IE University consolidates its level of growth coupled with one of the highest levels of diversity among European universities

IE University has further consolidated its position as one of the European universities with the most diverse student body and faculty, with students from 95 countries. This level of diversity is the result of its commitment to an education model based on values that include knowledge generation, innovation, excellence, international focus, and entrepreneurial spirit. The University has also consolidated its growth with an intake of 750 new students who have studied in some 50 education systems worldwide, including the international baccalaureate and the very different education models in place in the US, China, Japan, India, and Scandanavia, as well as those in major EU member countries.

The Aula Magna, situated in the old Santa Cruz la Real Convent in Segovia, was decked out today to welcome students and Faculty with a ceremony divided into morning and afternoon sessions. Participants were from a broad range of academic, social and political spheres, and included Santiago Íñiguez, President of IE University, Rector Salvador Carmona, Rafael Benjumea, President of the Advisory board of IE University and Pilar Garcés, Managing Director of Universities and Research for the Castilla y León Regional Authorities. The keynote address for the morning session was given by Italy’s Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Pietro Sebastiani, while Lutz Baumgarten, partner and President of True North Partners (TNP) delivered the keynote address of the afternoon session.

In his opening remarks for IE University’s eighth academic year, Rector Salvador Carmona talked about the recognition that IE University has achieved in different international rankings which have positioned it as one of the best universities in Europe. He talked about the report published by International New York Times, which ranked IE University No. 29 in the world in terms of graduate employability. “In recognition of the work carried out by our Faculty and staff, I wanted to mention that this result was not achieved overnight. In the previous year’s edition of the same ranking we held the No. 34 position, and the two years before that we were placed at No. 43 and 45 respectively.” Carmona also mentioned the ranking drawn up by Youth Incorporated and Education Times, the education supplement of Times of India, which placed IE University in the No. 14 position worldwide and No. 4 in Europe in its 2014 survey.

The Rector invited the students to play a very active role in IE University’s very ambitious academic programs. “Our academic offerings will permit you to adopt an entrepreneurial approach in your future profession, and to develop a capacity for critical thought in the context of a powerful humanist vision.” He also underlined the fact that the University endeavored to ensure that their education would include a deep-rooted commitment to ethical standards. The IE University model is based on a highly international approach to education, latest generation technologies, an entrepreneurial mindset, a unique approach to humanities, and academic rigor, coupled with internships in business organizations. All this is aimed at shaping individuals who are able to foresee the ideas of the upcoming generation. Carmona summarized his vision of a university focused on learning with a quote from Alvin Toffler: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

In his keynote address, Italian Ambassador Pietro Sebastiani stated that “the university sector is the custodian of humanistic heritage and tradition. Its perpetual aim is to achieve universal knowledge. By definition, university education knows no frontiers, obstacles or impediments. Its vocation transcends geographical and political borders, and it provides a solid platform to serve the vital need that cultures have to meet and influence each other.”