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IE University is playing an active role in the fourth excavation campaign at the Monthemhat burial site in el-Assasif, Luxor, Egypt. Monthemhat was Governor of High Egypt (670-648 BC) and the fourth Prophet of Amon, and his mummified remains lie somewhere in one of the largest and most complex burial sites in Western Thebes, Egypt. IE University researchers are working with experts from Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities, under the supervision of Dr. Farouk Gomaà from Tübingen University, to pinpoint the exact location of the mummy, which has survived attacks by tomb raiders over the centuries and resisted to date the attempts of archaeological expeditions to find it. Archaeological studies and fieldwork at the site are being led by IE University professor Emilio Illarregui.  

The team is using a latest generation geo-radar to reveal hidden items and buried chambers. Coupled with tomographs, 3D scanners and radiodiagnostic aparatus, the radar is playing a major role in advancing this fourth excavation campaign. The geo-radar findings published yesterday in Madrid are positive and augur well for key discoveries over the next two weeks.

The excavations of the burial site of Monthemhat, also known as the King of Thebaid, have brought to light several important discoveries, including the sarcophagus of Nesptah, one of his sons. Researchers have also revealed that raiders had already found the remains of this wife. Monthemhat’s mummy has so far eluded archaeologists, who believe it may be buried under the actual burial site. The fact that the site comprises a total of fifty seven chambers constructed around two impressive courtyards serves to evidence the power held by the governor. “The tomb is more like that of a pharaoh than a high ranking civil servant”, says Professor Illarregui. “Each discovery is a step forward in piecing together our knowledge of a crucial period of Ancient Egyptian History.”

The archaeologists gained access to the underground chambers through 15 meter-deep wells and an intricate labyrinth where the lack of oxygen and colonies of bats hindered progress. The use of latest generation technologies to find underground chambers is key to advancing this fourth edition of excavations. A team comprising several MDs, a radiologist and a biologist are using a latest generation X-ray device, courtesy of Philips, to obtain X-rays of 40 mummies found in the tomb. Scientists are also creating a tri-dimensional reconstruction of the burial site using a 3D scanner, enabling a highly detailed virtual image of the site which will permit the analysis of the burial chambers from thousands of miles away.  

The project is financed by IE University, the Bonastre Foundation and Universidad Internacional SEK.

IE University, the extension of the IE Business School educational model to graduate and postgraduate training, and Fujitsu Siemens Computers, have implemented a pilot project during the first year of the University´s new Segovia-based degree courses so that its students can convert the notes they take into digital files in real time without the need for special paper or electronic notebooks.

The project is based on the implementation of a revolutionary electronic pen, the Mobile NoteTaker, by Fujitsu Siemens, which converts handwriting on a sheet of paper into a Word or PDF file. This latest-generation device has put an end to notes being left forgotten in notebooks and time lost searching for information. Its mechanism is as simple as that of a normal pen. The tool does not require special paper or an electronic screen and users can write on any surface. Moreover users do not need to be connected to a computer while writing, since the information can be downloaded after the work is finished using the USB cable included in the package.

The LCD screen on the electronic pen enables users to see and control the information entered in real time. Users can scan, save and share drawings, notes and meeting memorandums, talks and conferences on up to 100 pages of A4-size paper.

For Gayle Allard, Vice Dean for Research at IE University, "the project has been welcomed by every student and with enormous satisfaction. Technology is one of our University´s key commitments. Our students will join the employment market with a greater knowledge of all the technology that can be applied to their work, helping them make the transition into the business world. Accordingly, the introduction of this new electronic pen places us at the leading edge of education, equipping our students with a tool that connects the traditional world of note-taking with new digital technologies".

The IE University Professor of Biology, Pablo Tejedo, set off for Santiago de Chile in December to embark on a journey to the continent of Antarctica to carry out research work directed by Doctor Javier Benayas del Álamo from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. The work focuses on assessing the environmental effects of tourism on this particular area of the planet, which is seriously threatened by global warming.

This initiative, launched by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, has brought together forty-eight research groups and one hundred and fifty researchers from seventy-four institutions, the largest contingent ever sent to Antarctica by Spain. IE University is represented in the campaign by Professor Pablo Tejedo, from IE School of Biology, who forms part of the project "Assessment of the environmental impact of commercial tourism on Antarctic ecosystems". The aim of the study is to act as a basis for the design of a monitoring plan to assess the long-term environmental effects of this commercial activity on the fragile ecosystems of Antarctica.

After a few days in Ushuaia, where he will interview professionals from the tourist industry specialised in Antarctic cruises, Professor Pablo Tejedo will board the Oceanographic Research Ship "Las Palmas", which will provide logistic support for the expedition on its way to the South Shetland Islands. Once there, he will complete the fieldwork stage of the project, and research work that forms part of the twenty-five projects developed by Spanish scientists and financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation as part of the International Polar Year.

For a period of 20 days, from 16 January to 6 February 2009, Professor Tejedo will be visiting various locations to assess the effects of land visits made by tourists in Antarctica. During this time he will visit the Aitcho Islands, the area of Paradise Bay on the Antarctic Peninsular, Deception Island, Hannah Point and King George Island. Professor Tejedo designed the experiments that will make it possible to assess the impact of commercial tourism on Antarctic soils last year. Several professors from IE University were involved in this work, including David Melero, who helped build a sample-drying system based on renewable energies, and Jesús A. Gómez Ochoa de Alda, who proposed the use of Biolog plates to assess the changes to the microbial biodiversity of the soils in the areas subjected to greater volumes of tourists in Antarctica.

For more information: http://www.api-spain.es/

More than 500 people attended the presentation of the Master Plan of the Circle of Art and Technology (in Spanish, CAT), which took place yesterday in IE University´s Aula Magna. The project seeks to position Segovia at the leading edge of technological innovation.

The presentation was made by prestigious British architect David Chipperfield, winner of the international competition held by Segovia´s city hall to build an architectural complex on the outskirts of the town. The complex will comprise an R&D building, a knowledge centre, museum, and a commercial and leisure centre for entrepreneurs together with a conference centre.

David Chipperfield yesterday recognised at IE University that he was "very excited" about the project, the main challenge of which "is to project an idea through buildings" with a broad range of designs. The presentation of the "CAT Master Plan" of Segovia marked the end of the second edition of the Architecture Week organised by IE School of Architecture, the division of the Charter of Architects in Segovia and Segovia City Hall.

Chipperfield, who has studios in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai, was joined in the event by the Vice-Dean of External Relations of IE School of Architecture, the architect Martha Thorne, and the representatives of the other three studios that won awards in the competition: Andrés Perea, Jerónimo Junquera, Juan Carlos Sancho and Sol Madridejos.

The event was attended by the Mayor of Segovia, Pedro Arahuetes, representatives from IE School of Architecture and the Charter of Architects, and numerous architecture students from IE University and other universities.

July 2008 – IE Business School is set to invest around €14 million in the former convent of Santa Cruz la Real in Segovia to convert the building and the adjoining land into an international business university equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The project aims to make IE University a European benchmark for quality.

The venue chosen for IE’s university project is the former convent of Santa Cruz la Real, a building which was declared a national monument in 1931 and is one of the architectural gems of the city of Segovia. The restoration project for the building, which is located by the city wall and is very close to the aqueduct, was presented at a press conference in July by Miguel Sagüés, IE University’s managing director, and the architects Fernando Serrano-Suñer and Ismael Rodriguez.

The whole restoration project involves five phases which will take in the building’s 18,000 m² surface area, in addition to a plot of land covering 30,000 m² adjacent to the former convent. Restoration work began a year ago on the communal areas of the ground floor such as the cloister, the chapterhouse, the refectory hall and the dormitories. This summer, work will focus on the university’s lecture halls and include fitting automated lighting and sound systems in order to save energy while respecting the structure of the building. According to the architect, Fernando Serrano-Suñer, work on each of these two phases will cover a surface area of around 4,000 m².

After these first two stages, a third phase of restoration work will begin in 2009 and include a complete renovation project which will be presented to the Segovia City Council and the Heritage Commission during the next few days so that they can assess its feasibility. This phase will include work on the interior design and furnishings and will supplement the work carried out during the first two phases. It will also involve work on the outside of the building and the facades and a glass roof for the complex’s two characteristic courtyards. During the press conference, Fernando Serrano-Suñer insisted that the restoration work would “respect the building’s heritage” at all times and stressed that in the case of the facades, which are at present in a very poor state of repair, the aim was to “restore them to their former splendour”.

The fourth phase will focus on the total restoration of the building and work will begin in 2010. The final, most ambitious phase will involve work on urban planning, the outdoor areas and leisure and sports facilities. The idea is to provide the area which surrounds the former convent with green areas and landscaped gardens which can house open-air lecture areas, a plaza which can serve as a meeting point for students and a sports area which “blends in perfectly with the surroundings”. In addition, this project, which will be presented in report or draft form to the Heritage Commission, includes moving the current car park underground and thus providing the university with over 180 parking spaces. Above all, Serrano-Suñer highlighted that IE University aims to respect its surroundings and environment and is fully committed to respecting the extraordinary variety of natural landscapes found in the Eresma River valley, where the former convent is located.

IE University management estimates that the total restoration process of the former convent of Santa Cruz la Real will come to an end in 2014. Segovia will then be the home of an international university which will compete with the best in Europe and be equipped with the very latest technology whilst fully respecting the area’s natural and historic heritage.

SANTA CRUZ LA REAL, A NATIONAL MONUMENT

The convent of Santa Cruz la Real, which is located on the outskirts of the city of Segovia in the Eresma River valley, was founded in 1218, just two years after the creation of the mendicant Order of the Dominicans. Diego de Colmenares, a sixteenth century chronicler, reported that Saint Dominic did penance in a cave near the river to the north of the city and that he founded the order in this spot.

The convent was rebuilt during the last quarter of the fifteenth century over the old thirteenth century Romanesque structure and the current church, with its monumental portal, was built. The rebuilding work, carried out in late Gothic style, was carried out under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs and records referring to the project date back to 1478. The work was undertaken by the architect Juan Guás, who worked for the Crown of Castile between 1453 and 1496 and was the greatest exponent of the Hispano-Flemish school.

The Dominican presence in the convent lasted until the monks were released from their religious vows as decreed by the minister Mendizábal in 1836. The convent then became a hospice and, until recently, it was a nursing home for the elderly under the ownership of the Segovia Provincial Council. It has since been renovated to house IE University.

IE UNIVERSITY

IE Business School entered the world of university education in January 2007 when it acquired IE University, a sophisticated, innovative, international institution committed to the business elite with a global outlook, entrepreneurial flair and a public-spirited nature. The fact that it is the first time a business school has purchased a university means that its students have an enterprising, business spirit which is lacking in universities in general.

IE University expands IE Business School’s international educational model to undergraduate and postgraduate studies, thus creating a unique space for higher education in Europe. IE University stands for a new model of university education based on the diffusion of knowledge and innovation among the leaders of tomorrow.

IE University offers an exclusive program including subjects from the fields of science and humanities. Degrees can be taken in Architecture (English and Spanish), Communication (English and Spanish), Construction Management, Journalism, Psychology, Telecommunication Engineering, History of Art, Tourism and Biology. Postgraduate studies offered by the university will include master’s degrees in Security Management, Communication Management in Social Networks and Work Space Design.

IE University currently has approximately 1,200 students and 170 professors. Student numbers for the new university are expected to reach 2,000 in five years, with 80% of these being international students.