Aspen-Universidad de Alcalá de Henares Seminar “Leadership and Values»

Aspen Institute España and the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares will hold, in collaboration with CaixaBank, the Aspen-Universidad de Alcalá de Henares Seminar “Leadership and Values» next Wednesday 4 and Friday 5 April at the Colegio San Ildefonso, Rectorate of the University of Alcalá.

The seminar «Leadership and Values» is a space to discuss the values that inspire our personal and professional decisions and the contributions we make to the common good. Through Socratic dialogue, the seminar starts with a reading of classic and contemporary texts in philosophy, politics and literature to discuss the fundamental values of an open society and the tensions inherent in the definition of what constitutes such a society. The seminar brings together a small group of participants from different disciplines at the university to provide a balanced and pluralistic forum for reflection and debate on the current state and future of our societies, analysed in terms of timeless human values. To ensure the exchange of ideas and mutual growth, the seminar is governed by the Chatham House Rule. In addition, it will be moderated by Miguel Herrero de Jáuregui, Professor of Greek Philology at the Complutense University of Madrid and Aspen Spain Fellow, who will guide the conversation and help shed light on how the readings invite us to think about our role in society.

Miguel Herrero de Jáuregui

He is Professor of Greek Philology at the Complutense University of Madrid and Aspen España Fellow. He holds a degree in Law and Classics, a PhD in Classical Philology and History of Religions, and trained as a researcher at the Max Planck Institute, Harvard, Oxford (Christ Church), Zurich and Bologna (Royal College of Spain). He is the author of several studies on the philosophy, literature, politics and religion of ancient Greece, and on the reception of classical culture in early Christianity and modernity. His latest books are El pensamiento narrativo (Sílex, 2023, with Fernando Ariza) and Catábasis: el viaje infernal en la Antigüedad (Alianza, 2023). He has been a technical advisor at the Consejería de Educación de la Comunidad de Madrid (2012-2014). He is a Fellow of the Aspen lnstitute España, in whose seminars he collaborates as a participant and moderator.

Aspen Institute España

Aspen Institute España was created in 2010 to promote leadership inspired by civic values and to address critical issues for the future of society. Each year it organises more than seventy debates, seminars and conferences on leadership and values, the digital future, sustainability, democracy, geopolitics and the economy. The President of Aspen Spain is Javier Solana and its Secretary General José M. de Areilza. The project is supported by fifteen Spanish companies and a wide network of alumni. It is part of the international network of Aspen Institutes, present in more than twelve countries, and collaborates in a special way with The Aspen Institute in the United States. This philanthropic institution was founded in 1950, among others by José Ortega y Gasset, to train leaders in all sectors of society with a humanist vision and a connection to civic and democratic values. Today it is recognised as one of the most influential think tanks in the world, with more than fifty ongoing programmes in the fields of public policy and leadership.

Universidad de Alcalá

The University of Alcalá was established by the Regent of Spain, Cardinal Cisneros, in 1499 as a completely new educational project. Today it is a modern, medium-sized institution, recognised in Europe and America as a model to be imitated. In addition to the classic humanities and social sciences studies, the University of Alcalá has incorporated the most innovative degrees in all scientific fields such as Health Sciences or different engineering disciplines distributed throughout its various campus, all of which, together with the Science and Technology Park, constitute a decisive factor of international projection and a dynamising element of activity in our region.