IE University and UCCI sign agreement to promote training in Ibero-American capitals
The signing ceremony, held at the Madrid City Hall, was presided over by the Mayor of Madrid and Co-President of the UCCI, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and the Dean of IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, Enrico Letta.
IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs and the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities (UCCI) have signed a strategic partnership agreement to strengthen local government training and promote knowledge exchange in key areas such as urban governance, international cooperation, multilateralism, and the development of innovative public policies.
The signing ceremony, held at the Madrid City Hall, was presided over by the city's Mayor and UCCI Co-President, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and the Dean of IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, Enrico Letta. This agreement provides a framework for cooperation and collaboration between the two organizations to jointly develop academic programs, internships, workshops, seminars, applied research projects, and other initiatives aimed at providing specialized and executive training to students, professionals, and local government staff in Ibero-America.
The proposed areas of collaboration include the organization of conferences, symposiums, and forums with experts in public policy, local development, and urban challenges. The implementation of IE University's Model United Nations (IEMUN) will also be promoted, as well as graduate and master's capstone projects, and conferences with Ibero-American mayors.
To date, the UCCI and IE University have promoted joint initiatives such as the presentation of the Atlas of Major Ibero American Cities and Capitals and the Ibero-American Good Practice Bank, as well as the 4th Ibero-American Innovation Award in 2024.
In this latest initiative, which is set to continue in 2025, IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs and UCCI signed an agreement to focus on innovative public policies in the Ibero-American Network of 29 Cities, in the framework of the 4th UCCI Ibero-American Innovation Award. As an academic partner, the School was part of the jury responsible for selecting the most transformative public policy presented by the member cities, which was won by Mexico City. The prize consisted of a specialized course, taught online by IE University, for ten officials from that city.
The signing of this collaboration agreement between UCCI and IE University is a further step forward in both organizations' commitment to advancing lifelong learning, driving innovation in public policy, promoting internationalization in local governments, and strengthening the Ibero-American region.