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On 28 October, at 11:30 (CET), CIHEAM Zaragoza will hold the opening ceremony of the academic year 2026/2027, that can be followed in person or on line (English interpretation available).
The event will be held in the auditorium of CIHEAM Zaragoza located on the Campus of Aula Dei and will present the two master’s degrees commencing this year: Sustainable Water Management and Governance in Natural and Agricultural Environments and Agri-Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship (the latter coorganised with Campus Iberus).
The director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, Raúl Compés, will preside the ceremony, together with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (MAEUEC), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), the General Secretariat of CIHEAM, the Government of Aragon, and the University of Zaragoza, and partner institutions of the master’s programmes starting this year.
Inaugural Conference
The inaugural conference ‘Can agricultural policies deliver sustainable food systems?’, will be delivered by Jesús Antón, head of the Productivity-Sustainability-Resilience Benchmarking Unit in the Agriculture and Resource Policies Division in the OECD’s Trade and Agriculture Directorate.
Antón will examine how agricultural policies have evolved from a production-driven approach to wider objectives covering food security, sustainability and resilience of food systems. He will also address key lessons learnt from international experiences to design policies capable of responding to an increasingly uncertain global context. An economist specialising in agricultural policies, Jesús Antón has developed a large part of his professional career in international bodies and the Spanish administration. From 2014 to 2017 he led the Platform for Agricultural Risk Management in the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in nine African countries. Previously he was advisor and leader of the Economic Analysis Unit in the Ministry of Agriculture in Spain. He has published widely in different agricultural policy areas such as impact assessment, trade, sustainable productivity and resilience.
Tribute to Miguel Ángel Riesgo
CIHEAM Zaragoza will pay tribute to Miguel Ángel Riesgo, Counsellor for Agriculture of the Spanish Embassy in France and Delegate of Spain to the CIHEAM, in acknowledgement of his unwavering commitment and collaboration with the Institute during his mandate.
Ramón Esteruelas-CIHEAM Zaragoza Prize for Outstanding Achievement
During the event, the Ramón Esteruelas-CIHEAM Zaragoza Prize for Outstanding Achievement will be awarded to an MSc graduate of the 2024/2026 edition. The prize is named in memory of Ramón Esteruelas, visionary and founder of CIHEAM and president of the Governing Board between 1962 and 1983. It acknowledges the pursuit of academic excellence to enhance cooperation and development in agriculture and food within Mediterranean countries.
Programme
- Welcome address
- Presentation of academic activities for 2026/2027
- Announcement of the winner of the Ramón Esteruelas-CIHEAM Zaragoza Prize
- Tribute to Miguel Ángel Riesgo
- Inaugural Conference
- Official inauguration of the academic year 2026/2027
- Reception.
To attend the event, in person or on line, register here.
Excellence in international training
CIHEAM Zaragoza delivers highly-specialised international training, opening up professional opportunities and access to employment. The Centre also promotes research, innovation and development cooperation to rise to the challenges faced by Mediterranean countries in questions related to agriculture and livestock farming, fisheries and aquaculture, the environment, and natural resource management.
The Institute, founded over fifty years ago in Zaragoza, runs a scholarship programme that enables outstanding students from the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries to gain access to postgraduate studies in key areas for the future of the agrifood sector in the region.
For the full offer of CIHEAM Zaragoza master’s programmes consult https://www.zaragoza.ciheam.org/education/master-programmes/.