Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste, 15–17 July 2026

This academic programme offers an exploration of the matrimonial and diplomatic strategies that defined the power of the House of Austria between the 15^th and 17^th centuries. Through eight sessions and three round tables, it will examine how the Habsburgs turned marriage into a tool of governance, replacing military conquest with family alliances.

The course will address the construction of a transnational dynastic network that united the crowns of Castile, Aragon, Burgundy, Austria and Portugal, thereby consolidating Catholic hegemony in the face of the Reformation and rival powers. It will analyse the decisions of Maximilian I, Charles V and Philip II, the emblematic marriages that shaped the European political map, and the biological and symbolic limits of dynastic inbreeding.

It will also study female agency in court diplomacy, queens, infantas and regents who acted as political mediators, as well as the global projection of the Habsburg imperial model in the American viceregal sphere, where the monarchy’s familial and religious order translated into new colonial hierarchies and a process of social mestizaje, generating alliances between Creole and peninsular elites.

The programme concludes with an analysis of the literary representation of Habsburg power during the Spanish Golden Age, where imperial marriage was exalted as a symbol of divine legitimacy and authority, but also subjected to critique within Baroque culture.

Overall, this course offers a comprehensive view of the diplomacy and political culture of a dynasty that aspired to embody the ideal of universal monarchy.

Directors:

Rosa Perales Piqueres. University of Extremadura

Rosa María Martínez de Codes. Complutense University of Madrid

Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste, 8–10 July 2026

Relations between the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have been built over recent decades on the basis of a bi-regional approach that has supported the development of areas of cooperation and joint action. These relations are exposed to the transformations affecting international society, reflected in the evolving consensus on which they have been shaped. The geopolitical tensions emerging in both regions define a context for the consolidation and development of their cooperation frameworks and shared areas of interest. In the face of the questioning of multilateralism, the pressures on international trade, the adaptation of production and supply chains, rapid digital transformation, and joint action on climate, the environment and the energy transition, key components for strategic cooperation have been identified. Their essential character remains rooted in shared values typical of democratic societies that respect human rights and the rule of law, reflecting historical ties that should continue to bind them collectively.

Both regions face significant challenges linked to substantial differences that generate tensions in established integration processes, the reconfiguration of national interests, and the influence of external actors. At the same time, they have developed shared elements of identity to address these challenges, such as the defence of representative democracy, the rule of law, the promotion of a rules-based international order, the universal and regional institutional frameworks underpinning cooperation, and the peaceful conduct of international relations.

Analysis and reflection within the academic sphere, together with the creation of spaces for dialogue and exchange, underpin the organisation of this course. It is conceived as a forum for strategic reflection and engagement among young people, academia, public institutions and civil society. Its aim is to study, strengthen and project the future of EU–LAC relations through a multidisciplinary and intergenerational perspective that facilitates the formulation of concrete public policy proposals and fosters bi-regional cooperation.

Directors:

Juan Manuel Rodríguez Barrigón. University of Extremadura

Lorena Chano Regaña. University of Extremadura

Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste, 1–3 July 2026

The European Union is going through a difficult period, given the threats it faces from the East, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the shift in attitude of its traditional ally, the United States, which has become a power particularly critical of the European integration process. Added to this is the serious energy deficit affecting Europe, its unbalanced economy (with an overinflated tertiary sector and primary and secondary sectors in clear decline), the crisis facing its welfare state, and the influx of large migratory flows, which pose a challenge of integration and coexistence for European societies. The analysis of these developments, and the strategic response that the European Union will have to provide to these challenges, will form the focus of discussion in this summer course.

Directors:

Alfonso Pinilla García. University of Extremadura

Jaime Rossell Granados. University of Extremadura

Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste. From July 23^th to July 25^th, 2025

The aim of the course is to analyse and reflect on health and illness in the 16^th century. One cannot properly understand the history of a people without taking into account epidemics and other ailments with serious collective repercussions; the various forms of medicine based on science, empiricism or magical-religious beliefs; ideas about the human body; diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive practices; care for the poor and the sick across the different social strata; the nutritional reality of society; as well as the organisation of public health, the necessary training of those practising the profession, and —throughout all of this— the role played by royal power in the 16^th century in both Europe and the Americas. It is also important to remember that the American continent provided not only economic resources, but also scientific, medical and nutritional contributions to Renaissance Europe.

Subject of the course:

– “The American world and the globalisation of taste: A fruitful exchange of flavours”
– “The practice of medicine and its textual expression in the Spanish Renaissance”
– “Humanism and medicine: The figure of Andrés Laguna in the Spanish Renaissance”
– “The discovery of America and the renewal of the therapeutic arsenal in Renaissance Europe”
– “Eating and drinking to maintain health: Diet in the time of the emperor”
– “Medicine and health in artistic images from printed books”
– “The humanist doctors from Extremadura, Luis de Toro and Sorapán de Rieros: From infectious diseases to medicine in proverbs”

Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste. From July 16^th to July 18^th, 2025

Donald Trump’s victory and the first decisions taken under his administration are already disrupting the world order as we have known it until now. This course aims to analyse the socio-economic consequences of these decisions for Europe —and even the extent to which peace may be affected— while also offering reflections on the global scenario that may unfold in the coming months.

Subject of the course:

• Trump’s victory
• The new world order
• Drug trafficking and terrorism
• The new paradigm of the Rule of Law
• The new US Administration and the war in Ukraine

Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste. From July 9^th to July 11^th, 2025

In 1975, fifty years ago now, Spain was preparing to embark on a political transition towards democracy. The decisive milestone was the death of general Francisco Franco at the end of that year, after nearly four decades at the head of a dictatorial regime born out of a bloody civil war. His death opened the way for a complex and uncertain, yet peaceful and remarkably fruitful transitional political process. This course will explore the background and development of that fascinating historical period, with contributions from professors and witnesses who will examine the various international, political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of this pivotal moment that laid the foundations of contemporary Spain.

Subject of the course:

• An overview of that historical moment
• The Spanish economy during the Transition
• The transformation of the armed forces in Spain and Portugal
• Terrorism and its consequences
• The role of the Spanish Church during the Transition
• Consensus

Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste. From July 2^th to July 4^th, 2025

June 2025 marks the fortieth anniversary of the signing of Spain’s accession to the European Economic Community, which came into effect on 1 January 1986. This course aims to examine the negotiation process behind the accession and the ways in which it transformed Spain, featuring insights from some of the key figures involved.

Subject of the course:

– An overview of that historical moment
– Spanish diplomacy in the EU
– Education and universities
– Justice and the rule of law
– The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
– Public and published opinion
– The future of the EU
– Employment and social dialogue

Online, from July to September 2024

To enrol in any of the three courses with grants available for free tuition offered by the University of Extremadura, which will be held during the months of July and September as part of the 11^th CAVILA International Virtual School and the 25^th Edition of the UEX International Summer/Autumn Courses, the following form must be completed:

https://acortar.link/Ytc6Am

Thanks to the support of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation (FAEIY), a group of students (up to 20) will be able to take each of the virtual courses offered by the University of Extremadura within the 11^th CAVILA International Virtual School for free. These students will be selected based on their curriculum and academic excellence, according to the criteria specified later.

The deadline for submitting applications for free tuition will end a week before the start of each course, specifically on the dates indicated below. The application will be processed by completing the form and sending the specified documentation to the following email address: cavila@unex.es. The awarding of places will be communicated personally to all applicants via email and will also be published on the FAEIY’s website at www.fundacionyuste.org.

Courses and Dates

1 – TEACHING THROUGH VIDEOS
Course start date: 1^st July 2024
Deadline for free tuition application: 23^rd June 2024, at 23:59 (CEST)
Publication of free tuition awards: 26^th June 2024
Directors: David Sevilla and Raquel Jiménez

2 – DISCOVER THE POWER OF AI! Pattern Classification and Object Detection with Deep Learning (2^nd EDITION)
Course start date: 1^st July 2024
Deadline for free tuition application: 23^rd June 2024, at 23:59 (CEST)
Publication of free tuition awards: 26^th June 2024
Director: Miguel Macías Macías

3 – 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: SOME EXAMPLES APPLIED TO EXTREMADURA (SPAIN)
Course start date: 15^th October 2024
Deadline for free tuition application: 7^th October 2024, at 23:59 (CEST)
Publication of free tuition awards: 10^th October 2024
Director: Felipe Leco Berrocal

Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste. May 15, 2024

On the occasion of Europe Day on May 9, a session entitled “A Glance Towards Europe: Business Issues and Challenges” will be held at the headquarters of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation. The purpose of this session is to provide context on the current European situation from a business and foundational perspective. In this sense, we will count with the participation of representatives from various public and business organisations, who will participate in the different panels. Aspects such as education, youth, businesses, associations, Europe, etc., will be some of the topics addressed throughout the session in order to draw real and tangible conclusions about the European landscape.

To register for the session, click on the following link: https://forms.gle/DEBusdcCm6QqaTD28

Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste. From July 23^rd to July 25^th, 2024

An annual course that is co-organised with the EU-LAC Foundation within the framework of the collaboration agreement between the two entities, which was signed in 2021, and in collaboration with other entities working in the field of EU-CELAC relations, such as the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), Euroamérica Foundation, the Organization of Ibero-American States, the University of Extremadura, or on this occasion also the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico.

The main objective of these courses is to address the challenges faced globally in EU-Latin America and Caribbean relations, contributing through education, reflection, debate, and knowledge transfer to further study and improvement in the implementation of strategies that contribute to the construction of peaceful, just, secure, solidarity-based, and egalitarian societies, thus contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and creating alliances to address the current levels of uncertainty that the world is experiencing, particularly in Europe and Ibero-America.

The course starts from the premise that, in a globalised world like the one we live in, political relations between both regions on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean are essential, and multilateralism plays a fundamental role that must be recovered after being threatened in recent years, as the only formula capable of addressing current, future, and global challenges and emergencies. All this while in Europe and the Middle East, war has created new poles of uncertainty that threaten both the stability of the European continent and global peace, and will have unpredictable short, medium, and long-term effects and collateral damage.

At the same time, we witness growing levels of insecurity with astonishment in several countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, and crime and violence, stemming from organised and transnational crime, have long been one of the main concerns of the region’s citizens. These challenges translate into serious dangers to the stability of these countries and the region as a whole, and particularly affect the strength of their democracies, with high levels of corruption, creating at the same time enormous uncertainties and an increasingly perceived sense of insecurity and impunity, fuelling the rise of movements that constantly endanger governance models, democracy, and human rights, including freedom of expression and, consequently, our ways of life.

It is therefore essential to analyse how European Union – Latin America relations can contribute to combating these challenges to strengthen democracy, create more stable societies, and provide greater certainty to stimulate economic growth and investment.

For this purpose, a renewed commitment is necessary, as evidenced at the EU-CELAC Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Brussels in July 2022, under the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU, which marked the beginning of a new era in these relations and defined the roadmap, a new agenda of work and cooperation between both regions, and an action plan to strengthen relations between both regions, thus allowing us to jointly address the major global challenges.

All this revolves around shared medium and long-term priorities, such as the green transition, the digital transition, and the social transition, and mechanisms such as the Global Gateway, which is relevant to analyse, as well as existing dialogue bodies and their functioning, in order to properly advance in the achievement of these priorities. Security, governance, or the fight against transnational and organised crime are essential priorities that affect all others, including digital and green transitions, the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, health, food security, and migration.

DIRECTORS:

JAIME ROSSELL GRANADOS. University of Extremadura.

JUAN CARLOS MORENO PIÑERO. Director of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation.