● The politician Josep Borrell, the neuroscientist Rafael Yuste and the former deputy director of Culture of UNESCO, Francesco Bandarin, are among the main protagonists of the meeting.
● The formative initiative, which will take place between July 28 and 31, contemplates a parallel cultural program.

Within the framework of the commemoration of the Declaration of San Cristóbal de la Laguna as a World Heritage, the city hosts the first edition of the International Campus City of La Laguna, a forum of academic and citizen reflection that will bring together outstanding personalities of thought, science and politics to address key issues that cross the contemporary world.

The initiative, promoted by the CajaCanarias Foundation, University of La Laguna and City Council of La Laguna, with the technical coordination of the Fyde Cajacanarias Foundation, is born with the purpose of bringing knowledge to citizens, encouraging reflection on the future and encouraging the generation of ideas on different topics of today.

The signing of the Framework Agreement and the presentation of the Campus was held today in the Aula Magna of the Central Building of the University of La Laguna, with the assistance of the mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez; the rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco Javier García, and the president of the CajaCanarias Foundation, Margarita Ramos.

During the act, Mayor Luis Yeray Gutiérrez indicated that, thanks to this type of initiatives, the city of La Laguna is consolidated as a cultural and academic reference of the island, specifically, and the archipelago, in general. "This first international campus is another step in our commitment to place lagoon as a meeting space for thought, knowledge and reflection. Topics such as heritage, science or peace not only are part of the program, but also of the identity and vocation of this city," he said.

In addition, the mayor stressed the value of institutional collaboration, ensuring that "this campus is the result of a solid alliance with the University of La Laguna and the Cajacanarias Foundation. Together we share the conviction that knowledge must have a real impact on citizenship."

Likewise, the rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco García, highlighted “the academic excellence and the high level of the Campus program”, which will feature the participation of outstanding personalities from the international level. "The inauguration will be in charge of Josep Borrell, high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, and the Clausura will be starring the prestigious Neuroscientist Rafael Yuste," he said.

For her part, the president of the CajaCanarias Foundation, Margarita Isabel Ramos, stressed that initiatives such as this represent a valuable opportunity to continue promoting the values ​​defended by the Foundation. "This campus coordinates and aligns fully with those objectives, so it is a privilege to be part of a project that not only encourages critical thinking, but does it from a enclave as significant as San Cristóbal de la Laguna, a World Heritage City," he said.

The campus will be held from July 28 to 31 and will be attended by international reference speakers, including Josep Borrell, current president of the Barcelona Board of Trustees Center for International Affairs (CIDOB) and former high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs; The neuroscientist Rafael Yuste, a professor at Columbia University and director of the Neurorights initiative, which promotes the inclusion of mental rights in international legal frameworks, as well as the architect and former deputy director of UNESCO Culture, Francesco Bandarin.

The formations will take place during the month of July in different spaces of the municipality, including the Convent of Santo Domingo, the Teatro Leal or the Paraninfo of the University of La Laguna, so that the dissemination of knowledge framed on the campus will be combined with emblematic locations of the city, favoring the participation of the university community and the general citizenship.

Social Interest Program

Throughout four days, between July 28 and 31, the Campus will integrate the different thematic blocks in an interleaved way, which will be addressed by prestigious renowned professionals, who will act as trainers and speakers.

Among the issues that will be discussed are the disasters of war and its humanitarian consequences, the challenges of conservation of cultural heritage in a context of global transformation, as well as recent advances in neuroscience and its impact on the understanding of mind and human rights.

The first day will begin on Monday, July 28 with the inauguration and the first conference by Josep Borrell, former high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policies, with the title "The European Union between wars and elections", framed in the course on the disasters of war. The morning will continue with another presentation on the same subject, this time offered by the Spanish Army Colonel and professor at the Higher Center for National Defense Studies, José Pardo de Santayana Gómez de Olea.

On Tuesday, July 29, two contents on heritage and three will be taught on the disasters of war from the social and humanitarian perspective, in charge of the professor of the Complutense University Ana of the Galician Paso and the member of the International Humanitarian Law Center of the Spanish Red Cross, Carlos Batallas. Highlights the celebration of a seminar with communication specialists, which will be attended by journalist Mayte Carrasco; the head of the International Area of ​​Information Services of TVE, Luis Pérez; and war graphic reporter Alberto Hugo Rojas. This space will be moderate and presented by the SER chain journalist, Nicolás Castellano.

The reason for being of the heritage in the 21st century will be addressed by outstanding international experts on July 29 and will continue on the 30 Architectural from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Carmen Espegel. The Campus includes a guided tour of emblematic houses and laguneros courtyards, reinforcing the link between theory and practice in a heritage of humanity, such as La Laguna, and will take place the celebration of a seminar with the president of the International Center Foundation for the Conservation of Heritage (CICOP), Francisco Aznar, and the professors Juan Manuel Palerm and José Luis Rivero.

Likewise, the Convent of Santo Domingo will host the course on neuroscience, neurotechnology and neurode rights, which will be taught by the King's College professor of London, Katya Rubia; the director of the neuroimaging group of the CSIC Cajal Institute, Guiomar Niso; and the professor of the Carlos III University of Madrid, Jesús Rafael Mercader.

On Thursday, July 31, the Teatro Leal will host a seminar on Neurotecnology, which will feature the participation of teachers from the University of Laguna María Ángeles Alonso, Naira Delgado, as well as the Professor Raquel Marín, under the moderation of the also professor of said University Institution, Ernesto Pereda de Pablo.

As a final brooch, a closing conference will be held that will delve into the implications of the new neurotechnologies in science, medicine and society, in charge of the outstanding professor of biological sciences and director of the Center for Neurotecnology at the University of Columbia in New York, Rafael Yuste.

In parallel, and between July 4 and 31, the International Campus Ciudad de la Laguna will offer a cultural program open to the general public, which includes the projection of the documentary daughters of the Holy Land, followed by a colloquium with its director, Marcel Mettelsiefen, and the producer, Mayte Carrasco, moderated by the Canarian filmmaker David Baute. The film proposes an intimate and moving look at the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, through the parallel stories of two young people whose lives have been deeply marked by violence.

Likewise, the cultural program is completed with exhibitions, talks and the commemorative concert of the 60th anniversary of Los Sabandeños, which will take place in the Teatro Leal, one of the most emblematic spaces in the city.

Those interested in attending the campus may register, free of charge, through the website www.campusinternational ciudaddelaguna.es. The places to take part in the different sessions are limited in the face -to -face mode, and unlimited in the online modality. Cultural activities will also be free, except the Los Sabandeñosconcert, which will have a unique price of 5 euros, whose collection will be allocated to the NGO Paz under construction. The registration period is open as of Wednesday.