management), the bronze, and Rafael de la Fuente (Technical Mechanical Engineering), the silver medal. The Comillas team came in third place in the championship, behind San Pablo CEU University and the Complutense University, and ahead of the Polytechnic University and the Alfonso X el Sabio University.

The following representatives of Comillas will attend the Spanish University Golf Championship, which will be organised by the University of Málaga, from May 5 to 8, in Antequera: Manuel Herrero Vallaure (Law and Business Administration and Management), Javier Nabal Estrada (Business Administration and Management), Victoria Eugenia Martínez Bernal (Psychology), Alejandrina Pérez González (Law) y Cristina Victoria García-Lomas Drake (Law and Business Administration and Management).

Comillas will participate in the Santander-CRUE Ibero-American Mobility Programme

Wed, 01 Apr 2008 12:47:56 GMT

Students at Comillas will be able to take advantage of three grants for stays or student exchanges with Latin American Universities for the next academic year, thanks to an agreement signed by the Spanish University Conference of Rectors (CRUE in Spanish) and the Bank of Santander. Ángel Gabilondo, President of the CRUE, and Emilo Botín, President of the Bank of Santander, signed the agreement on Tuesday, March 25, in support of the project.

The Santander-CRUE Programme for Ibero-American Mobility will offer, for the academic year 2008-09, a total of 500 grants for international mobility to students from all of the Spanish universities that belong to the CRUE. The destination could be academic institutions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Uruguay, which have signed agreements for cooperation with the Bank of Santander. The grants have been distributed among all of the Spanish universities following objective criteria based on the size of the university.

Each Santander-CRUE grant for Ibero-American Mobility will have an award of 3000 euros to pay for the cost of matriculation fees, if applicable, as well as transportation, food, travel expenses and lodging. The objective is to foment international mobility, which is essential for the development of the Ibero-American Space for Knowledge.

This agreement is part of the initiative by the Bank of Santander, which decided to award 1500 grants for international mobility, on the occasion of its 150th Anniversary, to university students from Ibero-American countries in which the Santander Universities Global Division of the bank operates. This programme is in addition to the more than 10,000 grants and scholarships for studies that this financial institution subsidizes every year.

Comillas at the crossroads of ideologies: Dialogues on science, technology and social ethics

Tue, 31 Mar 2008 14:20:06 GMT

"Current challenges that science poses to theology" was the title of the first meeting in the programme. Carlos Sánchez del Río y Sierra, Honorary President of the Academy of Sciences; Agustín Udías, SJ, Emeritus Chair of the Faculty of Physical Sciences at the Complutense University, and Carlos Alonso Bedate, SJ, Professor of the High Counsel for Scientific Research, and also from the Autónoma University of Madrid, as well as a reknowned specialist in bioethics, were the speakers, with Enrique Climent, SJ, Director of the Pastoral Service, as moderator. Sánchez del Río dedicated his opening participation to explaining the background, the methods and the limits of physics, "which is the science that everyone envies, the most exact one and the one that has the most influence", he stated. Agustín Udías treated the theories on the origen of the universe and its relation with theology, and reaffrimed that "all new theories must be compiled by theologians, who should consider the manner in which the universe tells us something about its creator". In his participation, Alonso Bedate questioned whether biology raises challenges for theology, and vice-versa, to conclude that neither of the two fields questions the other, if they stay within the borders of their competencies.

The second day of the conference revolved around bioethics, under the title "Bio-medical research with embryos: ethical aspects". Javier de la Torre, Director of the Chair in Bioethics at Comillas, and Juan Ramón Lacadena, chair in Genetics at the Complutense University, combined lecture and dialogue, with Professor Silvia Bara as moderator."Not everything that is technically feasible is ethically desirable", stated Professor Lacadena, who warned those in attendance that technological capability does not justify any type of action. "Ascertaining the greatest beneficial effect is the special challenge for those who work in the field of bioethics", concluded Lacadena.

The dispute between pharmaceutical companies and NGO"s was treated in the third meeting, called "Access to essential medication: the right to health versus the right to intellectual property?" Teresa Cavero, senior researcher at Intermón-Oxfam, and Julián Zabala, Director of Communication at Farmaindustria, held a debate, with Carlos Prieto, Director of the Solidarity and Development Cooperation Service as moderator. Although the first two speakers recognised that we now find ourselves "in a productive phase, one of approchement", the difference of opinion between the pharmaceutical industry and non-governmental organisations and governments from poor countries has been on-going.

The final lecture, called "Nuclear energy: a solution vis-à-vis climate change?", gathered representatives from the business world and the world of ecology. Heikki Willstedt, expert in energy and climate change at the WWF Adena, and Antonio Carbajal Tradacete, Director for the Environment and Energy and Garrigues Environment, explained the current situation of atomic energy, the challenges of the future and the possible solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change, with Ignacio Pérez Arriaga, Director of the BP Chair for Sustainable Development, as moderator. Both speakers appeared skeptical concerning the possibility that nuclear plants could be a solution for energy production in the medium term, but Willstedt proposed that, not only is it not possible, but it is not desirable. Pérez Arriaga concluded that the theme is so complex "that everyone tries to avoid it, because one single solution does not exist".

A team from Comillas-ICAI wins the Spanish round of an international competition by L´Oréal

Tue, 31 Mar 2008 14:19:40 GMT

Three fifth-year students in Industrial Engineering at Comillas-ICAI were the winners of the first Spanish edition of the L´Oréal Ingenius programme, aimed at new talent in the area of Industrial Engineering. Beatriz Cifuentes, Miguel Such and Álvaro Fernández were the winners of the Spanish round, where they faced another team from Comillas and another from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (the Polytechnic University of Madrid).

The members of the winning team, accompanied by Professor Susana Ortiz, travelled to Paris to meet the winners from Germany, Brazil, China, France, Mexico, the United States, Canada, Belgium, Poland, the United Kingdom and India. The finals will be held on Friday, March 14.

European Première of the Documentary "Pedro Arrupe: Life and Legacy", at Comillas

Fri, 27 Mar 2008 18:06:52 GMT

The Alumni Association of Georgetown University chose Comillas for the European première of the documentary "Pedro Arrupe: Life and Legacy". A delegation from this US university attended the event, led by Philip Boroughs, SJ, Vice-President of Mission and Ministry (Pastoral Office), and the principle advisors to the President, Anthony Moore and Howard Gray, SJ, who were welcomed by the Vice-rector and Acting Rector, Miguel Juárez, SJ.

The film, produced by Georgetown University, reviews the life of Father Arrupe, from his childhood until what was to be his last appearance in public, at the General Congregation 33, where he announced his resignation. "Pedro Arrupe: Life and Legacy" shows the lifelong trajectory of Arrupe through his biography, but also the words that were closest to him and, in a meaningful way, through narratives and declarations by Arrupe himself. Television images, videos for internal use of the Society of Jesus, hundreds of photographs, and, even a previously unedited image of Arrupe at Hiroshima testifying for the US Army, which was rescued from the Archives of the Congress of the United States, illustrate the story.

With this documentary, Georgetown University is attempting to publicize Father Arrupe´s work, his committment to social justice and his influence on university education, on the occasion of the one-hundredth anniversary of his birth.

Comillas expresses its solidarity with the family of Isaías Carrasco

Sat, 14 Mar 2008 14:05:42 GMT

Students, professors, administrative and services personnel and academic authorities of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas gathered in the Halls of each of its sites, at midday, on Monday, March 10, where one minute of silence were kept to express solidarity with the family of Isaías Carrasco, assassinated by ETA last Friday in Mondragón. On every sites of the university the halls were filled as a sign of the condemnation of the crime.

Students at Comillas debate four programmes presented in the general elections

Thu, 12 Mar 2008 17:37:40 GMT

The Debate Club at Comillas organised a round table in which four students participated, representing Izquierda Unida (IU, United Left), Partido Popular (PP, Popular Party), Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE, Spanish Socialist Workers Party) and Progreso y Democracia (UP&D, Progress and Democracy).

In a lecture hall which was filled to the brim, the moderator, David Ruiz de Loizaga explained the "rules of the game" and thanked the university for the space offered for students to be able to manifest their political ideas. The heated debate, which lasted nearly two hours, concentrated on four topics: economy and jobs, social issues and immigration, terrorism and territorial politics. Participation was of a correct and respectful tone at all times.

Fuencisla Alcón: "In the medium term, a constitutional reform will be necessary, with a new consensus"

Tue, 10 Mar 2008 17:07:07 GMT

The Faculty of Law (ICADE) organised an inter-disciplinary conference with the title "Democracy and freedom: Citizens" decisions and political representation". For three days, professors, politicians and students confronted issues that range from the current status of the Spanish Constitution to the roots of democratic thought, or the reality of the electoral law, without forgetting the imminent general election. Both in the speeches of the guests as well as in the questions of the participants, the current political situation and what is expected after March 9 took on a great deal of relevance.

Under the premise that political participation is a fundamental right and the foundation of the State, recognised in this fashion by the Dean of Law, Concepción Molina, the conference was structured in three blocks, which correspond to three perspectives from which to treat decisions and participation by citizens. The first session was carried out revolving around the notion of democracy in the Spanish Constitution of 1978 and the political experiences since the transition to our present time. Professor Fuencisla Alcón explained the concept of democracy present in the Magna Carta and its evolution. Thirty years after the text was approved, a change is necessary, and for this reason, Alcón affirmed that "in the medium term, a constitutional reform will be necessary, for which a new consensus will be needed". This modification, in the words of Professor Alcón, would treat matters such as the Sucession to the Throne and State Reform".

The arguments of the second session were democratic thought and the philosophic conception of democracy. Benigno Pendás, Professor at Comillas and a lawyer in the Courts, gave a lecture titled "Democratic thought: reason and citizens" decisions", with the objective of defining what democracy is within more specific limits. Pendás affirmed that today, when everyone claims to be democratic, "there is no alternative to the legitimacy of democracy". This situation is the result of the fusing of political evolution of Western ideas, which draw from the Enlightenment, Christian tradition and the Greco-Roman inheritance. However, and in spite of the fact that our society may perfect any political system that has existed or will exist in the future, and that it is the most just of those that we know, criticism may still be made of the current system. The multi-party system and the excessive influence of the media are, in Professor Pendás" opinion, evils that are born of the combination of democracy and the society of the masses. Moreover, he considers that we will reach true democracy when a judge can say aloud that he or she is independent.

Comillas signs an agreement with the Spanish Association of Risks and Insurance Management

Tue, 10 Mar 2008 14:24:13 GMT

Comillas has signed a framework agreement for collaboration with the Spanish Association of Risks and Insurance Management (AGERS, in Spanish), whose objective is to share resources and activities for specialised training in judicial, economic and sociiological issues.

The agreement foresees the joint organisation of undergraduate and post-graduate courses, educational cooperation programmes and internships in companies; the strengthening of research projects, technological development, the study of social problems, technical studies and consulting, and cooperation with developing countries and in European programmes.

The President of AGER, Miguel Ángel Macías Pérez, and the Vice-rector and Acting Rector, Miguel Juárez Gallego, SJ signed the agreement.

More than 1100 visitors attended the Open House for Potential New Students at Comillas-ICADE

Sat, 07 Mar 2008 08:46:56 GMT

Between young students who aspire to be accepted at Comillas-ICADE and their guests, more than 1100 participants in the Open House Orienation received information concerning the degrees in Law (E-1), Business Administration and Management (E-2), the double degree in Law and Business Administration (E-3) and the private degree in Advanced Graduate Degree in International Business Sciences (E-4). Of the total of visitors, more than 40 percent attended from outside of Madrid and from abroad.

The presentation of the fields of studies was under the direction of the Deans" administrative teams in the Faculties of Law (ICADE) and Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE). In oder to attend to the enquiries of those in attendance, the university organised, for this specific purpose, a team of 60 people, on which students, professors and administrative and service personnel could be found, representing the offices of Promotion and Information and Accomodation, as well as General Administration and Information Systems and Technologies (STIC, in Spanish) at Comillas.

The Javier Benjumea Chair holds its Forum "Companies and the Communication of Values in Globalisation"

Thu, 05 Mar 2008 15:29:49 GMT

The Javier Benjumea Chair (Focus-Abengoa) for Business and Financial Ethics organised the fourth edition of its Communication Forum, with the title "Companies and the Communication of Values in Globalisation", within the Communication Series of the Complutense University. On February 21st and 22nd, the world of the university and the world of business were brought together to bridge the gap in the area of the communication of values and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Carlos Berzosa, Rector of the Complutense University, was the person responsible for providing the framework for reflexion on the first day, with a lecture titled "New challenges in the society of knowledge". Berzosa differentiated between knowing and learning, and explained the inherent dangers in technologies, which provide data but not always knowledge. Absorbed by the description of the risks and opportunities of globalisation, he confirmed that global matters at the present time require the reference of ethical values. Emphasising a spririt of critical, but hopeful, realism, he reminded the audience that there is no guarantee that development leads to justice.

Adolfo Suárez Illana: "Returning to our origin provides us with solutions to confront our future in politics"

Wed, 04 Mar 2008 12:19:48 GMT

"Spain is living a state of turmoil in ethical, moral and political matters. The Government, although it may appear that it has no direction, indeed does have a path, but it is unspeakable, since when it makes policies and politics it leaves its principles on the side of the road", stated Adolfo Suárez Illana, in a lecture organised by the Wednesday Lecture Series at Comillas. The speaker added that if we renounce our principles in politics, we abandon our ethical and moral roots.

Adolfo Suárez Illana, son of the former President of the first Government of the transition, took advantage of his speech, "Our future is in our origin: the transition as a basis for political understanding", to state that we should look into the past and search for the solution to confronting the challenges of the future through our beginnings.

This 44-year old lawyer, retired from active politics and affiliated with the Partido Popular (Popular Party), referred to the ethical, moral and political origins of Spanish society. "Our fundamental pilar is Christian Humanism, but even for a non-believer, natural law exists, which regulates his or her behaviour, and which is in the conscience of all Mankind. In all men and women there is a common denominator which makes peaceful co-existence possible. Rejecting this common denominator results in confrontation." He added that we are becoming more and more afraid of expressing our deep convictions concerning freedom. In his opinion, there is no separation between faith, reason and public life, although lately those who do not think in the same fashion are attempting to separate them.

He spoke of the importance of the will of Mankind to achieve political objectives: "Principles are norms, but only the will of Mankind is capable of making them real". He quoted some words by his father on ethics and politics, in which he defended ethics as a force that should be prevalent in our society. "It is necessary to be strong in the defense of our values. If we give in, we will end up falling into mediocrity", he added to the words of his father.

Comillas presents its new Undergraduate Degrees to Secondary School Principals and Counsellors

Tue, 03 Mar 2008 12:17:41 GMT

The University took advantage of the 13th Meeting for Secondary Educational Centre Principals and Counsellors to announce the main new aspects of its academic offering for the next school year. Comillas will offer, for the first time, the Undergraduate Degrees in Pre-School Education, and Primary School Education, more well-known as "magisterio" in Spanish, or "teacher education", which will be adapted to the European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish), in addition to the Undergraduate Degree in Social Work.

The following people attended the meeting: the Vice-rector and Acting Rector, Miguel Juárez Gallego, SJ; the Vice-rector for Academic Ordering and Teaching Staff, Antonio Obregón; the Director of the Promotion Office, Juan Carlos Torre, and the Chair of Theory and History of Education at the University of Málaga, José Manuel Esteve, who gave a lecture on values in th teaching profession. Joining them were more than 200 principals and counsellors, coming from institutions from all over the country and interested in familiarising themselves with the academic offering at Comillas.

The Prince of Asturias receives students on the INSIDE Programs

Sat, 29 Feb 2008 14:36:27 GMT

His Royal Highness, the Prince of Asturias, received a group of students from different courses in the INSIDE Program 2007 in an audience at the Palace of the Zarzuela, accompanied by the Vice-rector and Acting Rector Miguel Juárez, SJ; the Vice-rector for Research, Development and Innvovation, Ángela Jiménez Casas, and part of the team in the International Relations Service at the University.

Comillas offers the INSIDE Washington, INSIDE New York, INSIDE Tech-USA and INSIDE Shanghai-Beijing courses in collaboration with Georgetown University, in Washington, DC, Fordham University, in New York, and the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. Through these educational programmes, students have the opportunity to come into contact with institutions and companies of a high-standing nature and with renowned prestige around the world in each of their areas of work. The goal of the programme is, in the words of Miguel Juárez, "the intellectual development of free people, who, from a multi-cultural and unique educational environment, can take initiatives to serve a better and more just world".

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The Altae Chair at Comillas proposes a sweeping reform of the inheritance and donations tax

Fri, 28 Feb 2008 12:54:56 GMT

The Altae Chair for Financial and Fiscal Studies at Comillas, which is sponsored by the Altae Private Bank, presented its research "Comparative study of the Tax on Inheritance and Donations (ISD, in Spanish) in the different autonomous regions" on February 14, drawn up by a research team whose members are Natalia Cassinello Plaza, Silvia Haro Cabas and Cecilio Moral Bello, Director of the Chair.

In their final conclusion, the authors of the study state that this tax needs a sweeping reform, which should not be delayed any longer, since it discriminates excessively as to the fiscal cost to taxpayers, depending on their place of residence, the scope of the family relationship and the type of goods acquired. This reform has already been initiated by some autonomous regions: Balearic Islands, Cantabria, Castille, Leon, Madrid, La Rioja and the Autonomous Region of Valencia, in 2007.

The Vice Grand Chancellor of Comillas, member of the Superior General´s Board of Advisors of the Society of Jesus

Tue, 25 Feb 2008 11:55:43 GMT

The Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Adolfo Nicolás, SJ, has named Joaquín Barrero Díaz, SJ, Regional Assistant for Southern Europe, which comprises Portugal, Italy and Spain. Barrero Díaz has been, until now, Provincial Representative of Castille and Vice Grand Chancellor of Comillas, of which he is also a former student.

His new position involves the job of communication in the area of his Region of Assistance and requires a global vision of the events happening there. The Regional Assistant also intervenes on behalf of the provincial representatives and visits the provinces and their residences to provide information, at a later date, to the Superior General.

A Former Student of Comillas, named Bishop in Peru

Thu, 20 Feb 2008 11:38:18 GMT

Pope Benedict XVI has named Tarcisio Pusma Ibáñez new Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiosis of Trujillo (Peru). The Bishop-elect was born in Nangali, Huancabamba (Department of Plura) on April 19, 1967. Father Pusma carried out his training to become a priest in the Seminario Mayor de San Carlos y San Marcelo (the Great Seminary of Saint Charles and Saint Marcelo), in Trujillo, and was ordained as a priest on May 31, 1997. In 2006, he received his undergraduate degree in Ecclesiastical History at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas.

The demand for electricity should be covered with all types of energy, including nuclear energy, according to a study presented by Comillas

Sat, 15 Feb 2008 12:09:53 GMT

The Spanish demand for electricity in 2030 should be covered by all types of power generation, including nuclear energy, according to the study "Generation Mix in the Spanish electrical system on the horizon for 2030", drawn up by Victoriano Casajús, former professor at Comillas-ICAI, and Cristina Martínez Vidal, engineer at ICAI, for the Nuclear Forum.

During the colloquium that followed the presentation of the report at Comillas, Victoriano Casajús stated that fulfilling the predictions of the report would suppose adding ten nuclear power plants to the seven that already exist. The event was presided over by Miguel Juárez, SJ, Vice-rector and Acting Rector, accompanied by Eduardo González Gómez, President of the Forum for the Spanish Nuclear Industy; Javier Penacho, Executive Vice-president of the Association of Companies with High Energy Consumption, and José Ignacio Linares, Director of the Rafael Mariño Chair for New Energy Technologies.

According to the authors of the study, the technical conditions that the basic design for the electrical generation mix of the electrical sector and its application in Spain on the horizon for 2030 were analysed, in order to be able to cover the demand foreseen and to guarantee safe and stable operability for the electrical sector. These objectives demand a respect for the requirements for the reliability of the system, utilising all types of fossil fuels, obtaining a reduced level of emissions of polluting gases and incorporating the most renewable energies possible into the system.

"Solar Energy: Current Status and Immediate Perspectives" presented at Comillas

Fri, 14 Feb 2008 12:24:59 GMT

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas and the National Association of ICAI Engineers presented the book "Solar Energy: Current Status and Immediate Perspectives", the third volume in the collection "Advances in Engineering".

"Solar Energy: Current Status and Immediate Perspectives" is the product of the work of the Rafael Mariño Chair, and more specifically, the Second Annual Conference, held in the year 2005. However, the book is not a mere collection of speeches; rather, the speeches at that time have been revised and enlarged, so that the annual conference serves to create a debate, which the Chair wishes to pass on to the general public. This was explained by Miguel Juárez, Vice-rector for International Affairs and University Services, as he confirmed that at Comillas, Chairs are understood to be "research groups that should pursue not only the publication of their research in international magazines, whose scope is restricted to the academic world, but also the transmission of its results to society".

Comillas celebrates University Day on the feast of Saint Thomas of Aquinas

Fri, 14 Feb 2008 12:25:22 GMT

The General Superior of the Society of Jesus and Grand Chancellor of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Father Adolfo Nicolás, SJ, was one of the protagonists at the celebration of University Day, along with a group of award-winners, distinguished guests and those receiving recognition on the feast of Saint Thomas of Aquinas, on January 28

The ceremony began with a Mass, presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy Father, Manuel Monteiro de Castro, held in the university church. Following this, the academic act began in the Aula Magna (Main Auditorium) of the central campus of Comillas, which was led by the Acting Rector, Miguel Juárez, SJ, who was accompanied by Monsenior Monteiro, as well as by the Vice-Provincial Representative of the Province of Castille, Luis López-Yarto, SJ,; the Vice-Rector for Research, Development and Innovation, Ángela Jiménez Casas; The Vice-Rector for Academic Order and Professors, Antonio Obregón García; the Vice-Rector for Economic Affairs, Cecilio Moral Bello, and the General Registrar, Ana Soler Presas.

In his speech, Professor Juárez congratulated the new Doctors who received their degrees during the act, tenured professors who received their medals, professors, administrative and service personnel recognised for their 25 or 40 years of service or for having reached retirement age, students receiving extraordinary end-of-studies awards, the authors of distinguished Doctoral theses and the winners of the Ninth Holy Father Rubio, SJ Award and the Seventh Ignacio Ellacuría, SJ, Award.

Juárez read some words by the Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ, who is currently in Rome, participating in the 35th General Congregation of the Society, in which, besides congratulating all of the distingushed guests at the ceremony, he made a brief presentation on Father Nicolás and invited all those present to give thanks to God for Father Kolvenbach´s long and generous period in office as General, and to offer Father Nicolás "the testimony of our availability as a university, to work in the service of the mission of the Jesuits and the Church in the teaching and research tasks which constitute the raison d"etre of the university".

Pedro Álvarez Lázaro, appointed as corresponding academic member of the Royal Academy of History

Tue, 11 Feb 2008 14:23:13 GMT

Pedro Álvarez Lázaro, SJ, Professor in the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences at Comillas, has been named as corresponding academic member of the Royal Academy of History. His candidacy was proposed by the permanent members Quintín Aldea Vaquero, SJ, Vicente Palacio Atard and Manuel Jesús González, and was accepted unanimously.

Doctor and graduate in Philosophy and Educational Sciences at the Complutense University and graduate in Theology at Comillas, Professor Álvarez is a pioneer in Spain and Europe in the study of the history of the free-thinkers movement.

He has published five books, one of them in Italy; 47 chapters in collective works, half of these in publishing companies from different European nations and countries in the Americas, and 16 historical articles in specialised national and foreign periodicals. In addition, he has directed seven book on themes in his specialisation (one of them in Portugal).

Father Adolfo Nicolas, new Superior General of the Society of Jesus and Grand Chancellor of Comillas

Tue, 11 Feb 2008 11:33:32 GMT

The Spaniard Adolfo Nicolas was elected Superior General of the Society of Jesus on Saturday, January 19, in a solemn ceremony preceeded by four days of prayer and exchange by the 217 electors who decended on Rome from the entire world to participate in the General Congregation 35.

The new Grand Chancellor of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas was born in Villamuriel (Palencia) on April 29, 1936, and joined the Society of Jesus on September 15, 1953, in the centre for novices in Aranjuez. His training was carried out in Aranjuez, Japan and Rome. In 1964 he arrived in Tokyo
(Japan) to study Theology. In Japan he was ordained on March 17, 1967, and on October 5, 1976 he took his final vows in the Society of Jesus, also in Tokyo. Between 1968 and 1971 he studied Semiology at the Gregoriana of Rome, a field in which he is a specialist. Between 1971 and 1002 he was a professor of Theology at Sophia University of Tokyo. He was Provincial Head of Japan from 1993 to 1999, and participated in the General Congregation 34 of the Society of Jesus, in 1995.

Between 2004 and 2007, he was Moderator of the Provincial Conference of Eastern Asia and the South Pacific, and, as such, resided in the Philippines. Besides Spanish, he speaks Japanese, English, French and Italian.

Mikel Buesa: "We will end terrorism the day that we expel those that support this type of activity from the system"

Wed, 29 Jan 2008 13:18:09 GMT

Mikel Buesa, chair of Economics at the Complutense University, President of the Ermua Forum and member of the new political party Union, Progress and Democracy (UPD, in Spanish), visited Comillas to participate in the Wednesday Lecture Series. In a lecture titled "Terrorism, Nationalism and Freedom", Buesa reviewed the situation of the terrorist group ETA during the past years and explained the key points of the "process of negotiation" undertaken by the Government. Moreover, he took advantage of the opportunity to solve the doubts of the participants concerning UPD, a party with which he is standing for elections as the number two candidate for the list in Madrid.

During his speech, he insisted on the need to advance toward an institutional change which will prevent a new process of negotiation. Buesa flatly rejected the instrument of dialogue to put an end to terrorist violence, and affirmed that "we will end terrorism the day that we expel those that support this type of activity from the political system". He compared his expectations with the end of the Nazis by saying: "I don´t aspire to eliminating Nazis, but rather to exclude them from social life".

María Peñas receives the CIDE research award for her Doctoral Thesis on the affective environment of gifted children

Tue, 11 Feb 2008 19:54:45 GMT

The Professor of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, María Peñas Fernández, received the second prize in the national contest for Educational Research and Innovation, awarded by the Centro de Investigación y Documentación Educativa (CIDE, in Spanish, Centre for Research and Educational Documentation), for her Doctoral Thesis "Socio-emotional Characteristics of Gifted Adolescents. Psychological adjustment and denial of the self-concept of being "gifted" (exceptionally intelligent)" The awarding of the prize was presided over by the Secretary General for Education, Alejandro Tiana.
Peñas commented that she would like to explore further the so-called risk groups within the group of highly-gifted persons, from the socio-emotional perspective, in which it is manifestly difficult to identify gifted children who belong to ethnic, social or cultural minorities, gifted children who present learning difficulties or problems associated with girls and gifted female adolescents.

Sara Salvatori wins the Ninth Holy Father Rubio, SJ Award with "The emigration of Jebli women to Spain"

Tue, 21 Jan 2008 09:08:19 GMT

The Holy Father Rubio, SJ Award for Advancement in Knowledge Concerning Immigration, sponsored by the University Institute of Migration Studies at Comillas, already has winners in its current edition. The first prize has been awarded to Sara Salvatori, a Doctoral student in Social Anthropology at the University of Seville, for her work "The emigration of Jebli women to Spain", which, in the words of the jury, constitutes a "complex analysis of the characteristics of the female population, as well as a study on family networks, offering a critical and novel overview of the emancipation of the immigrant working woman". The second prize was awarded to Silvia Carrizo-Fernández, for "Hands that move the world", a critical study on the protection of fundamental rights of immigrant working women in domestic service, as "live-in maids".

José Ramón Busto Saiz: "Companies snatch our students right out of our hands "

Sat, 18 Jan 2008 17:59:15 GMT

"It is necessary for the State to radically review the question of the financing of higher education and research", states Busto Saiz, who, as the leader of a private university, calls for the State to finance students, and not universities. The highest representative of the Pontificia Comillas University reflects on this and other matters, such as the adaptation to Europe or the relation between universities and companies, in an extensive interview given to IBERCAMPUS.ES.

Q.- The slogan of the university is "The Value of Excellence". What are the most noteworthy projects in order to achieve this goal? And in the medium and long term, what are your proposals?
A.- Excellence can only be achieved by attending to many different issues in a coordinated manner. Important things include the selection of students and professors, rigour in daily academic work, promoting the knowledge of languages, providing possibilities for international experience through study abroad and combined programmes with good universities, guaranteeing that our students carry out internships during their training and, finally, keeping up the good functioning of general services at the University.

Q.- The year 2010 is drawing closer and closer. How would you evaluate the implementation of the adaptation to the Bologna Process in our country?
A.- The changing political circumstances of our country have been responsible for providing us with three Ministers of Education and Sciences in the past years, each one initiating different policies, even policies contrary to those of their predecessors regarding the construction of the European Space for Higher Education. It seems that, finally, the path has been identified. Since we have wasted precious time, now we have to hurry. The three attempts that we have experienced show that the so-called "Bologna Process" can be implemented in different ways. In my view, the subsitution of a catalogue of degrees with a register, which the LOU (Basic University By- Laws) has marked and passed in April, is the biggest revolution in the Spanish University system in all of its history.

Q.- How are you facing the challenge that you mention (the new catalogue for the adaptation of degrees) at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas?
A. - Comillas has six official Post-graduate programmes and another two in the process of being approved that we will implement next October. Also in October we will start some of the undergraduate programmes, with the intention of implementing all of the new undergraduate degrees by October of 2009. The most relevant thing is that we are going to keep doing what we do well even better and better.

Q.- As the Rector of a private institution, what do you think of the law that governs universities, the LOU (Ley Orgánica de Universidades, Basic University By-Laws), revamped recently by the counsellors of Mercedes Cabrera (the current Minister of Education and Science)?
A.- I think that the law has improved the regulatory system that we had. The theme of financing is still pending, a theme which the law has not touched I believe that it is essential to separate clearly the financing of teaching from the financing of research. With regard to teaching, my wish as R ector of a private university is for the State to finance students, and not the university, in such a way that students con choose freely the university that they would like to attend - public or private - without being pre-determined by financial considerations. And as far as research is concerned, it is necessary for programmes and research projects to be financed, with public and private money, for those who carry them out efficiently and with scientific rigour, independently of the financing of institutions.

Q.- Does the law that you have mentioned answer the demands of private universities?
A.- I think that private universities are satisfied with the regulations establlished by the law. It adopts a well-rounded vision of universities, without differentiating beyond the necessary elements between public and private universities. Vis-à-vis private universities, its regulatory system is better than the LRU (Law of the Regulation of Universities) and has improved the LOU (Basic University By-Laws) of 2001. But it is not necessary for the State to take any radical decisions concerning the matter of the financing of higher education and research. I do not request more financing, as private universities receive practically nothing, but rather a more efficient and more just financing. However, I very much doubt that our politicians will be able to tackle this. To do this well would suppose an electoral wear and tear that no one would be willing to accept (Note: Spanish national elections have been called for March 9, 2008).

Q.- Is a University such as Comillas out of the financial reach of many families?
A.- As is characteristic of a university that is not supported by public funds, in principle our students must pay for the cost of their education. In this regard we are not on equal terms - I am not saying unfair - to compete with public universities where the students pay between 15% and 20% of the cost. Also, when students have to repeat a year and have poor academic results, we all pay the cost of this (from our taxes); those that attend private universities also pay for public universities. However, our students can obtain grants and scholarships from public institutions, and moreover, at our university we have a system of scholarships which are financed with our own funds, which means a sum of around one million euros per year, which allows excellent students to study at our university without it being too much of a burden on their families.

Q.- To what extent can a private and rather small university compete in the field of research?
A. - A small or medium-sized university such as ours cannot be compared in volume of research with the big universities in our country, which are not more than half a dozen in number. But we compete perfectly in quality with the best universities, and even in volume with the majority of Spanish universities. There are themes - as examples I will only give two - new energy technologies and bioethics - where we do not have anything to envy at other Spanish universities.

Q. - What is the relationship like between the Universidad Pontificia Comillas and companies as far as the employability of your students is concerned?
A. - Wonderful! Companies snatch our students right out of our hands! Students at our university find permanent work in the two months following their graduation. We have thousands of agreements for internships in companies, where our students carry out their first internship while they are studying for their degree, and it is not uncommon for these internships to lead to their first contract, in some cases even before finishing their studies.

Operation Kilo 2007 collects nearly two tonnes of foodstuffs at Comillas

Wed, 15 Jan 2008 11:41:32 GMT

Operation Kilo 2007, which is organised jointly with the Food Bank of Madrid, has greatly surpassed the tonne of foodstuffs collected in previous years, with a total collection of 1800 kilos, which will be distributed among the most needy.
At the concert in solidarity with the operation alone, which was prepared by the Department of Cultural Activities, Seminars and Conferences, and in which Luis Ramiro, Marwan, Lucas, Labiagramola and Chema Bello performed, nearly 200 kilos were collected. Moreover, in this edition, held with the slogan "Operation Kilo: Your kilo counts!", a student decided to donate 1000 euros to the Food Bank, which she normally sends to a charitable organisation, and 14 students participated as volunteers in the campaign carried out at 5 branches of a large department store, where more than 5000 kilos were collected.

"Because there are refugees in the world", Tenth Edition of the Conference for Orientation and Solidarity

Tue, 14 Jan 2008 13:22:29 GMT

The Service for Solidarity and Development Cooperation held the Tenth Edition of its orientation conference, with a title that clearly expresses its inspiration: "Because there are refugees in the world". In his inaugural speech, the Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ, insisted on the fact that among the values at Comillas is "training in solidarity", a premise that responds to the mission statement of the institution, where it is affirmed that the university aspires to the following: "that professionals trained here listen to and head the call to be men and women in service to others".

The Rector reminded those present, moreover, that one of the greatest preoccupations of Father Arrupe was that of helping refugees, an interest that led him to found the Jesuit Service for Refugees (SJR, in Spanish), in 1980. Also present at the ceremony, the Director of "Entreculturas" (a charitable Jesuit NGO in Spain) and representative of Spain in the SJR, Agustín Alonso, SJ, confirmed that this service "is one of the initiatives that has given the most life to the Society (of Jesus)", and encouraged those in attendance by saying "that the seed of help for the refugee, which is being sown, should continue to reap its harvest."

Comillas organised the Fourth International Meeting for Young Researchers in Immigration Law and Assylum

Fri, 10 Jan 2008 13:55:21 GMT

Representatives of 17 Spanish and foreign universities participated in the Fourth International Meeting for Young Researchers in Immigration Law and Assylum, held at Comillas on December 14 and 15.

The speeches and presentations were given by professors and researchers belonging to the following Universities: La Coruña, Barcelona, Girona, The Catholique University of Louvain, Granada, Cadiz, Pompeu Fabra, Rovira i Virgili, Huelva, Burgos, Valencia, Complutense, Newcastle, New Jersey, Oporto, Sophia and Comillas.

"It is not whether negotiating is possible or not, but rather that you always have to do it"

Sat, 21 Dec 2007 12:58:28 GMT

The techniques of negotiation that are applied successfully today in the business world are fed from different sources and take in experiences which come from the most varied of environments. For that reason, Comillas is offering its students the possibility to learn from the experience of diverse professionals. As an example,
negotiations that organisations and the security forces of the State carry out in crisis situations can be of great utility for future professionals. For the purpose of speaking about his work and the techniques involved in negotiations, the officer of the Civil Guard, Alonso Valdizán, gave a class to a group of students in the Faculty of Business Administration and Economic Sciences (ICADE).

Professor Guillermo Sánchez Prieto, in charge of presenting this event, encouraged student to take note of Valdizán´s advice. "He confronts negotiations in cases of hostage-taking, stand-offs and suicides; any situation in which you may find yourselves will be less serious, and for this reason, you should take his suggestions into account". The basic assumption is clear to this officer, "it is not whether negotiating is possible or not, but rather that you always have to do it".

The Royal Basque Society of Friends of the Country held its conference on climate change at Comillas

Fri, 20 Dec 2007 13:27:04 GMT

The Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, presided over the opening of the Sixteenth Week of the Court Delegation of the Royal Basque Society of Friends of the Country, dedicated to the theme "Climate change. A global challenge. The Basque proposal." In the first of the four sessions of the programme, the Regional Counsellor for the Environment and Territorial Ordering of the Basque Government, Esther Larrañaga Galdós, explained the basic contents of the Plan To Combat Climate Change, which the autonomous government would pass a week later.

There are four main objectives in the Basque plan, which translate into 120 concrete measures. The main purpose is to limit emissions of greenhouse gases up to a maximum of 14 percent compared to 1990, the base year; this supposes a reduction of 22 percent in the growth of CO2 emissions. foreseen for 2012, the final year for the plan.

The second goal is to increase the capacity for carbon regeneration mechanisms to 1 percent of the emissions of the base year, acting, above all, on the management of forests, agricultural lands and pasture lands.

The other two goals of the plan are aimed at minimizing risks, on the one hand, concerning natural resources, since the main impact could be associated with the loss of biodiversity and the health of ecosystems and to the worsening in the quality of resources, and on the other hand, concerning health in individuals, the quality of urban dwellings and socio-economic systems.

Martín Mingarro: "Only he or she who has a deep sense of ethics deserves the title of lawyer"

Fri, 20 Dec 2007 11:24:31 GMT

The Dean of the Faculty of Law (ICADE), Concepción Molina, presided over the presentation of the book "Justice and ethics in the practice of law", published by Dykinson, in a ceremony in which the the following professors from Comillas-ICADE intervened: Miguel Grande Yáñez, coordinator of the work, Luis Bueno Ochoa and José Luis Fernández, and the Dean of the Professional College of Lawyers, Luis Martín Mingarro, co-author of the book, who stated that "only the professional who has a deep sense of ethics deserves the title of lawyer".

This publication is born of the lectures which were held during the 2005-06 academic year in the Faculty of Law (ICADE), in which a debate was fomented between those that practice law and professors, revolving around ethics in the practice of law. Coinciding with the presentation of the book, this theme is once again in vogue because the new law that regulates the access for lawyers and legal respresentatives requires a knowledge of ethical and career-related ethical aspects.

Comillas publishes the third volume of "Systematic Theology", by Wolfhart Pannenberg

Wed, 18 Dec 2007 15:18:04 GMT

Fifteen years after the publication in Spanish of "Systematic Theology", by Wolfhart Pannenberg, Comillas hosted the presentation of the third volume of this fundamental work by the German theologian. In attendance at the event were the Rector of the University, José Ramón Busto, SJ; the Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Santiago Madrigal, SJ; Eloy Bueno de la Fuente, Professor of the Faculty of Theology at Burgos; and José Antonio Martínez Camino, SJ, spokesman of the Episcopal Conference and Professor of the Faculty of San Dámaso. Wolfhart Pannenberg could not be present at the event, in the same way that he had been present at the first presentation, way back in 1982. However, this theologian has a wonderful relationship with Comillas, the only Catholic university that has recognised him as Doctor honoris causa since, as Martínez Camino confirmed in his laudatio, "someone has written that he is the most Catholic of the Protestant writers". Not in vain, the reflections by Pannenberg stand out for their ecumenical character.

Comillas wins the Second Unijes "Saint Francis Xavier" Debate Tournament

Sat, 14 Dec 2007 16:40:30 GMT

A team from Comillas turned out to be the winner of the second edition of the Unijes "Saint Francis Xavier" Debate Tournament, which was held at our university on November 29 and 30.

Nineteen teams (in pairs) from seven institutions of higher education participated in the competition. Attneding on behalf of Unijes, were the University of Deusto (Bilbao), the Ramon Llull-Esade University (Barcelona), ETEA (Córdoba) and Comillas; and, as invited institutions, the Antonio Nebrija University, and San Pablo-CEU, both from Madrid, and CEU-Cardenal Herrera, from Valencia.

The finals pitted a team from ETEA, formed by Sebastián Rodríguez Pérez and Alberto Barco Moreno, against another from Comillas, formed by Miriam Pastor Martínez (Fourth Year, E-1, C) and Daniel Pérez García (Fourth Year, E-3, C).

Comillas renewed its championship title, since two teams from our university were winners and runners-up in the previous edition of the Unijes Debate Tournament.

BP and the Universidad Pontificia Comillas broaden their research on sustainable development

Thu, 12 Dec 2007 19:10:09 GMT

The BP Foundation, the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI-ICADE and the University Comillas-ICAI Foundation have signed a framework agreement for five years that will allow the enlargement of the programme of the BP Chair for Sustainable Development at this educational institution. The new plan for action, signed by both entities, and for which the BP Foundation will give one million euros, foresees the strengthening of activities of the Observatory for Energy and Sustainable Development in Spain, the creation of a Think Tank formed by specialiists and Post-graduate students, experts in the energy sector, the organisation of forums on energy and sustainability, as well as courses and conferencias which will be held, and the financing of two doctoral grants.

The BP Sustainable Development Chair was created in November 2002 to promote studies, training programmes and articles for circulation in this field. Directed by one of the greatest expert analists in the energy sector, Professor José Ignacio Pérez Arriaga, the chair was born for the purpose of analysing, debating and offering solutions for the most current challenges, such as the relation between energy and economic, social and environmental sustainability, the fomenting of responsible energy consumption, or the toxic environmental impact generated by the continued use of conventional energy resources. Renewable energies, security in energy supplies, the differences among peoples caused by the unequal use of energy resources, and global warming are some of the problems that receive special attention in the chair.

Different fields of action are established within the programme of collaboration between the BP Foundation and the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI-ICADE. In the first place, the Observatory for Energy and Sustainable Development in Spain will continue to analyse current information to identify the challenges confronting this sector in our country and to establish possible solutions and fields of action which would definitively allow a model for sustainable development for society to be achieved. One of the priority objectives of the observatory consists of continuing with the elaboration of the Annual Sustainabiltiy Report in Spain. This document, whose presentation is foreseen for December of 2008, will include an update of the principal indicators of the sector, as well as an analysis of the main themes of interest.

The BP Chair will continue to direct, moreover, a group of experts on energy and sustainable development, which will meet several times per year to analyse trends, lines of thought that explore current energy policies, and opinions that will be published in due time on the web of the chair (www.upcomillas.es/catedras/bp/), and when the time is right, to divulge the news through the press.

Moreover, within the activities developed by the BP Chair, there are plans to organise a new edition of the Annual Forum on Energy and Sustainable Development in April of 2008, in Madrid, which will have the participation of 25 to 30 prestigious experts. The theme of the study will be the Promotion of Investments in Clean Technolgies. Another new attraction, also intended to be implemented, is the Annual Forum of Tres Cantos on the Solar Photovoltaic Industry.

Graduates of Comillas in 2005 took an average of two months and a half to find employment

Tue, 10 Dec 2007 19:49:39 GMT

Graduates of Comillas in 2005 took an average of 2.64 months to find their first job, according to a report on job placement for the graduates of the Graduating Class of 2004-05, drawn up by the Department for Quality and Surveys (UCP, in Spanish) at the University, published in October of this year.

The study, which was carried out with a sample of 385 graduates from the entire university, taking into account the proportion of students which correspond to each School or Faculty, used the same questionnaire from previous research, and took into account the experience of Project Cheers by the European Union, from 2001, the study by the ANECA, from 2003, and other studies from other university institutions.

The report confirms the results reached by previous studies, drawn up by the Office for Internships and Employment (OPE), at Comillas, and delves into new and relevant aspects of employability and satisfaction of the graduates of the university.

The previous studies indicated that 99% of the graduates in 2005, and in 2006, were employed six months after graduating. The difference from one year to another was found in the students that were working and those who continued to study. In 2005, 93% were working and 6% continued to study; and in 2006, 87% were employed and the remaining 12% were continuing to study. The report by the UCP reveals that the graduates of Nursing are the ones that take the least amount of time to find employment; 1.33 months on the average. They are followed by students at Comillas - ICAI (1.95); those at Comillas - ICADE (2.15) and those of Human and Social Sciences (5.62).

82.6% would study the same degree again. In this area, the graduates in Nursing stand out, as all of them would study again in the same field. They are followed by graduates in Human and Social Sciences, with 85%, and those of Comillas - ICADE, with 82%. At Comillas - ICAI, almost 80% respond in the same way. 88.5% respond affirmatively to the question concerning whether they would study again at Comillas. On this occasion, the graduates from Comillas - ICAI stand out, with 93.5%.

The experts confirm that judicial training is fundamental for insurance assessors

Tue, 10 Dec 2007 13:31:30 GMT

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas hosted the conference "Insurance assessors: general norms and professional procedures", organised by the Spanish Section of the International Association of Insurance Law" (SEAIDA, in Spanish), in collaboration with the University and the Association of Insurance Assessors and Claims Agents (APCAS). The following persons attended the inaugural session: Cecilio Moral Bello, Vice-Rector for Financial Affairs; Julio Pérez Hernández, Secretary of State for Justice; Juan Ángel López Rouco, President of APCAS, and Fernando Sánchez Calero, President of SEAIDA. In his speech, the Vice-rector pointed out that "a professional should have permanent training throughout his life and the university should provide for this".

Throughout the conference, the speakers brought light on different aspects related to the legal status of insurance assessors, their training, and their professional activity. Luis Almajano, attorney for the State, now on professional leave, and member of Almajano Law Firm, was the person responsible for explaining the legal status of the profession and emphasised the demand for a series of requirements for the exercise of the job, since it is a double preparation adequate in techniques in insuring and legislation. Daniel Prades, on the other hand, Professor of Mercantile Law at Comillas pointed out that, as is the case with lawyers, insurance assessors are not popular, and so that this image can be overcome, the existence of an administrative register is necessary for insurance assessors, which "would contribute substantially to the prestige of the profession and would ensure the level of professional compentencies".

Three students from Comillas. National End of Studies Award winners for the 2005-06 academic year

Thu, 05 Dec 2007 11:55:31 GMT

Three graduates of Comillas have been awarded the National End of Studies Award for the 2005-06 academic year, given by the Ministery of Education and Science. Raquel Gonzalez Corral, graduate of the three-year programme in Computer Science Management and Systems; Montserrat Gomez Rubiano, graduate of the three-year programme in Physiotherapy, and Jorge Lopez Aranguena, gradutate of the six-year programme in Law and Business Administration and Management (E-3) are the representatives of this honourable line-up.

"I am very happy and satisfied to the see the effort that I have made rewarded. This has meant many hours of dedication", recounts Raquel Gonzalez Corral, who heads the list of award-winners in her specialization. Raquel did not settle for her double degree in the three-year programme in Computer Science, and she is currently studying for the degree in Industrial Organisation Engineering, a second-cycle field of studies, so that she may obtain three degrees in five years.

"I jumped for joy, I didn"t expect to receive something so difficult", said Montserrat Gomez Rubiano, when she won this second prize in the End of Studies awards in Physiotherapy. Nowadays, Montserrat is doing substitute teaching in institutions of primary care in the Autonomous Region of Madrid and is waiting for "oposiciones" (state-sponsored exams for civil servant positions) to be held. In the meantime, she is studying for a Masters Degree in Homeopathy, and plans to be a teacher in the future.

Javier Lopez Aranguena affirms that the secret to get good marks is not in the amount of hours of study, but rather in planning, and previous work. This former student of E-3 did not celebrate this third prize awarded by the Ministry of Education and Science in the field of Business Administration in any special way, because he considers that it is nothing more than "icing on the cake for the effort made".

From Paris, where his work with The Boston Consulting Group has led him temporarily, Javier values his time at university in a very positive way: "Comillas teaches you to get by and succeed in the working world, you learn to manage yourself, and to juggle with lots of balls at the same time".

Graduation ceremony for MBA and for the Executive MBA Degrees

Tue, 03 Dec 2007 09:34:56 GMT

The Institute for Post-graduate Studies at Comillas held its graduation ceremony for degrees for the students of the 29th graduating class in the Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) and of the 13th, 14th and 15th graduating classes for the Executive Masters Degree in Business Administration (EMBA). In total, more than 100 students and their relatives attended an emotionally-charged event which was held in the Aula Magna (Main Auditorium) at the main site of the University.

The event was presided over by Ángela Jiménez Casas, Vice-Rector for Research, Development and Innovation, who was accompanied by Pilar Melara San Román, Director of the Institute for Post-graduate Studies; Marcelo Larrabure, Executive Director for Customer Service, at SANITAS; Yolanda García Sánchez, Director of the MBA Programme, and José María Fernández-Rico, Coordinator of the EMBA Programme.

Pérez Arriaga is one of the authors of the report on climate change for the President of the Government

Thu, 05 Dec 2007 08:36:23 GMT

The Director of the BP Chair for Sustainable Development at Comillas is one of the 17 experts who have drawn up the report, "Climate change in Spain. State of the situation", for the President of the Government, José Luis Zapatero, and was one of the two specialists who carried out the presentation of the document at the Moncloa Palace.

Based on the data available up to the present time, the report points out that "acting on climate change is a profitable investment, since the damage expected will surpass the costs of prevention. For each euro invested in prevention activities we could save damage for a cost of up to five euros, according to the IPCC (Fourth Report on Evaluation IE4), and up to 20 euros, according to the Stern report."

"One very seldom mentioned aspect - the study adds - is that the fight against climate change does not only formulate restrictions, but also opportunities. Mitigation will allow Spain to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and to improve other environmental problems such as contamination of the atmosphere in cities. It is also a good opportunity, for example, to re-think territorial planning, to channel the needs for mobility towards cleaner modes of transportation and to support new technologies and R+D and Innovation. In this context, it is certain that many companies will have to absorb the costs involved, but they will also obtain profits and will be more competitive if they are able to save energy or to develop products which are low in carbon. Climate change can also, thus, provide an opportunity to improve, not so much the standard of living, but quality of life."

A virtual website to bring art closer to the general public wins the Entrepreneurial Project Award

Wed, 04 Dec 2007 12:05:22 GMT

Cayetana Pablos, a Fifth-Year student in the double degree in Law and Business Administration (E-3), at Comillas, and Gabriel Aldaz Romero, a student of Business Administration and Management at San Pablo - CEU are the winners of the Entrepreneurial Project Award 2007, which the Entrepreneurial Club ICADE and the Faculty of Business Administration and Management (ICADE) at Comillas have held for the past three years, in order to foment entrepreneurial activity among students.

This two young entrepreneurs have been developing their project, Artegory, for the past two years, a company which arose from the idea of bringing art to the general public and to "democratise" it, through communication at a global level via Internet, in which they bring together the different agents who intervene in this market (artists, galleries, critics, buyers, etc.).

The financial award of 30,000 euros for the prize will go, according to the winners, directly to the construction of the Artegory website (www.artegory.com), which will be launched in March 2008.

The second prize went to "Abraira Editions", by Tamara Graña, for a magazine for women, distributed locally in the Autonomous Region of Madrid, called KASTIZHA. The objective is to entertain and to give advice to readers on trends in fashion, beauty, welfare and leisure, and to facilitate their access to shops and brand names. Tamara, who finished the double degree in Law and Business Adminstration (E-3) at Comillas in 2005, has been managing this business for two years.

Blanca Fernández Cavalheiro and Eliseo Haro Cabas, a Sixth-Year student of E-3 and a graduate in Industrial Engineering from COMILLAS-ICAI, respectively, have won the third prize for "H"Assistance", a company which is devoted to the training of future domestic employees, their placement and to the management of their work status, serving as a training school and domestic services agency.

Overwhelming participation by companies at the Ninth Comillas Forum for Employment

Sat, 30 Nov 2007 13:33:56 GMT

A total of 79 companies, leaders in their respective sectors, participated in the Ninth Comillas Forum for Employment, which was attended by some 4000 students. The number of participating enterprises has increased by 5% over the last edition, but another 20 were not able to register before the application closed due to lack of space.

As usual, the forum set up stands under tents installed in the patios of the main building of the university, located at calle Alberto Aguilera, 23. For two days, students and alumni received information personally concerning offers for employment and internships, and delivered their CV´s to the companies of their choice in order to participate in job interviews or work sessions. The companies held nearly 60 information meetings in conjunction with the forum to explain their activities and the possibilities for the professional careers that they offer. These sessions have been extended beyond the dates for the forum, and selection processes are held as well whose initial phases take place at the university.

The forum is organised by the Office for Internships and Employment (OPE, in Spanish), of the Service for Corporative Marketing (SMC, in Spanish), and represents another part of the system established to facilitate internships for students and their access to their first job. During the 2006-07 academic year, the OPE managed 3228 job offers and 2158 offers for internships (which brought about a total of 3060 real internships), 23.4% and 18.4% more than the previous year, respectively.

Adolfo Domínguez, guest of honour at the Annual Alumni Meeting

Fri, 29 Nov 2007 10:46:57 GMT

Adolfo Domínguez affirms that bad people are stupid, and that we all know how to win by being evil, "but you break so many things that it is not worth it". This international businessman from Orense spoke on his way of thinking, of doing and of living at the Annual Alumni Meeting at Comillas, of which he was the guest of honour.

There was another guest who was also present in the words of José Ramón Busto, SJ, Rector of the University: Father Arrupe, Vice Grand Chancellor of the Sociey of Jesus and Grand Chancellor at Comillas from 1965 to 1983, of whom the 100 year anniversary of his birth was celebrated three days before the meeting.

The Rector reminded all those present of the words that Arrupe directed to the former students of the Jesuits in 1977, "Today the needs of our world, on the one hand, and the mentality and responsability of the present, on the other, cause in us an inability to be contented with memories and sentimental things; rather, they make us feel obliged to so something useful, not only for ourselves, who have to modify our knowledge and even our lives, but, above all, for others".

After commenting that these words are still true, the Rector added: "That the meeting this afternoon should serve to re-kindle this committment in our interior being, that when in 2008 you once again accept our invitation and we meet again, upon asking ourselves what we have done that is useful during the year that has just passed, we should be in a postion to give an answer that justifies and, at the same time, humbly makes us feel satisfied."

Born 57 years ago in Pola de Trives, in Orense, student of Fine Arts and Cinematograpy at the University of Vincennes, in Paris, he returned to the land in which he was born in 1973, to his family´s tailor shop and, 30 years later, built a company which possesses more than 400 shops in a large part of the world.

"Ethics for work, ethics for life" was the sub-title of the "Meeting with....Adolfo Domínguez" "Without ethics - said the protagonist - companies go bankrupt. Business can be done, but companies cannot be made. If the concept of ethics did not exist, we would have to invent it, because it is even indispensable to be happy as an individual."

"The best decision that I took in my life - pointed out Domínguez - was to continue with my parents" small company. So many initiatives are lost because of this obsesson to study and not to keep up the family company"...We should not forget that Nestlé was, at the beginning, a shop where milk was sold in a street in Switzerland".

A team from Comillas, runner-up in the First "Pasarela" Tournament

Thu, 28 Nov 2007 08:38:09 GMT

A debate team, from Comillas, has been crowned runner-up in the first edition of the debate contest "Pasarela 07" Tournament, which was held from November 15 to 18 at the Ifema Fair Grounds in Madrid. At the same contest, the student from Comillas, Jaume Pi, was awarded the Second Prize in the "Deloitte Promise of the Year 2007", with which he will be able to attend the Student Business Forum, which will take place in Lausanne (Switzerland) in March of 2008.

120 students met under "Pasarela 07", grouped in 24 teams representing universities or associated university students for the occasion, and the debate was centered around two themes related to current events: "Does labour union activity favour society on the whole?" and "Will the European Welfare State be able to support the aging of the population on the continent?"

The competition had the sponsorship of important companies in the fields of consulting, human resources, engineering, and others, such as Accenture, Arbora & Ausonia, Deloitte, Eulen Group, La Caixa, AT Kearney, Ernst & Young, Heineken Spain, Oracle, Santander Bank, Bankinter, Garrigues Law Firm, KPMG, L"Oréal, Price Waterhouse Coooper and Sun Microsystems.

The "Pasarela" Tournament is a creation of two students at Comillas, Katherine Menéndez de la Cuesta (6th year, E-3) and Alberto Mateos Talamillo (FIfth year, E-3), supported in their organisation by Carlos García de la Fuente (Fifth year, E-3) and Susana Ibánez (Sicth year, E-3), and was conceived as a meeting point in which companies can meet and recruit young and talented university students, and where the latter can demonstrate their ability and skills.

The second team, lead by Aníbal Martín Barbero (Fourth year, E-3), and accompanied by Álvaro Muñoz Camacho (Fourth year, E-3), Gonzalo Pernas Alonso (Fourth year, E-3), David Ruiz de Loizaga (Fourth year, E-3) and Francisco Valiente Martínez (graduate of E-3 and Political Science), faced the SoDeCo (Society for Debate Competitions, composed of students from different institutions) in the finals, in which they finished as runner-ups.

Operation Kilo, at Comillas, from December 11 to 13

Fri, 29 Nov 2007 14:19:55 GMT

On December 11, 12 and 13, the Universidad Pontificia Comillas and the Food Bank of Madrid will carry out Operation Kilo in order to collect foodstuffs and distribute them to the needy. This activity forms part of the agreement for cooperation signed by both entities.

During these days, you may collaborate with this project for solidarity by bringing kilos of beans, lentils and the like, and any other non-perishable foods to the student volunteers at the tables which will be placed in the buildings located at calle Alberto 23 and 25, and Cantoblanco. The information desks are also cooperating to receive donations at the other sites. Once again, the cafeteria service will also collaborate by providing the purchase of these products for just 1 euro. Moreover, at Cantoblanco, a Concert for Solidarity is being organised, which may be attended in exhange for one kilo of food on the afternoon of December 19.

Coinciding with Operation Kilo, a Poster Exhibit will be held with this motif by the students of Fifth Year of Business Administration and Management (E-2), of the subject Structures of Communication. The exhibit will be located in the area near the Photocopy Service (next to the cafeteria), at calle Alberto Aguilera, 23. A jury composed of five members from different areas of the university chose the best posters, with the poster by Mónica López-Schummer winning the first place.

Your Kilo counts!!!

In Madrid, there are more than 500,000 people without any resources all 365 days of the year. The Food Bank, presided over by Mr. Javier Ortiz Aboín, an engineer from the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), from the graduating class of 1953, is a charitable organisation whose main objective is to collect foodstuffs from donors, to classify them and to distribute them to more than 300 entities that attend directly to the needy. Active participation in Operation Kilo is one of the ways in which we can contribute to the more than 70 volunteers in the Bank, principally retired professionals who are collaborating in an altruistic fashion, and the several hundreds of specific collaborators, so that they can help these people all year round.

We hope that with the collaboration of everyone we can surpass the tonne of kilos that was collected last year in our University so that the Food Bank can continue to nourish hope.

For more information on the Food Bank of Madrid please go to:

www.bancodealimentosdemadrid.org

The Project "Financial Site Madrid", at Science Week at Comillas

Tue, 26 Nov 2007 15:33:56 GMT

Madrid hosted the principal financial institutions of our country, and is placed at the head of the European financial market, together with London, Paris and Frankfurt. In order to reinforce this position and to develop the leadership of the city in the international arena, a project, "Financial Site" has been designed and carried out, among other institutions, by the José de la Vega-DIEM Foundation (Development and Economic Research and Research on Markets) for the Municipal Government of Madrid.

Comillas and the José de la Vega-DIEM Foundation organised, within the activities of the Seventh Science Week, a colloquium to explain the most relevant points of the project. The Rector of Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ and the Mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, were responsible for closing the colloquium. In his speech, the Mayor elaborated on the virtues of the capital as a reference point in the financial arena, and he pointed out the need to reinforce this privileged position. "Leadership is fragile, and if we are not aware that other places can do things better than us, we run the risk of losing it", he assured. In this sense, Professor Ibáñez pointed out the scarcity of intellectual capital, the narrowness of the market, and the still sparse transparency as identifiable deficiencies which, when overcome, will make Madrid a very successful financial capital.

Students from Comillas participate in the Research Conference on Psychology in Cantabria

Tue, 26 Nov 2007 13:52:09 GMT

Two groups of Psychology students from Comillas presented their studies at the Seventh Reseach Conference on Psychology for secondary school students, organised by the Association of Professors of Psychology of Cantabria, on November 15 and 16, in Santander. More than 200 students from Cantabria and Extremadura attended the sessions, which were coordinated by the high-school teachers Rafael Margallo and Emilio Rubín.

The students from Comillas carried out studies during the past academic year under the direction of Professor Fátima MIralles, in the subject of Projective Techniques. Aurora Muñoz, Carlota Zaforas, María del Pozo and Yasmina Niyazova presented the paper titled "From north to south: emotions and the ideal person", which researches the representation that adolescents in Russia, Chile and Spain make of the ideal person. Representing their study, Ana Terrado, Casilda Urrecha, Marta Ybarra and Paloma Pries revealed the results of their work " Las Tres Mil Viviendas and Vacie (two neighbourhoods in the city of Seville) : the law of silence", a piece of research carried out on the perception of violence in children and adolescents in these two neigborhoods in Seville.

Tenerife hosts the First Meeting in the Canary Islands for Comillas Alumni

Thu, 21 Nov 2007 13:42:29 GMT

On November 10, Santa Cruz de Tenerife hosted the celebration of the First Comillas Alumni Meeting in the Canary Islands, with an event presided over by the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, at the meeting hall of Cajasiete, which brought together some one-hundred participants.

Comillas wishes to make its relationship with its alumni more dynamic by fomenting the creation of networks in all of the autronomous regions. For this purpose, meetings will be called in the different autonomous regions in which regional representations will be established with alumni.

During the event, the Vice-rector for Academic Ordering and Professors, Antonio Obregón, introduced the Rector, who welcomed the alumni and explained in detail how Comillas will face the reforms that loom over the Spanish University system with the development of the new European Space for Higher Education.

The Director of the Alumni Office (OAA), Carmen Jiménez, pointed out the importance that obtaining a network of relations by autonomous regions has for this group, whose principal objective is to facilitate the networking of alumni among themselves, and as a collective group with the university. To reinforce these ties, she invited anyone who had not yet done so to register with the Alumni Office (OAA) on www.upcomillas.es/servicios/serv.oaa.aspx

As a representative of alumni in the Canary Islands, Carmelo Caldentey-Mascareño spoke as a former student in Law and Economic Sciences and Business Administration (E-3), from the graduating class of 1988, and described the goals and activities of the network that, among other organized events, proposes to support the professional and social integration of Comillas alumni from the Canary Islands.

Comillas analyses the current situation regarding gender-related violence.

Thu, 26 Mar 2008 10:00:02 GMT

Domestic terrorism, blight, shame, social illness. Much has been said, and very harshly, against gender-related violence, but there is still much to say and do. With this perspective, the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences at Comillas organised the Eleventh Conference "Up-date on the struggle against gender-related violence".

Empar Pineda, as part of the pressure group "Other feminist voices", questioned the law in public as she confirmed that it is based on a false assumption: "The existence of a masculine essence and another essence which is feminine". She added, moreover, that this norm must have been inspired by a feminist trend "with a vengeful spirit, penalising conduct in relations of superiority". Pineda proposes a re-evaluation of the law and its corresponding changes, in which autonomy, both material and subjective for women, and the social solution, as opposed to the penal solution, should take precedence. "It is necessary to evaluate the law, to broaden the achievements and to rectify that which does not work", she confirmed.

Concepción Molina and Sara Díez, Dean and professor, respectively, of the Faculty of Law (ICADE) at Comillas, were responsible for providing a judicial perspective. Professor Molina presented a critical analysis of the penal order. She began by confirming that, in the opinion of prestigious penal law experts, the 2004 law breaches the Constitution in matters of equality and proportion. Moreover, she pointed out that the breach of certain precautionary measures of distancing, which are imposed indiscriminately, create judicial uncertainty. Professor Díez expanded on the framework of the debate with the inclusion of procedural law. She recognised the fact that "reforms arrive after social change that necessitates them", and that the current law "has supposed a consciousness-raising position, although the means are needed to correctly put them into practice".

A round table, focussing on interventionist strategies, closed the conference. Susana Álvarez, social worker; Cruz González, psychologist; Francisco Orengo, doctor of Psychiatry; and Liliana Orjuela, of "Save the Children" were the participants responsible for explaining measures which are being carried out in different areas: couples, children and women. One of the issues which received the most insistence by the public in attendance, primarily students and professionals in psychology and social work, was the existence of barriers for intervention and mediation. The state law and protocol in some autonomous regions do not foresee this type of measures without previously reporting them to the police and as a tool for tackling the problem.

"Capturing and storing CO2", first book of the BIBLIOTECA COMILLAS INGENIERÍA (COMILLAS ENGINEERING LIBRARY) collection

Wed, 20 Nov 2007 14:47:32 GMT

The Institute of Engineering in Spain (IIE) was the setting for the first presentation of the book "Capturing and storing of CO2", the result of the first year of activity of the Permanent Seminar in Energy Technologies, the result of the agreement signed between Comillas and the IIE in 2006, and which represents the first book in the new collection "Biblioteca Comillas Ingeniería" (Comillas Engineering Library) and the third published by the Rafael Mariño Chair for New Energy Technologies at the university.

This work, fruit of the efforts of the Rafael Mariño Chair at Comillas, and of the Committee for Energy and Natural Resources of the IIE, was written based on the lectures given by academic and professional experts, who bring a realistic and up-to-date perspective on the problem of capturing and storing CO2: Juan Carlos Ballesteros and Santiago Sabugal, of Endesa; César Dopazo, of the Royal Academy of Engineering; Francisco García Peña, of Elcogas, and Roberto Martínez-Orío, of the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain.

As the Director of the chair, José Ignacio Linares, explained, the theme of the book is justified by the important increase in the demand for electricity which the different international organisations foresee on the horizon for 2030. This prediction has caused coal, the fossil fuel with the most reserves, to be taken into account in the energy offering for the coming years, but new facilities that use it must be built within the framework of the restrictions caused by the new scenario of climate change which requires the limitation or suppression of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Thus, this monographic work has surfaced to provide an answer to this technological challenge, to analyse the different technologies for capturing and storing CO2, to present its advantages and technological difficulties, as well as the estimates for cost and scenarios for implementation, not only on an international level, but also on a national scale.

For Professor Linares, the answer in engineering should go beyond a commercial stock exchange for emissions, and should suggest technological solutions that allow us to confront the problem, in a consistent manner, over the long term, in such a way that care for the environment can be compatible with economic development in society.

A professor at Comillas-ICAI wins the Christmas card contest at the university

Tue, 19 Nov 2007 18:17:51 GMT

Fernando Pérez-Laorga Arias, professor of the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), is the winner of the contest for the design of the Christmas greeting card. The work, which has the title "The adoration of the wise men", was chosen by the jury, following from the vote taken on October 31, 2007.

Ignacio Pérez Arriaga, independent advisor for the electricity market of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland

Fri, 15 Nov 2007 12:25:42 GMT

José Ignacio Pérez Arriaga, professor in the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), member of the Institute for Technological Research (IIT) and Director of the BP Chair for Sustainable Development at Comillas, has been named independent advisor for the Regulatory Commission for the Single Electricity Market, SEM), created by the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The SEM began to function on November 1, and on Monday, November 11 its regulatory commission was presented during an event that was attended by the Ministers of Industy from both countries and by the European Commissioner for Energy.

The novelty of this commission is the presence of an independent advisor, who possesses one of the three decisive votes. The other two votes are divided among the three representatives of each country. This model confers the independent advisor with the role of referee, stemming from his neutrality, when there are differences between the representatives of the two nations. Another distinctive characteristic of the commission is the executive nature of its decisions.

The selection of the independent advisor of the SEM began with a public contest, of which Pérez Arriaga was not aware until he was invited personally to present his CV last July, as did other relevant experts from the sector. The position requires him to attend a monthly working meeting, which will be held alternately in Belfast and Dublin, and to dedicate some three days per month to carrying out his functions, an activity which is compatible with his university responsibilities at Comillas-ICAI.

Pérez Arriaga believes that he was chosen due to his specialisation in regional electric markets. He has been an advisor for the European Board of Energy Regulators for the internal electric market in Europe. He has worked for almost 20 years on the design of the Central American Electric Market, of whose supervising committee he has been president. He has participated in the Iberian Electric Market. Between 1995 and 2000, he was a board member of the National Energy Commission of Spain, for which he left the position of Vice-rector for Research at Comillas. He has been an advisor of the regulatory commissions of several countries (Italy, Romania, France, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Hungary ...), and author of projects for other commissions (The Netherlands, Australia...). Member of the Royal Spanish Academy of Engineering and "fellow" of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, he was the founder and director for 11 years of the IIT (Institute for Technological Research), and directs the Doctoral and Post-graduate programme at Comillas-ICAI and the Training Course for Regulators at the European University of Florence. He is the author of the White Paper for the Reform of Regulation of the Electric Sector in Spain, which was conferred on him by the government in 2005.

Comillas will participate in the Seventh Science Week

Wed, 13 Nov 2007 14:46:34 GMT

From November 5 to 18, Comillas will participate in the Seventh edition of Science Week, which is organised by the General Office for Universities and Research of the Municipal Government of Madrid.

Workshops and courses, round tables, lectures and guided visits make up the repertory of the 13 activities programmed by Comillas, which is joining this initiative for the seventh consecutive year, with the objective of bringing science and technology closer to the general public in an informational and open fashion.

The complete calendar of activities planned and the application for reservation in those events which still have free entrance can be consulted on: http://www.upcomillas.es/servicios/semanaciencia/vii/serv_sema_pres.aspx

The Faculty of Law (ICADE) presents the Lecture Series on Training for "Oposiciones"

Wed, 13 Nov 2007 09:00:32 GMT

The Centre for Innovation in Law (CID-ICADE), of the Faculty of Law (ICADE), has started this course, Lecture Series on Training for "Oposiciones" (State-sponsored exams for civil servant positions), an comprehensive service whose intention is to attend to the needs of students and former students at Comillas who are interested in developing a career in the area of public administration. The activities, which will begin officially on November 7, will attempt to transmit values of quality and excellence in the Faculty to the field of "oposiciones".

In order to carry out this offer in training, an agreement for collaboration has been signed with the Association for Study for "Oposiciones", created by two former students at Comillas, Jaime Gómez-Ferrer and Pablo Dorronsoro, who will act as coordinators for the lecture series. Both have experience in taking the exams and are currently working in public administration.

The official presentation of the lecture series was held in the presence of Law students. During the session, the coordinators encouraged the students to take a chance on "oposiciones", trying to break the myths which are circulating on them. With this objective, they pointed out their value as a training tool: "Oposiciones" are a "super Masters Degree", although, with one´s feet on the ground "they are also a bet, and a risk".

The lecture series will serve to provide personalised training on contents, and the situation and conditions for access to the higher echelons of civil servants. Among other positions, they will provide preparation for entrance exams for "oposiciones" for State Attorneys, judges and fiscal lawyers, Tax and Insurance Inspectors, notaries, and registrars. The following timetable for tutorials has been established: Wednesdays, during the academic year from 5:30pm to 6:30 pm. Further information can be obtained on: cid@cid.upcomillas.es

The Javier Benjumea Chair for Ethics in Economics and Business presents its activities for the academic year 2007-08

Tue, 12 Nov 2007 19:46:52 GMT

Since its creation, in December 2003, the Javier Benjumea Chair (Focus-Abengoa) for Ethics in Economics and Business has proposed to create and spread, through teaching and research, theoretical knowledge and good practices in the area of corporate social responsibility. With this goal, and for yet another year, the presentation of activities was held. José Luis Fernández, the Director of the Chair, was accompanied at the ceremony by Alfredo Arahuetes, Vice-dean of the Facultad of Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE), and Javier González, member of the Advisory Board and Directing Member of the Divierte Group.

José Luis Fernández purported to advantage of the event to review the almost four years of life of the chair, and to spell out its challenges for the future. Evoking the first meetings of its members, Fernández remembered that the initial plan of action was "that we have to do something that doesn´t exist"; for that reason, different activities were conceived in the area of business ethics. A forum for reflection, a series for speeches, the permanent seminar and distinct meetings, conferences and publications have constituted since then the catalogue of activities of the Javier Benjumea Chair.

At the event, the strategic plan for the chair for the period 2007-10 was outlined. "Expanding borders" is the slogan that has been chosen for future projects. This growth will be developed along three axes: the consolidation of research groups, an international outlook, and a greater opening. José Luis Fernández confirmed that his mission will be "to foment research, debate and the promotion of corporate social responsibility and business ethics, involving all of its agents", and insisted that today his vision is "to be an active point of reference and to have international projection".

The Permanent Seminar of the chair was one of the projects emphasised during the presentation. During this academic year, its intention is to become an open forum for debate, which will treat behaviour and the relation between pressure groups under the title "Stages for inter-action with Stakeholders: Management and dialogue". Moreover, the Academic Memoir 2006-07 was presented, "Conceptual evolution and practice for responsible management".

Manuel Monteiro: "We must discover and remember the presence of the Spirit in history"

Tue, 05 Nov 2007 19:18:17 GMT

The University Institute for Spirituality at Comillas has organised the International Conference on Spirituality "Experience and Mystery of God" to celebrate the 25th anniversary during this academic year of the creation of the institute. For four days, the Aula Magna (Main Auditorium) of the university hosted relevant figures in the area of theology and spirituality. More than 200 participants, coming from all corners of the world, attended lectures, colloquia, and spaces reserved for reflection and the exchange of opinions.

In attendance at the inauguration of the conference were Manuel Monteiro de Castro, Apostolic Nuncio of His Holyness the Pope; José Ramón Busto Saiz, SJ, Rector at Comillas; Urbano Valero, SJ, former Rector of the University; and Pascual Cebollada, Director of the Institute for Spirituality. At the ceremony, the Nuncio encouraged those present to work, and he assured them that "we must discover and remember the presence of the Spirit in history". In his opening speech, Manuel Monteiro de Castro explained that the Institute for Spirituality was created to help those who were approaching reflection on the life of Christ and the Spirit. Furthermore, he encouraged members of the university and of the Institute not to abandon "the study of spirituality supported by the course of history". By raising the significance of spirituality, he reminded those present of the importance of reconciling oriental and western traditions: "There is only one canon of spirituality, the life of Christ in his Father, through his Spirit", he affirmed. Before finishing his speech, he remembered the words of the Great Chancellor at Comillas, Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, SJ, and encouraged those in attendance to combine piety and scholarship in order to draw closer to spirituality.

"We should not fall into the temptation of asserting that anything goes in the fight against international terrorism"

Sat, 02 Nov 2007 14:38:01 GMT

The Faculty of Law (ICADE) at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, through the Department of Public Law, and with the collaboration of the Ministry of Defense, has organised a conference on peace-keeping operations and international humanitarian law. The session attempted to offer strong support for a peaceful way of operating and an effort to bring the participants, primarily students of international humanitarian law at Comillas, together.

Present at the inauguration of the conference were the Dean of the faculty, Concepción Molina, and Mercedes Batiste, from the General Office for International Relations at the Ministry of Defense. The inaugural lecture, "International humanitarian law vis-à-vis the violence of war: a plea for humane action in situations of conflict", was given by Manuel Pérez González, Chair of International Public Law at the Complutense University.

In his speech, Professor Pérez González recongised the existence of at least 20 active conflicts in the world, in the majority of which civilians are the main victims. In an attempt to present a panoramic view of current international conflicts, he explained the existence of new agents, the fragmented nature of the conflicts and the juxtaposition of political and private objectives. Regarding this situation, the International Committee for the Red Cross has pointed out the negative consequences of the lack of committment to the norms of international law in armed conflicts. Going one step further, Professor Pérez González reminded those in attendance that "we should not fall into the temptation of asserting that "anything goes" in the fight against international terrorism".

A collection on religious minorities in Spain, "Pluralism and Cohabitation", presented at Comillas

Tue, 29 Oct 2007 18:56:21 GMT

With the challenge of drawing a mosaic collage of the situation of religious minorities in our country, the Collection "Pluralism and Cohabitation on Religious Minorities" was presented at Comillas. In attendance at the event were: the General Director for Religious Affairs, Mercedes Rico; the General Director for Religious Affairs for the Generalitat de Catalunya (Regional Government of Catalonia), Montserrat Coll i Calaf; the General Director for Immigration and Citizenship for the Generalitat Valenciana (Regional Government of Valencia), Josep M. Felip i Sardá; and the Director of the Foundation Pluralism and Cohabitation, José María Contreras.

The collection is composed of three works at the present time: "Other religions: religious minorities in Catalonia", "Rooted: religious minorities in the Autonomous Region of Madrid", and "Minorities in the majority: religious minorities in the Autonomous Region of Valencia". The latter of these books was published by the University Institute for Migrations, at Comillas, and was directed by Josep Buades and Fernando Vidal.

Mercedes Rico pointed out the book published by the professionals at Comillas, "because it makes an important contribution to the concept of religious pluralism, with a new perspective on the multi-cultural, where both sides change". Questioned by his companions at the round table, Professor Buades explained the title "Minorities of the majority", confirming that it responds to a poetic intuition, with a play on the word "mayor" in Spanish: "Greatness is the mystery of the world". In his speech, Buades explained that, during the process of writing the book, his team lived the dual process of research and spirituality. "We not only discovered religious minorities, but also worked with greatness, which leads to great deeds", he confirmed.

Encouraged by the success and the worth of these publications, the Foundation Pluralism and Cohabitation is preparing new books, and has already begun studies on the rest of the autonomous regions. Their intention is to draw a map which does not quantify, but rather describes the situation of religious minorities in Spain.

Adolfo García Rodríguez receives the Eighth Javier Benjumea Award

Tue, 29 Oct 2007 18:51:15 GMT

Adolfo García Rodríguez, General Manager of "Empresarios Agrupados" (Entrepreneur Group), received the Eighth Javier Benjumea Award, which is presented annually by the National Association of ICAI Engineers in recognition of its members, in a ceremony held in the Aula Magna (Main Auditorium) at Comillas, and presided over by the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ.

García Rodríguez has a Doctorate in Engineering from ICAI from the graduating class of 1961. He has carried out a large part of his career in the field of electrical generation. He participated in the construction of the first Spanish nuclear reactor site, that of José Cabrera, which has been operating commercially since 1968, and later, at "Empresarios Agrupados", (Entrepreneur Group), in the design and construction of a large number of nuclear plants, coal-burning thermal plants and combined-cycle gas plants that have been built in Spain until the present time, besides numerous projects abroad.

After collecting the award, García Rodríguez expressed his satisfaction on receiving this distinction which honours the memory of Javier Benjumea. He praised the activity of the ICAI School of Engineering which, with its course in Nuclear Technology, has created specialists of some 1500 engineers, needed by the industry, in the past ten years. He expressed his certainty that nuclear plants would regain their importance in the generation of electrical energy in Spain, which is happening in other parts of the world.

The Nantik Lum Forum presents the book "Micro-credits and poverty", by Maricruz Lacalle

Fri, 25 Oct 2007 14:24:21 GMT

Inspired by the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Mohamad Yunus and the Grammen Bank for the development of micro-credits, Maricruz Lacalle decided to explore the subject of financing and cooperation in the book "Micro-credits and poverty. From a dream to the Nobel Peace Prize".

The presentation ceremony for this book, which coincided with the "International Day for the erradication of poverty", was presided over by Miguel Juárez, Vice-rector for International Relations and University Affairs. Moreover, the author was accompanied by the writer Carmen Posadas, the Director of the Nantik Lum Foundation, Silvia Rico, and by Javier Barbero, editor of the Turpial Publishing House.

During the presentation, Lacalle explained that micro-credits were born because there is poverty in the world, and emphasised a figure: one billion people live in the world with less than one dollar per day. The author, who passionately defends micro-credits as an instrument for development, insisted that this tool brings in the poorest to the financial system, giving them the opportunity to generate work for them and their surroundings.

One of the points around which the speeches revolved is the importance of women as an agent of development. Carmen Posadas offered the key to success of this financial instrument in third-world countries: "Women return credits, men do not"; for that reason, women are the great benefactors as the supporting foundation of the system of micro-credits. In poor countries, women are multiplying forces for increasing the standard of living.

Comillas will participate in EU-Converge, a forum for collaboration between companies and universities in Madrid

Wed, 23 Oct 2007 14:24:48 GMT

Comillas is taking part in the Project EU-Converge (www.euconverge.com), an on-line platform that allows companies to provide suggestions concerning professional competencies which the market demands, in order that 16 public and private universities in Madrid can re-design their study plans, in compliance with reforms in the European Higher Education Space (EEES, in Spanish).

The Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, attended the presentation of the project, promoted by the Foundation University-Enterprise and the Chamber of Commerce of Madrid. Present at the ceremony were Antonio Obregón, Vice-rector for Academic Order and Teaching Staff, and Magdalena Martínez, Director of the Corporative Marketing Service, members of the committee of experts who are working on the project.

The digital platform links the university community with almost 200 companies willing to participate in the debate centering around the creation or elmination of degrees, as well as the organisation of subjects which should be taught to bring the training of professionales up to the demands of the market.

UE-Converge is structured in three phases of work, which awill be developed over five weeks. In the first, the experts in university fields and companies will be responsible for analysing generic competencies of university students in work-related themes. The second phase will concentrate on the specific competencies by degrees and on the proposal for new degrees. And finally, in the third phase, practices as part of new degrees will be analysed. Following this schema, work will conclude on December 12.

Record for participants in the Comillas Inter-university Cross-Country Race

Tue, 22 Oct 2007 15:08:26 GMT

With a new record of participation, 105 runners (21 women and 84 men), the Comillas Inter-university Cross Country Race was held at the Cantoblanco campus at Comillas, the first race of the Madrid university circuit for the 2007-08 academic year.

Students from all of the universities in the Autonomous Region of Madrid participated in the cross-country race, as well as teaching staff and administrative personnel from these institutions. The runners had to cover a distance of five kilometers in the men´s competition and three kilometers in the women´s competition.

In the standings for men, the three finalists were Alberto Lozano, from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (1st place), Álvaro Lozano (2nd place) and Antonio del Caño (3rd place), from the University of Alcalá. Elena García, from the Complutense University (1st place), Beatriz Morrillo, from the Autonmous University of Madrid (2nd place), and Fabiana Leonor Lapuente (3rd place), also from the Complutense University, reached the podium in the women´s competition.

Along with the Inter-university competition, the Comillas Rector´s Trophy was held for students from this university. Kia Bickel (1st place) and Lucía Szymanowsky (2nd place) were the winners in the women´s competition. Alberto Suárez (1st place), Alfonso Barrio (2nd place) and José Daniel Muñoz (3rd place) were the representatives from Comillas in the men´s competition.

Sixth edition of the Masters Degree in Bioethics is inaugurated

Sat, 19 Oct 2007 12:38:27 GMT

The Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, presided over the closing of the fifth edition of the Masters Degree in Bioethics, which is organised by the Chair in Bioethics, in the Faculty of Theology, in a ceremony in which diplomas and degrees were awarded to the students finishing the programme. At the same time, the sixth edition of the Masters Programme was inaugurated.

Juan Ramón Lacadena, Professor Emeritus at the Universidad Complutense (Complutense University, Madrid), member of the Advisory Council for the chair and professor in the Masters Programme, delivered the opening and closing address, in which he commented on the law on bio-medical research. The speaker pointed out that the law utilizes many genetic terms in an incorrect manner such as, for example, "embrio", and added that there would be a chance to speak about these matters during the length of the course. He ended by stating that the Jesuits have always been present in conflictive matters, where future paths are debated, such as bioethics, and that it is a pleasure for him to collaborate in this task.

The Director of the Chair, Javier de la Torre, said that next December would mark the 20th anniversary of its creation, which he would like to celebrate by remembering and by looking forward, to continue reflecting on bioethics and on the challenge of life. He pointed out, as well, that the main new point of this edition of the Masters Degree, which is now beginning, is its ties with Deusto, the other university of the Society of Jesus which is working as well on these themes in its Inter-University Chair for Law and Human Genomes.

The Rector closed the session by congratulating those who had completed the degree and those who were beginning it, and added that science is an exercise of human freedom, and that the role of bioethics is to contemplate whether bio-medical sciences serve to do good or evil.

Comillas studies the sociological, family and professional situation of Iberia pilots

Fri, 18 Oct 2007 13:37:35 GMT

A research team from the Department of Sociology at Comillas has carried out a study, "The sociological, family and professional situation of Iberia pilots", commissioned by the Foundation for Solidarity with Airline Pilots and SEPLA (Spanish Union of Airline Pilots). The two research directors, Miguel Juárez, SJ, professor of Sociology and Vice-rector for International Relations and University Affairs, and Ana Huesca, Professor of Sociology, were in charge of the presentation. At the event, they were accompanied by Bernardo Obrador, President of the Union Chapter of SEPLA at Iberia.

The goal of the study is to examine the family and personal situation of Iberia pilots, as well as their opinion on how society perceives them. The base of this research is a complex questionnaire, with 177 questions and more than 900 variables, which was sent to 1800 pilots at the airline. In total, 503 valid questionnaires were received, which served as a base for the research, with a high level of reliability. The information was structured around five blocks, which try to examine the different dimensions of the profession: socio-demographic variables, the perception of the family, the perception of social image, the perception of their profession, and the perception of their company.

Family and health are the most important aspects for one hundred percent of Iberia pilots, although three of every four surveyed recognises having had some difficulties with their partner, stemming from their profession. Moreover, the perception that pilots have of the evaluation of their profession given by their families is not at all favourable, as only 28 percent believe that their children consider it to be positive. "We have seen our children complain, above all, about how little time they can spend with their parents", explained Ana Huesca.

Bernardo Obrador pointed out that one of the motives that led him to commission the study was "to find out what we think from the outside looking inward and from inside looking outward"; for this reason, he values the results which refer to the perception that the pilots have of their social image. 72 percent of pilots consider that society judges them negatively, and all of them believe that there are stereotypes concerning their profession.

The Luis Irisarri Seminar for Entrepreneurs can be taken as a course on creating companies

Thu, 17 Oct 2007 13:15:54 GMT

The Luis Irisarri Seminar for Entrepreneurs can be chosen as an elective course, "Creating companies", with a total of 4.5 credits. This is a new aspect that is being presented in the programme of activities of the Business Club ICADE for the 2007-08 academic year.

The presentation of activities was presided over by the Dean of the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE) and President of the Board of Directors of the Club, María Josefa Peralta, who was accompanied by one of the Vice-presidents, Jesús Sainz, and the members of the Board, Irene Hernández, Luis Chicharro and Alfredo Arahuetes, Vice-dean of the Faculty. Alfonso Carcasona, Vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce of Madrid, explained to the numerous students who attended the event about his first experiences as a businessman.

As explained by Irene Hernández and Jesús Sainz, any students in Fourth and Fifth Years of Business Administration and Management (E-2) and from Law (E-1) who wish to be represented in the fourth edition of the Business Project Award are required to enrol in this elective subject, "Creating companies", which will be taught during the first semester of the 2007-08 academic year, with 33 teaching hours and 12 hours of individual work in the drawing up of a business plan. Attendance will be open to other students.

The students who enrol in this subject and who compete for the Business Project Award will enjoy the support of a tutor, a business person with experience, who will guide them through the drawing up of a business plan which can be entered in the contest.

The Business Project Award offers a first prize of 30,000 euros to invest in a business, which will be awarded at the time of the signing of the incorporation of the business which is set up to manage it. There is, moreover, a second prize of 18,000 euros and a third prize of 9000 euros.

All of the information on the seminar, the award and the course, as well as registration forms, can be found on the web page of the University (www.upcomillas.es) in the section "Documents", in the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE).

Comillas will begin to reform some of its degrees in January 2008

Fri, 11 Oct 2007 11:21:20 GMT

If the calendar foreseen by the Ministry of Education and Science to establish the new order of university studies is carried out, the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI-ICADE will reform some of the study plans for its short cycle degrees in January 2008, and will leave the remainder until January 2009; this was a statement given by the Rector of the institution, José Ramón Busto, SJ, in his opening speech for the 2007-08 academic year.at the ceremony held today, with the attendance of the Vice Grand Chancellor of the University and Provincial Representative from Castille of the Society of Jesus, Joaquín Barrero Díaz, SJ, among other dignataries. The Cardenal Archbishop of Madrid, Antonio Rouco Varela, SJ, presided the Holy Mass which preceded the academic ceremony.

The Rector referred to "the four dimensions that must impregnate our teaching and, thus, the future design of our study plans", quoting from Father Kolvenbach, General Superior of the Society of Jesus.

Above all, pointed out Professor Busto, they must be practical study plans, whose underlying principal should attend to, in the first place, the educational needs of students and their training for professional life. They should also attend to educating well-rounded human beings.

Thirdly, the new study plans at this university should seek to educate in justice, and finally, "it is necessary that we be capable of educating our students in faith", added the Rector. "It is precisely the dimension of openness to the mystery of God, to believers the only answer to the enigma of Mankind, which distinguishes us in the university world".

Student exchanges increase

The General Secretary, Ana Soler, read an extract from the Academic Summary of Activities from the academic year 2006-07, during which a total of 9973 students were registered. In the international arena, the response of students to the increased offering of exchange programmes and studies abroad can be pointed out, achieved thanks to the collaboration of the Office of International Relations and the different Faculties and Schools. The number of students who attended the university last year from abroad was 862, of which 290 belonged to the Socrates-Erasmus Programme, 136 came from the signing of bilateral agreements, and 436 from specific programmes.

During the past year, the university obtained four new projects in the National R and D + Innovation Plan, which may be added to the three obtained in the CENIT Programme and the 14 proposals approved by different public organisations. In International R and D activities, the presentation of 11 proposals in the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union (2007-13) is worthy of note.

Globalisation breaks the vicious circle of poverty

The Inaugural Speech for the academic year, "Globalisation and Economics" was presented by Ángel Luis López Roa, Professor of the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE). The theme centered around the concept of globalisation, its mechanisms and its effects, and the new references facing this new term. "Globalisation is not a fashionable theme", affirmed the speaker, "but forms a part of our lives and will condition us in the future".

López Roa stated that, thanks to globalisation, we can speak of a break in the vicious circle of poverty and the opening of the virtuous circle of savings. Without losing sight of references to academic writings on economic development, he confirmed that the breaking of this circle is being facilitated "because people have the means to save available and are making payments on their loans , or can better their options based on almost unlimited access to information and to knowledge."

Could it be said that economists have found the vaccination against poverty through their "trade, not aid"?, asked the speaker. It would be presumptuous to confirm this, he responded, but it does represent one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty in a stable manner. And, upon entering into the conclusions of the speech, he pointed out that "the most important thing is that, in fact, we are not speaking about economics but rather education...which is what effectively frees one from poverty."

Comillas hosts a seminar on transnational networks and development

Thu, 10 Oct 2007 12:09:59 GMT

With the attendance of more than 130 registered participants from the 10 largest groups of immigrants present in Spain, and from different organisations working in this field, Comillas held the Seminar on Transnational Networks and Development: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, organised by the University Network for Research on Development Cooperation.

This network, created by the Municipal Government of Madrid in 2005, and which is coordinated by the Ortega y Gasset Foundation, is composed of five universities whose main campus is located in the capital: Autonomous University of Madrid, Complutense University, Polytechnic University, San Pablo - CEU, as well as Comillas.

During the conference the participants were informed of the two research projects carried out by the network, one already published and another still in progress. The first, "Co-development in Spain: from theory to practice", was carried out jointly by the Autonomous University of Madrid and Comillas; and the second, "The emergency of do-development: elements of a transnational model", was carried out by the previous two universities in addition to the Complutense University.

The framework speech which opened the sessions was given by Mercedes Fernández, of the University Institute for Migration Studies at Comillas. The speaker presented the theoretical foundations of the first research project mentioned, with the intention of focussing, in the following part, on the analysis of the participants in the sessions, purporting to reflect on the role of transnational networks of migrants in the construction of co-development and to identify new areas of activities that are linked to immigration and development.

The Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, opened the seminar, accompanied by the Delegate of the Area of Government for the Family and Social Services of the Municipal Government of Madrid, Concepción Dancausa, and by the Director of the University Institute for Migration Studies, Cristina Gortázar.

The Dean of Theology and Canon Law, at the Third European Ecumencial Assembly

Fri, 04 Oct 2007 19:13:28 GMT

Santiago Madrigal, SJ, Dean of the Faculties of Theology and Canon Law at Comillas, participated in the Third European Ecumenical Assembly, held in Sibiu (Romania) as a delegate from the Spanish Episcopal Conference.

More than 2500 delegates attended this assembly, organised by the Council of Episcopal Conferences, representing the Catholic faith, and by the Conference of Churches of Europe, which comprises the Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant Churches.

In addition to the speeches of ecclesiastical delegates, Christian, Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical politicians also participated. Among them could be found the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durao Barroso, a Catholic who stimulated the much-needed contribution of Churches in the construction of the new Europe, in an atmosphere of committment to the European spiritual tradition.

Fernando Millán, Theology Professor at Comillas, elected Prior General of the Orden of the Carmelites

Sat, 28 Sep 2007 12:12:50 GMT

The Spanish Carmelite Fernando Millán Romeral was elected Prior General of the Carmelite Order (Carmelites of the Old Observance) during the general meeting that this order is holding in Sassone (Italy), where these clergy are reflecting on how to respond to the challenges which Carmelites face in a constantly changing world.

The new Prior General reached an absolulte majority on the first ballot by obtaining an almost unanimous vote (70 votes of the 82 possible). After the vote, the President of the chapter, Falco Thuis asked him if he would accept, and he responded affirmatively. Fernando Millán then took the floor to thank the Lord, the Order, his province and all those who had placed their confidence in him. He placed his service of the ministry as General under the protection of the Carmelite saints, which have a special meaning for him, such as the beatified Tito Brandsma, Hilario Januszewsky, and Father Bartolomé Xiberta.

Fernando Millán, 45 years of age, graduated in Theology at Comillas and obtained his Doctorate at the Università Gregoriana in Roma. He has been a professor in the Faculty of Theology at Comillas since 1995, where he has taught the subjects of Sacraments and History of Theology, as well as other specialised courses. He is also a member of the Institutum Carmelitanum and training advisor for his religious province. He has written the book "Penance today, keys for a renewal" and numerous articles in specialised journals, such as "Learning to pray with ...Etty Hillesum", "Running with perserverance in the race proposed to us" (Hb 13,1)", "Forgiveness, reconciliation, the sacrament of penance" and "Toward a renewal of the sacrament of Penance".

The Carmelites are present in 42 countries with approximately 2000 priests and brothers, divided into 23 provinces; 800 cloistered nuns in 78 monasteries, thousands of lay Carmelites of the Third Order, co-fraternities and new movements distributed all around the world.

A graduate of Comillas-ICADE, student intern in representation of the European Union at the United Nations

Wed, 25 Sep 2007 12:28:30 GMT

Jorge Ávila, graduate in Law and diplomated in Business (E-1) during the 2006-07 academic year, has obtained a grant to carry out an internship in the delegation of the European Union for the United Nations, in New York.

Ávila, who has received this grant along with a Danish and a Greek national, has been working, since the beginning of September, in the section of the "Liaison Office" of the European Office, observing the activity of the United Nations with special attention to its interrelation with the European Union and its member states, and also coordinating the actions of the 27 countries of the EU in the UN.

"I applied for this internship because I am interested, above all, in the system of the United Nations, for which I would like to work in the future, as well as in the functioning of the European Union", stated Ávila, who has begun with great enthusiasm because he would like to stand for exams for a career in diplomacy.

If he cannot continue in this post after the grant ends, Jorge Ávila will try to find another job within the UN to remain in New York for another semester, "because, as I understand it, it will be easier to get a job after having worked in the EU delegation. If this does not occur, he will return to Spain to begin studying for the exams", he adds.

These grants, which are remunerated, are offered by the European Union in Brussels, for two periods of six months each. At the present time, the period of application is open for the second semester, until October 31, and all those interested can obtain more information at the following internet address: www.europa-eu-un.org/articles/articleslist_s30_es.htm .

A former student from Comillas - ICADE, one of the finalists in the Young Lawyers Award

Tue, 24 Sep 2007 10:00:33 GMT

Fernando Bedoya, a graduate in Law and Business Administration and Management (E-3), from the graduating class of 1999-2005 at Comillas - ICADE, currently working at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, has been named one of the finalists in the Seventh Edition of the Young Lawyers Awards, organised by the Garrigues Centre for Studies, the University of Navarra and the legal publishing house Thomson Aranzadi.

Bedoya received his award in the category of working professionals that, along with that of students in their final year of Law, respresented the two categories into which the contest is divided. The 14 award-winners received their certificates in a ceremony in which the Minister of Justice, Mariano Fernández Bermejo was in attendance, and which was held at the central offices of Garrigues.

Well-known people from the legal and academic worlds also attended the award ceremony, including Carlos Carnicer, President of the General Board of Spanish Law; Pablo Sánchez-Ostiz, Dean of the Law School at the University of Navarra; Javier Moscoso, President of the Editorial Board at Aranzadi, ex-Attorney General of the State and former Minister of Justice; Julio Pérez Hernández, Secretary of State for Relations with the Justice Administration; and Luis Martí Mingarro, Dean of the Professional Association of Lawyers of Madrid. Antonio Garrigues, in representation of the Law Firm, attended and hosted the ceremony; Miguel Gordillo, Ángel Bizcarrondo, José Ramón Martínez and Elena Garrigues represented the law firm as well.

A student at Comillas wins a grant to do a Post-graduate course at the College of Europe, in Brugges

Tue, 24 Sep 2007 09:49:07 GMT

Silvia Merino Rueda, a recent graduate in Business Administration and Management (E-2), has won a grant from the European Union to study on the Masters Programme in European Economics in September, at the College of Europe, in Brugges (Belgium). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for applications for a total of 20 grants, and only three were designated for the specialisation in economics.

Beginning in September, Silvia Merino will spend ten months, with a generous grant of 25,000 euros plus 700 euros for travel expenses, in the Belgian city of Brugges, studying at the institution founded by Salvador de Madariaga in 1948.

The College of Europe, in Brugges, admitted more than 400 students, coming from more than 45 countries, for the academic year 2007-08, university graduates in the areas of economics, law, political and administrative science, and international relations. Moreover, this institution has opened a second campus in the Polish city of Natolin with the objective of extending its activities to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Three industrial engineers from Comillas-ICAI receive Cajastur "Fernando Alonso" Grants

Wed, 11 Sep 2007 09:09:54 GMT

Comillas is the first university in number of engineers that have obtained the Cajastur "Fernando Alonso" Grants, which allow them to take Post-graduate courses in sports automation and sports car motors in the prestigious Oxford Brookes University, in Great Britain.

Of the twelve grants awarded, three have gone to industrial engineers from Comillas-ICAI: Isaac Prada y Nogueira and Guillermo Sanz Garcia, from Madrid, and Lino Vital Garcia-Verdugo, from Extremadura. Isaac Prada had already won, in 2005, the Altran Grant for an internship with the Renault Formula 1 Team, in Esntone (United Kingdom), when Alonso belonged to this team.

The Cajastur "Fernando Alonso" Grants were awarded to ten industrial engineers and two aeronautical engineers, graduates of eight different Spanish Universities, from among a total of more than 60 candidates from 20 universities. After the three graduates from Comillas, two have been selected from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (Universidad Politecnica de Madrid) and two from the University of Oviedo. Comillas, with eight candidates, and Oviedo, with seven, are the universities with the greatest number of applicants.

An evaluation committee was in charge of the selection, presided over by the President of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE), Juan Vazquez, on which the following persons participated: the Dean of the School of Technology of Oxford Brookes University, the Director of the Advanced Polytechnic School of the Autonomous University of Madrid, the Director of the Advanced Polytechnic School of Gijon, of the University of Oviedo; the Rector of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and the Assistant Director of INTA (National Institute of Aerospace Techniques)

The first edition of the programme of the Cajastur "Fernando Alonso" Grants began in February of 2007 and is part of the agreement for sponsorship between Cajastur and the sub-champion of the world in Formula 1. The grant covers the total cost of university enrolment and provides an award of 36,000 euros to each of the beneficiaries for the twelve-month duration of their studies.

The Oxford Brookes University is considered to be the best modern university in Great Britain, and is found in the Motorsport Valley, where the research and experimentation centres for McLaren, Renault and Williams, among others, are found. Their students usually carry out internships on the teams, which are normally the working destination of the engineers specialised in motors and sports cars.

The Martinsa Group, sponsor of the Rafael Marino Chair for New Energy Technologies

Wed, 04 Sep 2007 09:31:05 GMT

Comillas and the Real Estate Group Martinsa have signed an agreement under which this business firm will be incorporated as a sponsor into the Rafael Mariño Chair for New Energy Technologies, for a period of three years.

With this sponsorship, Martinsa confirms its commitment to research and the development of new energy technologies applied to housing. Since its founding in 1991, this group has made quality in architecture a distinctive feature of its offering, with a special emphasis on defense of the environment in all of its residential projects.

Martinsa is promoting the incorporation of its projects arising in the area of domotics or the implantation of alternative methods and systems of energy savings, with a foundation of social and entrepreneurial sensitivity and in harmony with the current trends in sustainable urbanism.
This business practice explains why Martinsa shares projects with the SAMCA group, whose foundation has sponsored the Rafael Mariño Chair (www.upcomillas.es/catedras/crm) since its creation in 2003, within the structure of the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI), at Comillas.

Since that date, a group of experienced professors and researchers have been working for the chair to develop studies and projects in the field of new energy technologies, one of the keys to the sustainability of our economic and development system, as well as to spread the results obtained in their work with the objective of making society aware of the relevance of the energy problem and of how technology can contribute to the solution.

Professor Guillermo Sanchez Prieto presents the first manual on debate published in Spain

Fri, 26 Jul 2007 09:35:51 GMT

"Speeches have marked the history of humanity, and although we know that words are essential, in Spain we do not educate on the use of them". Guillermo Sanchez Prieto, Professor of the Department of Business Management in the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration (ICADE),at Comillas, began the presentation of the book "Educating with words: Manual of Oratory Techniques, Argumentation and Debate", in this way, the first work published in Spain on these subjects.

According to the author, the type of education which is desired by academics is to educate cultivated people,"but we do not teach to utilise all of the knowledge acquired. Debate is useful for students and for all people in general, as it allows one to put skills and knowledge into practice". Professor Sanchez Prieto highlighted the influence that words have on people and society, and quoted Piaget, father of modern educational sciences: "It is proven that language orders thought".

In his speech, Miguel Ortega de Lafuente, Professor of Oratory at the Francisco de Vitoria University, author of the prologue for the book presented and founder of the first debate club in Spain, pointed out that this "book is a tool for avoiding only one line of thought", Esperanza Robles Sastre, Professor at the Educational Institution SEK and writer, emphasised that debate enlightens and illuminates education. And finally, Marta Jimenez von Carsten Lichterfelde, a former student of the author and member of the Debate Society Complutense, thanked her former professor for the knowledge that she acquired and for having participated in debates.

The presentation of the book took place in the Auditorium at the Fundación Universitaria Española (Spanish University Foundation), with an audience composed of representatives from the press, professors, students and former students of Garcia Prieto and members of the business world.

Students on Inside New York, Business, Banking and International Relations, in the New York Stock Exchange

Tue, 23 Jul 2007 10:15:21 GMT

Marta Clemente and Sandra Cuadrado, student and professor, respectively, on the international programme Inside New York, Business, Banking and International Relations, organised by Comillas jointly with Fordham University, closed the session of the New York Stock Exchange on July 11 by ringing the final bell and by bringing down the final gavel, both traditions, during the visit carried out by the students of the course to the famous US financial institution.

The student and the professor were accompanied on the podium by 10 other students, including the other professor, Joseph Munz, while they performed this tradition which is considered an honour at the New York Stock Exchange. The rest of the participants in the course followed the proceedings from the trading floor, and this was televised by CNN.

The Comillas students were welcomed by the Vice-president of the Stock Exchange, and were witnesses on the trading floor to the operations being performed by the brokers, receiving explanations on the functioning of the financial market.

The programme Inside New York, Business, Banking and International Relations is carried out over three weeks, in English, and is concerned with business, financial and banking activity in the USA. The lectures and classes are given by some 50 professsional experts in different fields, such as company managers, banking executives and international civil servants, diplomatic personnel, consultants and independent lawyers. The course included visits to the General Assembly at the United Nations, the US-Spain Chamber of Commerce in New York, the Instituto Cervantes, banks, newspapers and the New York Stock Exchange, as well as other institutions and companies.

Professor Salome Adroher, winner of the ALARES award for succesfully combining both professional and family life

Fri, 19 Jul 2007 11:58:08 GMT

In the first edition of its National Awards for Successfully Combining Professional, Family and Personal life, the ALARES Foundation has awarded one of its prizes to Salome Adroher Biosca, Professor and Researcher at Comillas, in the category of Professors and Researchers.

Salome Adroher is a Graduate and Doctor in Law from Comillas-ICADE, and is a Professor of International Private Law and Coordinator of the area of this discipline in the Faculty of Law (ICADE). She combines her teaching responsibilities with a collaboration in the university Institutes of Migration Studies and that of the Family, at this university. She directed the latter of these institutes from April 1996 to September 2004, and is currently the Director of the Department of Private Law and is a member of diverse commissions and organisations in the university.

In the area of successfully combining family, professional and personal life, and attention to addictions, or more generically, to the politics of support for the family, Professor Adroher has directed academic conferences that have led to publications, such as "Family and Work", and "Disabilities and Integration: family, work and society". She has co-directed a research project on "Public policies of support for the family in the Autonomous Regions of the country". She has been a technical advisor in the elaboration for legislative drafts for projects and plans for the Autonomous Region of Madrid, such as the Law for the Protection of the Family, the Second Plan for Infancy, and the Integral Plan for Support of the Family, and has published diverse articles and chapters in books on this material.

Comillas participates in a double-degree programme at the University of Pennsylvania

Tue, 16 Jul 2007 11:20:01 GMT

Students of the Lauder Institute, at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), have arrived at Comillas to begin a two-year intensive programme for which they will receive two degrees: an MBA from Wharton and a Master of Arts in International Studies from this US university.

This new programme begins with a cultural immersion, which in the case of the Spanish programme consists of a stay at the Monterrey Institute of Technology (Monterrey, Mexico), for the month of June, and another, in July, at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas. There are 17 students who have begun their classes in our university, taking the subjects of History of Economics, Politics, and Spanish Culture. The programme includes seminars, among which the following stand out: Seminar in Economics, taught by Javier Gómez-Navarro, ex-Minister of Tourism and currently President of Aldeasa and of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, and the seminar on the Media in Spain, which will be given by the General Manager of Programming for Tele 5, Manuel Villanueva.

In order to offer a complete overview of the current situation in Spain, the students will visit first-rate companies, such as the Santander Group, Telefónica, Repsol, McKinsey, Ferrovial, and La Caixa, among others.

Comillas currently welcomes students from different departments at the University of Pennsylvania, who take semester courses at our university, but this is the first time that it will welcome students from the Lauder Institute, on programmes organised by the Faculty of Economic Sciences and the Business School (ICADE), the Lodging, Welcome and Information Office, and the Office for Internships and Employment at the University.

Comillas, in first place in the ranking of Spanish universities for number of Erasmus students in proportion to student body

Fri, 12 Jul 2007 10:34:04 GMT

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas tops the list of Spanish Higher Education Institutions for Erasmus student exchanges in proportion to the number of registered students during the 2005-06 academic year, with 4.16%, according to data on student mobility from the National Erasmus Agency.

After Comillas comes the University of Deusto, with 3.83%; Pompeu Fabra, with 3.57%, Navarra, with 3.12% and the Politécnica de Valencia, with 3.05%. Last year, Comillas placed second, behind the Pompeu Fabra University.

According to the National Erasmus Agency, mobility for Spanish students in the Erasmus Programme has been growing since its creation, increasing from 240 in the 1987-88 academic year to 22,891 in the 2005-06 academic year. For this past academic year, the increase was 10% over the previous academic year and greater than that registered in 2004-05 (3.9%), allowing Spain to re-take the position as the second country which sends the most Erasmus students, after Germany.

The autonomous region that moves the most students in absolute numbers is Madrid, with more than 4500, followed by Andalusia, the Autonomous Region of Valencia and Catalonia. The countries which receive the most students are Italy, France, United Kingdom and Germany.

The fields of studies with the most mobility are Engineering and Technology, Business Sciences, Linguistics and Philology (Language and Literature), Social Sciences and Medical Sciences.

The Professional Association of Psychologists awards two professors at Comillas for research on stepfathers and stepmothers

Wed, 10 Jul 2007 11:06:35 GMT

Isabel Espinar Fellman and María José Carrasco Galán , Professors of the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences at Comillas received a prize at the 14th "Rafael Burgaleta" Psychology Awards, for their research work "The tension of the role of stepfather and stepmother in restructured families and their psychological malaise".

The "Rafael Burgaleta" Award was created in 1994, as a tribute to this former Vice-rector at the Universidad Complutense, who was a founding father in the creation of the Professional Association of Psychologists. This organisation presents the award with the objective of recognising those professionals who stand out for their brillant contributions to Psychology.

Professors Espinar and Carrasco possess extensive experience in research on families and have published numerous studies focussing on the study of family relationships. This award-winning research delves into an area of growing interest, that of restructured families, defined as those family structures in which one or both members of the couple have had at least one child from a previous relationship. They are beginning to take on a major role in Spanish society.

Among the meaningful conclusions in this research, which represents one of the first empirical studies on restructured families in Spain, it can be pointed out that there exists an indentification of a greater vulnerability by stepmothers as opposed to stepfathers in these family structures, since they evidence greater difficulties in the carrying out their roles and greater levels of dissatisfation with their environment and family relations

Comillas closes the academic year 2006 - 07 with the awarding of diplomas to its graduates

Tue, 09 Jul 2007 09:17:58 GMT

More than 1450 students received their diplomas at the graduation ceremony for the academic year 2006 - 07, organised by Comillas at the Cantoblanco campus, with the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, presiding over the ceremony. On Friday, June 22, diplomas were awarded to the graduates of the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration (programmes E-2 and E-3), Marketing Techniques and Research, Actuarial and Financial Sciences, and International Business Sciences (E-4).

On Saturday, June 23, in the morning session, diplomas were awarded to the graduates of the Faculties of Theology, Canon Law, Human and Social Sciences and the University School of Nursing and Physiotherapy "San Juan de Dios".

On the same Saturday, in the afternoon, it was then time to award diplomas to the graduates in the seven degrees taught at the Advanced Technical School of Enginnering (ICAI).

On Sunday morning, June 24, the students from Law (programmes E-1 and E-3) and Political and Administrative Sciences, from the Faculty of Law (ICADE), held their graduation exercises.

As a closing to each session, the Rector at Comillas, addressed his speech to the graduates in which, among other things, he said: "I would almost say to you that these words will be the last lesson that you receive at the university. A review lesson, then, which is no different than the teaching that you have received these past years. This is the only knowledge and the only skill that is truly important for your lives: that you give others a sacred sense of reality, as they are children of God and your brothers and sisters, and that you take on a role of service to them, by making yourselves men and women at the service of others, as Father Arrupe asked his former students of the Jesuits".

The number of award-winners for the Best Final Projects at Comillas - ICAI increases

Wed, 03 Jul 2007 08:24:45 GMT

Accenture, Alcatel-Lucent, Endesa, Iberdrola, and the Association/Professional College of ICAI Engineers have sponsored the Awards for the Best Final Projects at the Advanced Technical School of Engineering (ICAI) for the academic year 2005-06, in a ceremony presided over by the Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and at which the President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Aníbal Figueiras Vidal was in attendance.

In its fifth edition, this contest has doubled the number of awards, now conceding two prizes per award period instead of one, as was the case in previous years.

The Association/Professional College of ICAI Engineers awarded its four prizes to the following industrial engineers: Alejandro Mendoza Larive, for "Analysis of the technical/financial viability of a combined cycle with an alternative internal combustion engine and organic Rankine cycle" (first prize); José María Méndez Marcos, for "Robotic system for the tracing of smells" (second prize); and to the Industrial Organisation Engineers: Ignacio Chueca Muñoz, for "Management of a change for the transformation of the internal processes of a multi-national consulting company" (first prize), and Daniel Salván García, for "System for automatic inspection of luggage at airports" (second prize).

The awards from Accenture went to Carlos Labanda Maján, technical engineer in Computer Sciences Management, for "Development and implementation of an extranet for suppliers at a nuclear plant" (first prize), and Christian Díez Girona, industrial engineer, for "Model schema for a financial market through a multi-agent system" (second prize).

For its awards, Alcatel-Lucent selected Patricia García Alonso, industrial engineer, for "Development of a mobile robot controlled by internet" (first prize), and Miguel Lara Encabo, engineer in Computer Sciences, for "Framework for neuron networks in JAVA" (second prize).

Endesa awarded its prizes to Jorge Llerena Díaz, engineer in Industrial Organisation, for "Strategic analysis for the installation of a new capacity of electric generation through Business Dynamics" (first prize), and to Alberto Martín García, industrial engineer, for "Evaluation of the impact of generation distributed in the operation and planification of the networks of electrical distribution" (second prize).

As for Iberdrola, it awarded two industrial engineers, Antonio de Gregorio y Verdejo, for "Prediction of wind power production" (first prize), and María Gómez Mayoral, for "Analysis of the viability of the installation of hydraulic micro-turbines in networks for the supply of drinking water" (second prize).

The Rector congratulated the award-winners and the School of Engineering and its professors for having sought excellence in their work (the award-winners), and in the training of their students (the professors). And he thanked, as well, the sponsoring organisations.

The President of the Royal Academy of Engineering expressed his satisfaction for being invited to the act, and praised the work at Comillas - ICAI and that of the sponsors of these awards.

- Comillas offers the possibility of obtaining a Masters Degree at La Trobe University, in Australia

Tue, 02 Jul 2007 13:41:50 GMT

Comillas and La Trobe University (Australia) have signed an agreement ("articulation arrangement agreement") under which students from the Faculty of Law (ICADE) and those of the Masters Degree in Business Law can obtain the Masters of Law in Global Business Law by taking four selected units from the programme in Global Business Law from this Australian university. The modules will be taught in intensive sessions of 5 days in June-July and in November-March.

La Trobe University is one of the most highly-regarded universities in the world and has approximately 27.000 students, of which 3.200 are foreign. In 2005, the "The Times" Ranking of Universities included La Trobe among the best 100 universities in the world.

The Official Masters in Business Law is an inter-university degree which has been offered by the Universities of Comillas, Deusto and ESADE, since the last academic year 2006-07.

For more information

Comillas and LID Business Publishers launch the "ICADE Library"

Thu, 27 Jun 2007 10:11:23 GMT

The Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, and the President of LID Business Publishers, Marcelino Elosua, have signed an agreement for collaboration under which the collection ICADE Library will be created, which will encompass works by professors of the Faculties of Economic Sciences and Business Adminstration (ICADE) and Law (ICADE), in relation to business.

During the signing ceremony, the Rector pointed out that the new European Space for Higher Education (EEES, in Spanish) requires a greater collaboration between universities and private publishing companies. "We hope that the prestigious editorial committee from LID provides an independence of criteria which will foment the academic value of our publications, and at the same time, we can improve the capacity for promotion and commercialisation of these works in Spain and in Latin America", remarked Professor Busto.

As for the President of LID, he emphasized the great capacity for the creation of knowledge, as well as for teaching, of the professorial team at Comillas - ICADE. "We are excited - pointed out Elosua - about contributing to more recognition of Comillas - ICADE as a catalyst for new ideas and business concepts, by gathering the disperse works of its professors in a well-publicised collection".

The editors of ICADE Library ICADE will be Camino Cañón, Director of the Publications Service at Comillas, and Helena López-Casares, editor at LID.

Comillas holds its Family Day Celebration 2007

Wed, 26 Jun 2007 10:18:12 GMT

Comillas held the Fourteenth Edition of its Family Day Celebration at the Cantoblanco campus on Saturday, June 16, under a huge tent that protected all of those present from the strong rains that fell.

In order to motivate participation, different rides and attractions were offered, such as the "Rock-o-drome", human football simulation machines, acrobatic jumping, a circuit with "quads" and "gymkhana". The karaoke contest was won by the Director of the Sports Department, Alberto Giménez López. His prize was a Philpps 26-inch plasma flat-screen television. Moreover, a ham, a portable DVD and a weekend for two people at a destination in Spain were raffled off,

The Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, the Vice-rector for Economic Affairs, Cecilio Moral, the Vice-rector for Research, Development and Innovation, Ángela Jiménez, and the Vice-rector for International Affairs, Miguel Juárez SJ, participated in this family day as well.

The companies Grupo Marva, Monlux, S.A, Solventia, Sertepro, S.A., Pinturas y Decoración Cardeña, S.L (Paints and Decorations), Grupo Iberex (Iberex Group), Eja Mantenimiento, S.A (Eja Maintenance), Cartel and Casita Rota (which owns the university cafeterias) sponsored this edition of the Family Day Celebration.

Closing ceremony for the Senior Citizens University, at Comillas

Sat, 22 Jun 2007 12:48:01 GMT

More than 120 students received their certificates of studies after having completed successfully the third and fifth years in the Senior Citizens University, at Comillas, during the closing ceremony for the academic year 2006-07, presided over by the Vice-rector for International Relations and University Services, Miguel Juárez, SJ, who was accompanied by the Director of this programme, Isabel Romero, and the Coordinator, Angelo Valastro.

Professor Manuel Revuelta, SJ, gave his closing speech on "The Senior Citizens University, symbol of an identity". "This certificate - said the speaker - is not only a guarantee of know-how and knowledge acquired during the educational training of five years; it is, above all, a testimony of attitudes concerning an intellectual opening of the mind, of dialogue, and the togetherness that you have experienced; it is an example of human values, of happiness, and shared efforts with your professors and companions. If it is necessary to have a youthful spirit to achieve this, you have more than demonstated this. This diploma is a well-deserved degree in humanism and humanity".

"I believe (in my humble opinion) - continued Revuelta - that, as of today, at Comillas, the Senior Citizens University is a forum where a humanistic training is cultivated in a more complex, continuing and systematic way, which has been one of the most splendid in the pedagogy of the Society of Jesus in general (Ratio Studiorum) and of the Universidad Comillas in particular. You seniors have the honour of being the bearers of the flaming torch of the humanities, and of having carried in style this precious legacy in an atmosphere of shared humanism with your professors. One and all, you have forged links of friendship, understanding and a deeply human comprehension".

After the words of congratulations and wishes for success and excellence for the coming years expressed by the Director of the Senior Citizens University, the certificates were awarded to the students who have completed the Third Year of studies this year, more than 60, and approximately the same number who, having completed Fifth Year, have finished the programme.

The Comillas Choir, which closed the ceremony, directed by "maestro" Javier Blanco, interpreted pieces from a repertory of Spanish and US traditional songs, culminating in the "Gaudeamus igitur".

A web page designed by Comillas helps students from Madrid to decide their future

Thu, 20 Jun 2007 10:11:47 GMT

Students from the Autonomous Region of Madrid who are curently taking the Selectivity Exam (Spanish University System Entrance Exam or "Selectividad") can consult a tool for aiding them to choose what they will study during the next academic year: www.upcomillas.es/orion is the web page of the Orion Project, specialised in academic and professional orientation, designed by the Universidad Pontificia Comillas.

Comillas and the two sponsors of the Orion Project, Caja Obra Social Madrid (The Madrid Social Work Savings and Loan) and the Regional Council on Education, of the Autonomous Region of Madrid, have presented this web page to the public, in which an on-line questionnaire is offered, with optimum accessibility and free of charge. It proposes that students reflect in depth on a group of key factors on which stable and mature vocational decisions are based, in reference to universities as well as the cycles of professional training.

The questionnaire facilitates students with a greater knowledge of themselves concerning aspects such as: interests and vocational values, academic potential, family expectations, and preferences for the continuation of studies; and all of this vis-à-vis a deep knowledge of the offering in university studies and degrees in professional training, as well as employment data related to these studies.

Upon completing the questionnaire, the student receives some reports automatically, which can be consulted on the screen or printed, which serve as a guide to decision-making, which can be consulted or debated with counsellors and his/her family. These reports refer to a "profile of academic-professional interests", and a "profile of vocational values". Based on the preferences for continuation of university studies, a "fact sheet for employability for the preference in university degree", with the accompanying "information guide" is offered; and, depending on the preferences for studies in professional training, a "fact sheet of indicators for employment in the training cycle of the Professional Training perferred" is provided, with the accompanying "study syllabus".

This web, whose orientation is open to all youth from Madrid, has its origin in the Orion Project, in which more than 40 secondary institutions and 20 high schools with joint-funding ("concertados de FERE") participate. They have chosen this platform of academic and professional preferences developed by a team of researchers at Comillas, as pointed out by Vicente Hernández, director of the project, who added that this tool is a help to counsellors in schools and also to students that, individually, wish to use it for their own academic self-orientation.

Social benefits for the elderly will be a priority for corporate social responsibility

Wed, 19 Jun 2007 12:54:58 GMT

"There are very few Spanish companies that extend their strategies for social action to include attention to the elderly. The vast majority operate in the areas of the young, the handicapped/physically dependent and foreign aid", explained Sarah Alí, a student in the last year of studies in International Business Sciences (E-4), at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas - ICAI - ICADE, winner of the ASTER Award for ESIC Research for her work "Social action aimed at the elderly. An interesting option for Spanish companies". According to the jury, this work is worthy of the first prize "because of its interest and the current nature of the subject treated, the methodological rigour, and the design of an interesting model for promoting the elderly as a collective social group in companies."

"Currently, it is not a very popular theme in companies, but in the future it will become a priority for corporate social responsiblity. I believe that if a company took action favourable to this social group, it could be recognised as a pioneer in the not-too-distant future. It is a real opportunity and can contribute greatly to this sector", says Sarah Alí, a German student of Egyptian origin, who has been studying in Spain for two years and who chose the theme of her final-year project due to the great weakness that she feels for the elderly. Moreover, she had the opportunity to learn what strategic criteria companies use to choose their patronage during the final internship that she carried out in a strategic consulting company.

According to Sarah, the quickness and the impact of the change in attitude of Spanish companies depends, above all, on the demand of society and on the agents that can greatly influence it: NGO´s, Public Administration and the media.

A student of Nursing at Comillas, in the European finals of the Red Cross contest in first aid

Wed, 19 Jun 2007 09:00:52 GMT

Manuel Camós Ejarque, a student in the first year of Nursing in the University School of Nursing and Physiotherapy San Juan de Dios, at Comillas, is a member of the Spanish team that has qualified to participate in the finals of FACE 2007 (FIrst Aid Convention in Europe), the contest in first aid organised by the International Red Cross.

The winning team represented Madrid in the national qualifying round held in May in Zaragoza, in which it was placed ahead of Aragón and the Canary Islands. In the European Finals, the team from Madrid will compete with representatives from 26 other countries in Limerick (Ireland), from July 5 - 8.

The "Comillas Theology Collection" is born, in collaboration with the San Pablo Publishing House

Thu, 13 Jun 2007 21:50:34 GMT

Comillas, through its Publication Service, and the San Pablo Publishing House, has launched the Comillas Theology Collection, whose presentation was presided over by the Rector, José Ramón Busto, SJ, accompanied by the Assistant Director of the publishing company, Pedro Miguel García, and the professors of Theology Gabino Uribarri, SJ, Enrique Sanz, SJ and Julio Luis Martínez, SJ.

This new collection is born with a vocation for offering the most appropriate channels to gather books by professors from the Faculty of Theology at Comillas, and stems from the desire in this faculty to have a more open and fluid relationship with the general public, intellectual circles, and readers, as explained by Professor Uribarri in his speech.

The Faculty would like to present books to Spanish and Latin American audiences, as Uribarri pointed out, in a special way, which creates theological thought, and which "supposes monographic works of quality, with profound knowledge of the themes discussed, but without wavering from the level of the great specialists and from matters of detail, reducing the audience to a very restricted minority", he added. Books which, among other things, delve into the problems of today and of all times concerning Christian faith, that touch the very lifeline of the Church, of the ecclesiastical communities and of Christianity in today"s society; books which help students in their theological studies, and that enter into the deep rushes of current debates. Books, written definitively with competence and seriousness, which treat themes in a rigorous fashion at the university level.

The collection includes all of the branches of theological knowledge: dogmatic theology, fundamental theology, moral theology, Biblical sciences, spirituality and the history of the Church. As far as the Chair in Bioethics is concerned, it will maintain its own collection as well.

The first three books in this new collection are: "Jesus Christ, Salvation for all", by Luis Ladaria, SJ; "Prophets of Mercy", by Enrique Sanz, SJ, and "Citizenship, immigration and religion", by Julio Luis Martínez, SJ.

Pedro Miguel García expressed the satisfaction of the publishing house on this collaboration with the Publications Service at Comillas and the Faculty of Theology; and finally, the Rector congratulated all of the professors in the faculty for their work and expressed gratitude for the participation by the San Pablo Publishing House.

Eleven foreign universities, present in Summer Courses at Comillas Internacional

Wed, 12 Jun 2007 08:46:10 GMT

Students from eleven foreign universities, three more than in 2006, are participating in the summer courses organised by Comillas Internacional. Of these, five have joined the programme for the first time: the Université de la Sorbonne (France), Marquette University (USA), George Washington University (USA), Loyola Marymount University (USA) and the Universidad Francisco Marroquín (Guatemala).

The courses, which were inaugurated on May 28 and which will end on June 22, offer the following modules: Business Management, Brand Management in Service and Entertainment Industries, International Marketing, and Public Relations and Protocol. Class hours are combined with technical visits to companies, institutions, and public and private organisations, as well as with cultural visits to the Monastery of El Escorial and the Prado Museum.

The universities that are that have already participated and that are repeating this year are: the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Technological Institute and Higher Education Studies of Monterrey, Mexico), the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (Technological Institute and Higher Education Studies of the West, Mexico), the University of Monterrey (Mexico), the Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico), la Universidad Rafael Landívar (Guatemala), and the European Higher Education Institute of Management, France.

The Gregoriana University awards the Doctoral Thesis of a professor and a former student at Comillas

Tue, 11 Jun 2007 14:10:55 GMT

José Luis Sánchez-Girón, SJ, Professor of Canon Law and former student at Comillas, has won the Bellarmino Award, from the Gregoriana University in Rome, for his Doctoral Thesis "The conscious account to the Superior in the law of the Society of Jesus"

This award, which is accompanied by the publication of the thesis in the Analecta Gregoriana Collection, is conceded annually by this University to two doctoral theses defended during the previous academic year that, in the judgement of the committee in charge, represents the best thesis in Theology and the best thesis in the rest of the Faculties at the University. The thesis by Professor Sánchez-Girón was delivered to the Faculty of Canon Law.

The award-winning work combines the spiritual, canonical, historical and textual dimensions of the theme at hand; he updates his study and analyses it as well in the light of what recent times have contributed to religious life, and not only from the canonical point of view, within and from outside the Society, since there were no works dedicated solely to this theme from before Vatican II. The thesis also includes the analysis of some cases.

Sánchez-Girón graduated in Law and Business Adminstration and Management (E-3) at Comillas four years before joining the Society of Jesus. He is a graduate in Ecclesiastical Studies, also at Comillas, and he studied Canon Law at the Gregoriana University.

SInce the 2004-05 academic year, he has been a Professor of "Theological Foundations of Canon Law", "Hierarchical Constitution of the Church", "Sanctions in the Church", and "Diocesan and Parish Clergy" in the Faculty of Canon Law at Comillas, where he had already taught some of these subjects on previous occasions.

Experts from Comillas - ICADE analyse the international ordering and unification of the accounting system

Sat, 08 Jun 2007 09:11:21 GMT

Professors of Financial Law and Tax Issues at Comillas-ICADE and inspectors from the State Tax and Revenue Office analysed the new accounting norms and corporate tax, whose legislative reform is currently being treated in the Parliament, during the 7th Conference on Tax Issues, organised at the University by the Centre for Innovation in Law (CID-ICADE), in the Area of Financial Law and Tax Issues in the Faculty of Law (ICADE), and the Professional Association of Inspectores of the State Tax and Revenue Office.
During the sessions, which took place throughout the conference, different specific details of the Legal Proposal for Reform and Adaptation of the Mercantile Legislation on Accounting Material for International Harmonisation based on the European Union Norm were examined. This text will attempt to adapt Spanish accounting norms to international accounting standards, with the final objective of achieving a truly international harmonisation in accounting and, concretely, to have the US Securities and Exchange Commision accept the yearly accounts presented by European companies without having to provide an accompanying document adapted to US standards. These changes imply a substantial reform at the level where the applicable base for taxable income on corporations is established, and will have a greater impact than the slight and partial modification carried out in 2006 in this area.
Javier Ezquerra Ubero, Vice-dean for International Relations in the Faculty of Law (ICADE) and José María Peláez Martos, President of the Professional Association of Tax Inspectors of the State opened the conference. Speakers included José Antonio López-Santacruz Montes, Assistant General Director General for Taxes on Legal Persons; Eduardo Amerigó Cruz,Head of the Team for Studies at the National Office for Invesigation of Fraud, and Luis Fernando Guerra Garrido, Board Member of Deloitte, Lawyers and Tax Advisors and professor at Comillas-ICADE. Their speeches focussed on "Corporate Tax and the new accounting framework", "Accounting reform: draft of the new General Plan for Accounting", and the "Fiscal impact of memorandum 4/2004 of the Bank of Spain on credit enterprises". The conference was closed by José Ramón González García, President of the Institute for Accounting and Account Auditing, and José Ramón Busto, SJ, Rector at Comillas.

Research Award ESIC-CAI goes to a student of International Business Sciences (E-4)

Thu, 06 Jun 2007 18:33:47 GMT

Sarah Ali, a Fourth Year International Business Sciences (E-4) student at Comillas , has won the ASTER Award for Research ESIC-CAI, with the final-year project "The future of social action regarding the elderly", directed by the Professor from the Department of Marketing, Carmen Valor.
The ASTER award, which has a cash award of 5000 euros and a certificate of award, is national in scope, and students from universities and Schools of Business Administration can compete for the prize. The award ceremony will be held on next Tuesday, May 29 in the Municipal Convention Centre (Palacio Municipal de Congresos).

A professor at Comillas - ICADE, in the group of experts drawing up the Andalusian plan of action for climate change

Tue, 04 Jun 2007 12:32:42 GMT

The professor of the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences (ICADE) Juan Manuel López Zafra is part of the group of experts that will draw up the final draft of the Plan of Action for the Climate 2007-2012, by the Regional Government of Andalusia.

The regional Andalusian government plans to reduce the current emission of eight tonnes of greenhouse gases to six and a half in 2012. The draft of the heretofore mentioned plan, which President Manuel Chaves presented during the naming of the committee of scientific experts that will be in charge of the final draft, thus, makes previsions for this in this manner. As Chaves himself explained, an attempt is being made to determine "climate change caused by human activities" and the possibilities and instruments which the autonomous region has to reduce its causes and to set a more favourable scenario.

The objective of the plan is to apply a package of one hundred measures to mitigate as much as possible the emissions of greenhouse gases in Andalusia, within the framework of the Spanish strategy for climate change. The project affects 12 areas ranging from the ordering of territory to institutional cooperation, including activities involving production, services, savings and energy efficiency, to research, training and communication. The contribution of the scientific community is "decisive", according to Chaves, not only in order to carry out the plan with the "maximum rigour", but also for the diagnosis of the situation, the formulation of measures, follow-up and social awareness.

Professor López Zafra is an expert in the energy and insurance sectors, and his area of teaching is in the Department of Quantitative Methods.

Comillas wins the Fifth Madrid Tournament for University Debate

Tue, 04 Jun 2007 12:31:03 GMT

A team from Comillas was declared champions at the Fifth Madrid Tournament for University Debate by ousting another Jesuit university institution in the finals, ETEA, from Córdoba, which participated as guests.

The winning team was formed by Alberto Mateos Talamillo (Fourth Year in Law and Business Administration and Management, E-3), who participated as captain; Fernando Giménez Gutiérrez-Maturana (Fourth Year E-3), Carlos García de la Fuente (Fourth Year E-3) and Enrique Iglesias de Ussel (Second Year E-3).

With this new victory, Comillas has retained its title, since in the last edition of this tournament, held in December 2005, the three teams which represented the university finished in the first three places.

The competition was held at the Business School CEU, organised by the Association for the Promotion of Debate, managed by Guillermo Sánchez Prieto.

Opening of a Physiotherapy Attention Unit at the teaching site of the San Rafael Hospital

Fri, 24 May 2007 14:18:29 GMT

The University School of Nursing and Phsysiotherapy Saint John of God (San Juan de Dios) has opened the Physiotherapy Attention Unit (UAF, in Spanish) at its Teaching Site at the San Rafael Hospital, of which students, professors and personnel from the School, the University and the Foundation Juan Ciudad can make use, as well as their direct family members.

The UAF is open, initially, from Tuesday to Thursday from 3 pm. to 6 pm, and the head of the unit is Enrique Rodríguez González.

In order to make an appointment, it is necessary to call the Secretary of the Teaching Unit, telephone 91-564-18-68, if possible, in the morning. The price per session for this academic year is 15 euros, which covers the expenses which are incurred by activities.

The purpose of the UAF, essentially, is for in-house university teaching and research, and involves the joint work of professors and students; their activity is carried out through evaluation and attention for people with special needs who require help through physiotherapy.

First graduating class of the Training Course for Professionals that work with Victims of Gender-related Violence

Thu, 23 May 2007 08:47:40 GMT

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI-ICADE awarded diplomas to the 75 students of the First Training Course for Professionals who Work with Victims of Gender-related Violence, organised by the University Institute of the Family, in collaboration with the General Office of the Family, of the Council on Employment and Women of the Autonomous Region of Madrid (CAM). Classes in the second edition of the course began last April, which will be divided into four timetables with appoximately 140 students.

A total of 87 students participated in the course, although only 75 received their diploma, having completed the final project. The participants were chosen by the General Office for Women, of the CAM (Autonomous Region of Madrid).

The student body consisted mainly of women, 93%, with an average age of 37.73 years. The most numerous age group was that of 25 to 35 years (45.88%). 57.30% of the students were graduates of an undergraduate programme, almost 33% had a three-year diploma, and almost 8% had passed the entrance exam for the Spanish University system, a necessary requirement to obtain the degree. 34.85% were psychologists, 28.09% social workers, 11.24% lawyers, 3.37% doctors, and in small percentages, there were social educators, specialists in social integration, sociologists and other professionals.

The most numerous group of students was formed by professionals in the network of Municipal Points of the Regional Platform on Gender-related Violence (30.34%), followed by administrative assistants from the General Office of Women (12.36%), and other administrative assistants from city hall governments (10.11%). 7.87% were local police officers and 6.7%, personnel from the courts of violence against women.

The Rector at Comillas attends the Seventh Universia Board Members General Assembly

Tue, 14 May 2007 17:51:58 GMT

The Rector at Comillas, José Ramón Busto, SJ, attended the Seventh Board Members General Assembly for Universia, held at the University of Cantabria. At the event, which was attended by all of the shareholders - 75 Spanish universities and higher education institutions which are members of Universia Spain - the activities carried out during 2006 were reviewed and the future plans of this network, which now encompasses 985 universities from Spain, Portugal and Latin America, were explained.

Comillas participates actively in Universia programmes, such as the Virtual Fair for Employment and Universia Training, which in May of 2007 will hold its third edition, and which will simulate, with a virtual format, all of the possible interaction between students and companies, or the Athenea Programme, an initiative which facilitates the acquisition of lap-top computers with the latest technology for the member universities.

Emilio Botín, President of Universia, Federico Gutiérrez-Solana, Rector of the University of Cantabria, Juan Antonio Vázquez, President of the Spanish Conference of University Rectors (CRUE), y Jaume Pagès, Board Member of Universia presided at the meeting. Emilio Botín confirmed that, on the 150th Anniversary of the Bank of Santander, which is being celebrated this year, collaboration with universities has been consolidated as a hallmark of the bank that he presides. He insisted on the role that universities have played in the last twenty years regarding economic and social development as "a key to the modernisation and innovation of Spain today", and added that the "future development and innovation of our country is a result of the fomenting of new economic sectors", which he considered "inconceivable without the direct participation of universities."

Botín announced that the Bank of Santander, which in 2006 financed more than 10,000 grants for universities from 21 countries, will increase this aid and will concede in 2007, stemming from the 150th Anniversary of the bank, 1500 new grants to foment geographic mobility among students and professors in Spain, Portugal and Latin American countries. This represents the first step toward the creation of an "Ibero-american Erasmus Programme", he said.

Juan Antonio Vázquez referred to the main challenges for universities at the present time, among which he pointed out the need to stimulate the fundamental role which universities play in research and the tranmission of knowledge. He emphasised, moreover, the "spectacular growth of Universia and what this networks means as a springboard for Latin America, as well as the solid support that the Bank of Santander offers to universities".

Federico Gutiérrez-Solana, who spoke along the same lines, confirmed that "a real organisation, such as Universia, in which trends that are shaping the future of higher education all over the world come together in such a clear and positive manner, should be a matter of pride for all of us and a stimulus to continue developing all of the promises that were implicit in the resugence of this powerful Ibero-american association of knowledge".

Jaume Pagès focussed his speech on the new tendencies in internet and the opportunities that innovation is offering for its contents and university services "From Universia, we wish to help universities build the future. A future that, under the name of web 2.0 presents us with new challenges related to inter-activity, the creation of communities, the bringing together of content, the development of multi-media and, definitely, the increase in user participation, the principal asset".

A student at Comillas, awarded for the best poster for Operation Kilo

Sat, 11 May 2007 12:49:15 GMT

Claire Fabre, a French exchange student (Erasmus) at Comillas, won the prize for the best poster for Operation Kilo from the five Madrid universities that collaborate in this activity for solidarity, and Comillas received a diploma of appreciation from the Food Bank of Madrid for its participation in this activity, as well as the Conference on Nutrition and Solidarity, which has recently been held.

More than 40,000 students from different levels, from universities to secondary schools and nursery schools, have participated for the last three years in several editions of Operation Kilo in which some 25,000 kilos of food for the Food Bank of Madrid have been collected, according to the report drawn up by Professors Pilar Saura and Liisa Hänninen, from Comillas University and the Complutense University, respectively, who coordinated the conference.

The report on this experience in solidarity from Operation Kilo in educational centres in Madrid was made public during the Conference on Nutrition and Solidarity, held at the San Fernando Secondary School, next to the site of the Food Bank of Madrid.

"Poverty does not end with economic development", affirmed Sabastián Mora, Director of Communication and External Relations at Cáritas-Madrid. Eight million people in Spain are below the poverty level, a relative concept depending on the context in which one lives. As far as child poverty is concerned, one of every 10 children are victims, especially those of gypsy origins or from immigrant families. Precarious conditions are also prevalent among the elderly, who have no other alternative but to control their level of expenses by reducing their amount of food. "Understanding poverty is different from experiencing poverty", concluded Mora.

Alba Vicente, in charge of the Carrefour Solidarity Foundation, explained the collaboration by Carrefour hypermarkets in Operation Kilo, which meant nearly 700,000 kilos of food in 2006, of which 30,000 were given directly by the company.

Professors Hänninen and Saura explained the integral process involved in Operation Kilo, from its planning to the details necessary for its execution and communication, in which diverse areas of academic activity are involved, and attitudes of solidarity from different social strata in the world of youth are tested, in such a way that many students who participated in these operations continue to collaborate when they become professionals. 400 students and 25 professors from university institutions participated in the planning and carrying out of Operation Kilo.

The award ceremony for individuals and university groups of participants in Operation Kilo was presided over by the General Director for Volunteer Work and Social Advancement in the Autonomous Region of Madrid, Laura Ruiz de Galarreta, who confirmed the comittment of her Office and herself to volunteer work in Madrid, where, she asserted, every eight days a new volunteer group is registered.

The Director of ABC-University ABC-Solidarity, Javier López Pando, and Concha Gabriel García, in representation of the Amusement Park of Madrid, presented the awards as well. The General Director of the Spanish Federation of Food Banks, José Antonio Busto, explained the history and the philosophy behind these organisations, and gave the global figures of the last year of activity in Spain, with 1200 volunteers, more than 3000 donating entities, 32,000 tonnes of food distributed with a value of 70 million euros, and more than 300,000 monthly beneficiaries.