ICUSTA joins the CEU-Elcano Chair for the commemoration of the first trip around the world
Within the 5th Centenary commemorations of the expedition of the world’s first circumnavigation by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano (1519-1522), the Universidad CEU San Pablo and the Spanish Ministry of Defense have created a joint Chair in order to support the activities that the Navy of this country will develop over the next three years. This Chair has an inter-university and international character. It is a proposal open to society which will attempt to convey the consequences that the expedition had for the cultural and geographical evolution of humanity. Furthermore, it intends to be a reference in studies concerning the Magellan—Elcano Expedition, a permanent forum for study, reflection, and transfer of knowledge that will go beyond the occasion of the Centenary.
A series of activities has already been programed in and out of Spain in order to make well known the heroic deed of Juan Sebastián Elcano, the Spanish explorer who, leading 17 men, achieved the first circumnavigation of the globe.
The International Council of Universities in the Spirit of Saint Thomas Aquinas (ICUSTA) has joined this initiative of one of its member institutions, considering this will underscore the international character and global projection of culture which characterize our vision. Thus, its President, Dr. Juan Carlos Mena, signed the agreement which declares “to share with the Universidad CEU San Pablo, responsible of the Chair, an interest in research and knowledge transfer in History and Humanities, and particularly in Naval History and History of Exploration”. Further, it states “that this institution wants to collaborate with the International Chair CEU-Elcano, first world circumnavigation” and “will work in the development of joint activities, giving visibility to the initiatives of the Chair.” For their part, those universities that pertain to our network and have an interest are encouraged to organize academic events, especially those located in countries linked to the different stops in the first circumnavigation of the world.
In order to advance the realization of joint activities, the Executive Director of ICUSTA, Mauricio Echeverría, has had meetings with the Director of the CEU-Elcano Chair, Marta Saavedra, with the Rector of the Universidad San Pablo CEU, Rosa Visiedo, with its Director of the Humanities Department, Luis Togores, as well as with the Rector of the Universitat Abat Oliba CEU, Rafael Rodríguez-Ponga, and the Vice Rector of International Relations and Investigations of that same university, Alessandro Mini.
To find more information regarding this initiative, please visit the Chair’s web page
