The CEU San Pablo University and the Royal University Center Escorial-María Cristina have unveiled the second edition of the CEU – María Cristina Summer Courses. These will take place from June 30 to July 15 in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, spanning three weeks of intensive training.
Throughout these weeks, a total of 16 courses will be offered, focusing on current affairs in law, economics, society, and religion. The presentation event was attended by the mayoress of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Carlota López Esteban; the rector of the CEU San Pablo University, Rosa Visiedo; the rector of the Royal University Center Escorial-María Cristina, P. Enrique Somavilla; and the professor of Political Science and president of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, Benigno Pendás.
The academic program will bring together distinguished speakers. In the political arena, figures such as the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles; the president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo; the president of Vox, Santiago Abascal; former Prime Minister José María Aznar; the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida; the presidents of Castilla y León and the Xunta de Galicia, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco and Alfonso Rueda Valenzuela; PP deputy Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo; and Vox deputy José María Figaredo will participate.
In the economic and business sector, speakers will include the governor of the Bank of Spain, José Luis Escrivá; the president of Iberdrola Spain, Mario Ruiz Tagle; the vice president of Mapfre, José Manuel Inchausti; former global vice president of Coca-Cola, Marcos de Quinto; and the general director of the Mutua Madrileña Foundation, Lorenzo Cooklin.
The cultural program features writer Lucía Etxebarria, painter Augusto Ferrer Dalmau, philosopher Gabriel Albiac, rancher Victorino Martín, Toni Nadal, Peruvian chef Héctor García Ribeyro, and MasterChef presenter Pepe Rodríguez. Also participating will be the bishops of Alcalá de Henares, Mons. Juan Antonio Reich Pla, and Santiago de Compostela, Mons. Francisco José Prieto Fernández, along with jurists such as Carlos Lesmes and Manuel Marchena, former presidents of the Supreme Court, and Venezuelan opposition leader Julio Borges.
Benigno Pendás emphasized that the edition will build upon the success of the previous one, combining "intellectual quality with coexistence, harmony, and closeness between professors and students." They will address challenges such as politics, economics, demographics, housing, immigration, mental health, and the rule of law. Three full scholarships per course were announced for residents registered in San Lorenzo de El Escorial.
Rector Rosa Visiedo reaffirmed the CEU's commitment to knowledge transfer and the value of the Royal University Center Escorial-María Cristina as a "leading university benchmark." Mayoress Carlota López Esteban celebrated that the initiative is "no longer just an academic novelty, but a consolidated reality that is becoming part of the cultural and university identity of San Lorenzo de El Escorial."
In addition to the academic programs, an open cultural agenda for all audiences will be offered. It will include a show cooking with chef Héctor García Ribeyro, a flamenco concert by Paco del Pozo, baroque music in the Old Church of the Monastery, and guided tours of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando.
