The European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation and the Ministry of Defence will hold the fourth edition of the sessions entitled “Security and Defence in the Ibero-American Space” at the Defence Sub-Delegation in Cáceres on Wednesday, 15^th October. The event will examine the main geopolitical, strategic and security challenges facing Europe and Ibero-America in the current international context. Admission is free, subject to capacity. (10/10/2026)

Former minister of Defence and former president of the Congress of Deputies Federico Trillo will deliver the opening address. The other speakers will be former president of the Regional Government of Extremadura and senator José Antonio Monago; colonel Juan Carlos Castilla Barea, senior analyst and associate lecturer at the Spanish Centre for National Defence Studies (CESEDEN) and the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies (IEEE); and Juan Félix González González, professor at the University of Extremadura and professor of Applied Physics at its School of Industrial Engineering.

The opening and institutional ceremony will be attended by the mayor of Cáceres, Rafael Mateos; the sub-delegate of Defence in Cáceres, colonel Vicente Lunar of the Army’s Quartermaster Corps; and the director of Yuste Foundation, Fernando Pizarro.

The session is open to the public and can also be followed live on Yuste Foundation’s YouTube channel. Its aim is to encourage reflection and debate on the evolution of European defence, strategic autonomy, international cooperation and a common response to emerging threats and scenarios of instability, bringing these issues to the attention of civil society.

These sessions form part of the agreement signed by the Ministry of Defence and the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation to organise joint academic activities, among which the security and defence sessions focusing on Europe and Ibero-America as geographical areas of study are particularly important.

The European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation organises the Security Sessions under the umbrella of the School of Guadalupe, with the aim of promoting dialogue on security and defence policy, including emerging threats and challenges in the international strategic landscape, with particular attention to Europe and Ibero-America.

The European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation has opened applications for ten “Carlos V European Award – Mario Draghi” European Research and Mobility Grants in European Studies, worth €2,500 each, with the aim of driving research into some of the European Union’s main economic, political and institutional challenges. (09/10/2026)

The call takes Mario Draghi as its point of reference. He received the 17th Carlos V European Award in recognition of his leadership as president of the European Central Bank and his contribution to the stability of the euro, the ECB’s autonomy and the strengthening of the European project during one of the Union’s most challenging periods.

Under the title “The European Strategic Autonomy: Industrial Competitiveness, Economic Governance, Pragmatic Federalism and Decision-Making Mechanisms in the EU”, research papers may address issues such as competitiveness, innovation, industrial policy, economic governance, investment, energy security, the digital and green transitions, the Union’s relations with other major powers, and institutional decision-making mechanisms.

The call also places particular emphasis on analysing the proposals set out in Mario Draghi’s report on the future of European competitiveness, as well as their implications for the European Union’s economic, industrial and political integration.

The grants are open to doctoral students enrolled at universities in the countries eligible under the call who are currently preparing their doctoral theses in fields related to the proposed topic. Applicants whose mother tongue is neither English nor Spanish must demonstrate a minimum B2 level of proficiency in one of these two working languages.

The grants will fund research activities, researchers’ mobility and their participation in the Carlos V European Award Doctoral Seminar on Multidisciplinary Studies of Contemporary Europe, which will take place at the Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste. The selected research papers will subsequently be brought together in a collective publication to be produced by Yuste Foundation in collaboration with a prestigious publishing house.

The deadline for applications is 23 November. Applications may be submitted via the following link: https://www.fundacionyuste.org/en/carlos-v-european-award-grants-2/, with the required documentation sent to becas@fundacionyuste.org.

The Carlos V European Award European Research and Mobility Grants in European Studies focus on European history, memory and integration. To date, more than 140 researchers from various European Union countries and other countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Morocco, Mexico, Peru, Russia and Ukraine, have benefited from these grants.

Fernando Pizarro holds a working meeting with the mayor of Mérida, Antonio Rodríguez Osuna, as part of the round of contacts initiated following his appointment as director of the Foundation. (08/10/2026)

The director of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation, Fernando Pizarro, held a working meeting with the mayor of Mérida, Antonio Rodríguez Osuna, as part of the round of institutional contacts initiated following his appointment as director.

During the meeting, Pizarro told the mayor of his intention to bring Yuste Foundation closer to the regional capital and strengthen its role as a cultural and training resource for the city. In this regard, the Foundation’s director highlighted the opportunities for collaboration not only with Mérida City Council, but also through the consortia and networks in which the city participates, including the Group of World Heritage Cities in Spain, whose Executive Committee includes Mérida.

During the meeting, the director also offered the city access to the Foundation’s new facilities, including the Aula Magna, a spacious venue equipped to host cultural and training activities.

The director of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation, Fernando Pizarro, held a working meeting with the Regional Minister for Finance and Public Administration of the Regional Government of Extremadura, Elena Manzano, to present the activities and new areas of work being developed for inclusion in the 2027–2030 Strategic Plan, which is currently being drawn up. (07/10/2026)

During the meeting, Pizarro offered the Regional Ministry for Finance and Public Administration the Foundation’s Aula Magna, a spacious venue equipped with the technical facilities required to host meetings, conferences and other institutional activities.

For her part, the Regional Minister for Finance and Public Administration made a number of contributions to the Foundation’s working document with a view to improving the institution’s management in terms of human and technical resources. In addition, both institutions agreed to maintain regular and ongoing contact to help ensure the Foundation operates as effectively as possible.

The meeting forms part of the round of contacts Pizarro has been holding since taking up his position as director of the Foundation last July, with the aim of driving forward new proposals, establishing different avenues for collaboration and strengthening the institution’s role as an instrument at the service of Extremadura and its people.

Yuste Foundation promotes new avenues for cooperation with Ecuadorian institutions to foster training, the exchange of good practices and the appreciation of cultural heritage. (06/10/2026)

The Regional Government of Extremadura, through the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation, continues to strengthen its presence in Ibero-America by promoting cultural and academic programmes aimed at facilitating the exchange of knowledge and good practices between institutions on both sides of the Atlantic.

In this context, the director of Yuste Foundation, Fernando Pizarro, held several institutional meetings during his visit to Ecuador in connection with his participation in the plenary meeting of rectors held from 21 to 25 September in the city of Guaranda, organised by the State University of Bolívar (UEB).

During his stay, Pizarro met with the ambassador of Spain to Ecuador, Enrique Yturriaga Saldanha, and the embassy’s cultural attaché, to whom he presented Yuste Foundation’s main areas of work and its cultural, academic and training programmes.

Pizarro also met with representatives of the Organisation of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI) in Ecuador, as well as with the rector of the State University of Bolívar in Guaranda, Arturo Rojas Sánchez, to share experiences and working methodologies and learn more about the cultural programmes developed by both the Ecuadorian university and the University of Extremadura.

The institutional agenda in Ecuador was rounded off with a visit to the country’s National Institute of Cultural Heritage to explore new opportunities for cooperation. As a result of the meeting, both institutions agreed to begin working on a joint agenda for training and the exchange of experiences focused on the recovery, conservation and appreciation of cultural heritage.

The joint bid to host the meeting was presented in Ecuador last Friday and was unanimously approved.

More than 20 universities from Latin America, Portugal and Spain will take part. (28/09/2026)

Extremadura will host the AULA CAVILA rectors’ meeting in October 2027. AULA CAVILA is the Association of Universities behind the Latin American Virtual Campus. The decision was unanimously approved by the plenary of rectors held from 21 to 25 September in the Ecuadorian city of Guaranda, hosted by the State University of Bolívar (UEB).

The meeting was attended by José Javier Berrocal, vice-rector for Digital Transformation at the University of Extremadura (UEx), and Fernando Pizarro, director of Yuste Foundation. They jointly presented a bid centred on the opportunities Extremadura offers in the field of education and on the development of activities related to education and culture, with the University of Extremadura and Yuste Foundation playing a leading role in the region. Put to a vote, the bid from Extremadura was unanimously approved.

The choice of Extremadura carries strong symbolic significance, as the meeting will mark the 20th anniversary of the Aula CAVILA network, which was founded in Cáceres in December 2007 as part of the International Meeting of UNESCO Chairs on Ibero-America. Two decades later, the network is returning to the place where it was founded.

Aula CAVILA seeks to build an innovative Ibero-American virtual campus with a strong focus on social relevance, providing education and training for professionals committed to human rights, peace, good governance, addressing the challenges facing their communities and business innovation, while sharing the scientific and technical strengths of each university.

It currently comprises 22 institutions from 15 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Alongside the University of Extremadura, the founding members include the University of Guadalajara (Mexico), the University of Porto (Portugal), the Federal University of Santa Maria (Brazil), and the Argentine universities of Córdoba, Entre Ríos and La Plata. They have since been joined by institutions from Portugal, Cuba, Mexico, Bolivia, Colombia, Panama, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Argentina and Mozambique. Yuste Foundation participates as an honorary partner.

One of its most established initiatives is the International Virtual School, launched in 2013, which offers fully online short courses designed by the universities in the network and aimed at advanced students, teaching staff, professionals and graduates. The University of Extremadura incorporates these courses into its International Summer/Autumn Courses and, with the support of Yuste Foundation, up to 20 students on each University of Extremadura course can take part free of charge.

By hosting the 2027 meeting, the University of Extremadura and Yuste Foundation reaffirm their role as institutions that have helped drive Aula CAVILA since its foundation, as well as their commitment to serving as a bridge between Europe and Ibero-America in higher education.

The director of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation, Fernando Pizarro, and the president of the Provincial Council of Cáceres and member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Miguel Ángel Morales, held a working meeting to explore new projects and avenues for cooperation aimed at expanding the presence of the Foundation’s activities across the province of Cáceres. (25/09/2026)

Yuste Foundation is a non-profit public institution with a cultural, scientific, research and outreach remit, and forms part of the Regional Government of Extremadura’s public foundation sector. In Pizarro’s view, this status also entails a responsibility to bring its programme closer to the whole of Extremaduran society. “We need to reach as many citizens as possible and not remain confined to the major cities. We belong to all Extremadurans and, working hand in hand with the Provincial Council, we can bring some very interesting projects to the province”, he stated.

Pizarro explained that a large part of the institution’s activities take place at the Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste, while some initiatives are also held in the region’s main cities. The aim now is to further decentralise this programme and make it accessible in other parts of the region. “We want to reach citizens who do not have the opportunity to travel to Yuste, because the Foundation belongs to all Extremadurans”, he added.

Miguel Ángel Morales, for his part, agreed on the importance of bringing culture, knowledge and training opportunities to people across the province, paying particular attention to municipalities which, because of their location or size, face greater difficulties in regularly accessing this type of initiative.

“Institutional cooperation is essential to creating stronger links across our territory. The Provincial Council knows the needs of the municipalities first-hand, while Yuste Foundation has an outstanding programme and an exceptional capacity to generate knowledge. Bringing these two strengths together could enable us to develop some very interesting projects across the province”, Morales claimed.

The president of the Provincial Council of Cáceres also highlighted the potential of the province to host activities linked to culture, knowledge, Europe and Ibero-America, and expressed the Provincial Council’s willingness to explore new forms of cooperation that would allow the Foundation’s programme to have a wider presence across the province.

The regional minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport of the Regional Government of Extremadura, Laureano León, and the director of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation, Fernando Pizarro, held a meeting to explore new areas of cooperation aimed at strengthening Extremadura’s presence in the fields of research, culture, education and music in Europe and Ibero-America. (24/09/2026)

During the meeting, both of them also discussed establishing strategic communication initiatives to broaden the dissemination and reach of the activities carried out by Yuste Foundation.

Fernando Pizarro presented the regional minister with an overview of the institution’s main programmes, with particular attention to those related to culture, including Campus Yuste, the School of Guadalupe and the Emperor’s Concert Series. The next concert in the series will take place on Saturday 26 September at 12 noon at the Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste, featuring “Xistras”, a group specialising in medieval and Renaissance music.

“One of our objectives for next year is to achieve the widest possible dissemination of our activities and, to this end, we would like to have the support and cooperation of the Regional Ministry of Culture,” stated the director of Yuste Foundation.

In this regard, Pizarro explained that the Foundation now has new facilities, including the Aula Magna, which was designed to host conferences, seminars, lectures and other cultural and tourism-related activities. “The Foundation is making this space available to the Regional Government of Extremadura. It is a unique venue, as it once housed the library of the Hieronymite community at Yuste”, he explained.

For his part, the regional minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport expressed his willingness to “work on communication and outreach strategies that will benefit not only both institutions, but also help project Extremadura’s image beyond our borders, consolidating its role as a link between Europe and Ibero-America”. Laureano León also announced that, from next year onwards, this cooperation will take the form of “specific tasks and concrete activities”, with a view to ensuring its continuity over time.

About Yuste Foundation

The European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation is a public, non-profit organisation with a cultural, scientific, research and outreach remit. It forms part of the public foundation sector of the Regional Government of Extremadura.

One of its objectives is to help strengthen and consolidate the ties between Extremadura, Europe and Ibero-America, based on the principles of loyalty, respect for their respective identities, mutual benefit and solidarity.

With the aim of advancing lines of cooperation that contribute to strengthening relations between Extremadura and Ibero-America, and reinforcing the “Extremestiza. Extremadura and America” strategy promoted by the Regional Government of Extremadura, Yuste Foundation’s director, Fernando Pizarro, met with Carmen Sánchez Risco, managing director of the Extremaduran Foundation for Culture and head of the cross-cutting strategy “Extremestiza. Extremadura and America. What Unites Us”. (23/09/2026)

Both representatives expressed their interest in collaborating on activities related to research, the dissemination of shared history and the appreciation of their common cultural heritage. These objectives are closely aligned with the work of Yuste Foundation, which develops initiatives aimed at strengthening ties between Extremadura, Europe and Ibero-America through culture, education and training, research and knowledge exchange.

The meeting forms part of the two foundations’ commitment to fostering institutional cooperation and, within their respective areas of activity, contributing to highlighting and strengthening the ties between Extremadura and the American continent.