IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs becomes a European hub for diplomacy and technology
The School has been selected as the European hub for the Global Curriculum for Anticipatory Leadership (GCAL), an initiative facilitated by GESDA.
IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs at IE University will serve as a European hub for diplomacy and technology in Madrid, bridging the gap between science, technology, and public policy. The School has been selected as one of five major regional leadership centers worldwide by the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipation Summit (GESDA).
The fourth annual GESDA Summit in Geneve (9-11 October) focused on ‘The Great Acceleration’ and brought together leaders from around the world for a series of talks examining the opportunities to use science anticipation in addressing global challenges. During this gathering, the Global Curriculum for Anticipatory Leadership (GCAL) was officially launched by the GESDA Foundation, with support from the charity Wellcome. This pioneering initiative aims to create a new paradigm for leadership training, and IE School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs will play a central role in its development.
IE University in Madrid has been selected as one of five regional leadership program hubs and, as host institution, it will bring together in the capital of Spain leaders from European governments, diplomatic and multilateral institutions, global business and European universities to discuss the governance of emerging and digital technologies, as well as the best strategies to strengthen the connection between the academic and evidence-based policy-making. Other regional hubs will be in Istanbul (Sabancı University), Pretoria (Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa), San José (INCAE Business School) and Singapore (National University of Singapore).
In line with the desire to contribute to a better understanding and governance of technology, IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs recently launched a new Master in Technology and Global Affairs, to which GESDA will also become a partner.
The launch of GCAL, led by Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis and Enrico Letta, Chair of the GESDA Diplomacy Forum and President of the Jacques Delors Institute, gathered heads of international organizations, universities, policymakers, diplomats, business leaders and citizens to highlight the need for future-oriented and evidence-informed leadership.
"Our mission is very clear, we empower leaders from around the world and different disciplines to harness the power of scientific and technological acceleration for the benefit of people, society and the planet."
Enrico Letta, Chair of the GESDA Diplomacy Forum and President of the Jacques Delors Institute
"This is a significant step for IE University in its mission to develop innovative leaders prepared for the future."
Manuel Muñiz, Provost of IE University
The main goal of GCAL is to equip decision-makers with the necessary knowledge, skills, mindsets, and tools to navigate the growing complexities of a world transformed by rapid scientific advancements. The new initiative convenes leading academic institutions, business schools, international organizations, diplomacy leaders, industry experts and civil society partners, marking a major step toward preparing global leaders for the fast-paced transformations.
The curriculum emphasizes the integration of science and diplomacy to ensure that future scientific breakthroughs can be leveraged for the benefit of all and, through various innovative training formats and partnerships with top academic institutions, international organizations, public sector entities, and industry strategic partnerships, the initiative GCAL will build leadership capacity at a global scale.