The European Academy of Yuste Foundation will present the Carlos V European Award to Italian teacher Sofia Corradi next Monday in a ceremony presided over by the King at the Royal Monastery of Yuste. This award coincides with the commemoration of Europe Day, an opportunity to reclaim the values of a united, solidary and committed Europe from Extremadura.
Many dignitaries like the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz; the Minister for Education, Culture and Sport, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo and Montojo; the Minister for Education, University and Research of the Government of Italy, Stefania Gianni and the Deputy Prime Minister for Portugal, Eduardo Cabrita, will attend this ceremony, together with an Erasmus representative for each European country and members of the European Academy of Yuste, like Marcelino Oreja, Abram de Swaan, Gustaaf Janssens and Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra.
With this award, the jury has wanted to recognise Sofia Corradi, better known as “Mamma Erasmus”, as the patron of the Erasmus programme. “Her career and, above all, her great contribution and efforts to the European integration process through the conception and implementation of the ERASMUS initiative of the European Union, as well as for her work and achievements in favour of academic mobility with a clear commitment to young European students as a guarantee of tomorrow and the future of Europe”. Corradi has become the tenth person and the second female, to be presented with the Carlos V European Award.
The Erasmus programme has enabled a direct change in the life of some 3.5 million European students and about 4,000 universities, since its creation in 1987. It has also benefited teaching staff and indirectly, the environment in which these students have lived, fostering highly positive changes in academic, social, cultural, training and economic life in Europe since its creation.
The Carlos V European Award has the institutional support of the European Parliament, the sponsorship of the Ministry of Education, University and Research of the Government of Italy, and the backing of collaborating agencies, Caja Rural de Extremadura and Extremadura Avante.
The event is to be broadcast live by a local station, namely Canal Extremadura Radio, Television and its website.
10th Edition of the Carlos V European Award
This is the tenth edition of the Carlos V European Award, following the recent twentieth anniversary of the presentation of the first Award to the former President of the European Commission, Jacques Delors, in 1995. The ten editions of the Carlos V European Award demonstrate its well-established and proven track record confirming Extremadura’s own record towards the European integration process and the values it fosters, stressing the importance of initiatives like this one, born from civil society, in favour of unity and collaboration of the European people. The award-winners to date have been Jacques Delors (1995), Wilfried Martens (1998), Felipe González (2000), Mijail Gorbachov (2002), Jorge Sampaio (2004), Helmut Kohl (2006), Simone Veil (2008), Javier Solana (2010) and José Manuel Durao Barroso (2013).
With the Carlos V European Award, the European Academy of Yuste Foundation would like to honour the work of people who have stood out for their commitment towards the European integration process or their contribution to the exaltation of the cultural, scientific and historical values of Europe. The Carlos V European Award, therefore, represents the integration spirit of a united Europe.
Sofia Corradi with the Extremadura Universities
Moreover, Sofia Corradi will offer her presentation on Tuesday, 10th May from 12:30 PM at the talk followed by a debate on Education, culture and dialogue for European Integration in the assembly room at the Philosophy and Letters Faculty of Extremadura University in Caceres.
The laureate will debate on education, culture and dialogue with the political science editor of Politikon, Pablo Simón; the head of Erasmus at the Uex, Pablo Hurtado; and student Carlos García Caiado at a round table, moderated by Miguel Angel Martín Ramos of the European Academy of Yuste Foundation.
This commemorative event on Europe day shall be chaired by the Minister for Education, Esther Gutiérrez; the Vice-chancellor Rector for International Relations, Mar Guerrero and the General Manager for Exterior Action of the Extremadura Government, Rosa Balas.
There will be free entrance until seating capacity is reached.
