Team

Our team is composed of talented and experienced professionals with a shared vision of promoting understanding, dialogue and cooperation between cultures and civilizations in the Mediterranean.

Executive Presidency and General Direction

Senén Florensa Palau Executive President Senén Florensa Palau
Senén Florensa Palau Executive President Senén Florensa Palau Senén Florensa (Valls, 1950) is the President of the Delegate Committee and the Director General of the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) with the range of Executive President, Chair of EuroMeSCo General Assembly, and director of the quarterly afkar/ideas and of the IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook.

A diplomat, he holds a degree in Economic Science (1971) and in Law (1972) from the Universitat de Barcelona. He studied for his doctorate in Economics at the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne (1973-1974); as a Fullbright scholarship holder at New York University , Ph. D. Program (1974-1976), and at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, where he presented his doctoral thesis in 1979. Diploma in International Studies from the Diplomatic School of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

Professional experience

– Ambassador Permanent Representative of Spain to United Nations and other International Organizations in Vienna (2018-2020)
– Consul General of Spain in Rome (2017-2018)
– President of the General Assembly of the EuroMeSCo, a network of think tanks on Euro-Mediterranean policy and security
– Executive President of the IEMed (2013 – 2017)
– President of the Mediterranean Commission of the European League for Economic Cooperation (ELEC)
– Secretary-General for Foreign Affairs of the Government of Catalonia (2011-2012)
– Director general of the IEMed (2006-2011)
Spanish Ambassador to Tunisia (2000-2004)
General Director of the Instituto de Cooperación con el Mundo Árabe, Mediterráneo y Países en Desarrollo (ICMAMPD) of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (1996-2000)
– Spanish Secretary of the Spanish-Moroccan Averroes Committee (1996-2000)
– Spanish Consul General in Berlin (1992-1996)
– Member of the Organizing Committee of the Barcelona Olympic Games COOB’92 (1986-1992)
– Secretary-General of the departments of Trade, Consumption and Tourism (1986-1989) and of Territorial Policy and Public Works (1989-1992) of the Government of Catalonia
– First Secretary of the Spanish Embassy at UNESCO (1986)
– Director of the Technical Office of the Instituto de Cooperación Iberoamericana (1982-1984)
– Advisory member of the Office of the President of the Spanish Government (1979-1982)

He has also been Director of Studies at the Diplomatic School of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and Professor of International Economics and Development at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He is a member of the Board of Trustees and of the Governing Board of the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija in Madrid.

See full bio.

Managing Direction

Roger Albinyana Managing Director Roger Albinyana
Roger Albinyana Managing Director Roger Albinyana Roger Albinyana is the Managing Director of the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed). Roger has been working at the IEMed since 2016 as director of the Euro-Mediterranean Policies department until he was appointed Managing Director. He’s also an associate professor at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Barcelona, where he teaches international economic policy. Roger is also a board member at CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs) and a member of the Advisory Council of the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA).

Prior to joining the IEMed, Roger served as Secretary General for Foreign and EU Affairs of the Government of Catalonia (2013-2016) and was a member of the EU Committee of the Regions. From 2010 to 2013 he served as advisor on private sector development at the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean.

He holds an MA in Economic History from the University of Barcelona, a BA in Economics from Pompeu Fabra University and a BA in Business Administration and Management from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).

Selection of articles and publications:

Albinyana, Roger & Mañé-Estrada, Aurèlia (2023): Revisiting Rentierism through the Lens of Algerian Gas, Revue internationale des études du développement, num. 251, Editions de la Sorbonne, Paris;

Albinyana, Roger (2023): The Union for the Mediterranean in 2023: Stocktaking and Food for Impact, IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook, 2023, Barcelona;

Albinyana, Roger & Martinez, Edward Rodger (2022): Youth, Women and Employment in the Mediterranean region: continuity and change, IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook, 2022, Barcelona

Albinyana, Roger & Ibáñez, Matías (2021): The 5+5 Dialogue after 30 years: Prospects and Challenges for Western Mediterranean Cooperation, IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook, 2021, Barcelona;

Albinyana, Roger (2021): Tirer les leçons de la Covid-19 : repenser la viabilité des finances publiques, Afkar / idées, no. 62, printemps 2021, Madrid;

Albinyana, Roger (2020): Chinese investments as a possible driver for green energy transition in the Mediterranean region, C.E.S.I papers, Rome;

Albinyana, Roger (2020): The Mediterranean Region as a Bridge in the Africa-Europe Partnership, IDEES Magazine, number 51, Barcelona;

Albinyana, Roger (2020): “Una oportunitat perduda per articular una nova agenda econòmica i social per al Mediterrani?”, in Euromed 2020, Fundació Rafael Campalans, Barcelona;

Albinyana, Roger (2020): Covid-19 in the Mediterranean and Africa Diagnosis, Policy Responses, Preliminary Assessment and Way Forward (coord. and foreword), EMEA-EMNES studies, Barcelona;

Albinyana, Roger et al. (2020): Digitalisation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Mediterranean, studies of the European Committee of the Regions, Brussels;

Albinyana, Roger (2019): Promoting regional cooperation to foster green growth in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, IEPN papers, Tel Aviv;

Albinyana, Roger et al. (2019): Repatriation of refugees from Arab conflicts: Conditions, Costs and Scenarios for Reconstruction, FEMISE Euromed Report 2019;

Albinyana, Roger (2019): “Youth unemployment and labour market policies in the Southern Mediterranean”, in Mediterranean Migration and the Labour Market: Policies for Growth and Social Development in the Mediterranean Area, Routledge, London;

Albinyana, Roger & Mañé-Estrada, Aurèlia (2018): Energy interdependence: the linkage of the political economy of Algeria’s natural gas with that of the Western Mediterranean region. A methodological approach, UNISCI, Madrid;

Albinyana, Roger (2018): From the Euro-Arab Dialogue to a Euro-Arab Summit: Revamping the EU-Arab Partnership, IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook, 2018, Barcelona;

Albinyana, Roger (2018): The Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, between regional disarray and the search of common interests, Quaderns de la Mediterrània, Barcelona;

Albinyana, Roger (2018): “Egypt, poised for a comeback to the Mediterranean”, EuroMeSCo spot-on in www.euromesco.net;

Albinyana, Roger (2017): « L’Union pour la Méditerranée en 2017: bilan et consolidation », published in HuffPost Maghreb (in December 2017);

Albinyana, Roger (2017): The Union for the Mediterranean in 2017: Stocktaking and consolidation, IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook, 2017, Barcelona;

Albinyana, Roger et al. (Eds.) (2017): Youth Employment and Regional Integration, IEMed;

Albinyana, Roger et al. (Ed.) (2017): Conflict in Libya: a multidimensional crisis. State of play and paths towards a sustainable peace, IEMed;

Albinyana, Roger et al. (Ed) (2016): The 5+5 Dialogue as a mechanism of integration and regional cooperation, IEMed;

Albinyana, Roger (2016): A review of EU policies towards the Mediterranean (1957-2016), IEMed Focus 2016.
Carmen Medina Secretary of the Management and Coordination Department Carmen Medina
Carmen Medina Secretary of the Management and Coordination Department Carmen Medina Carmen has been working at the IEMed since 2008, currently supporting management and coordination and, previously, in the Euro-Mediterranean Policies and Cultural Action and Studies of Mediterranean Cultures departments. She was the Head of the Scientific Secretariat of WOCMES Barcelona 2010.

Before joining the IEMed, from 2000 to 2008, Carmen worked in the Cultural Section and in the Department of Technical Cooperation for Development at the Spanish Embassy in Cairo.

She holds a bachelor´s degree in Arabic Philology from the University of Barcelona (1998) and a postgraduate degree in Cultural Production and Communication from Blanquerna- Ramon Llull University (2009). She speaks Spanish, Catalan, English, French and Arabic.
Hugo Gallego-Sánchez Programme Manager of the Management and Coordination Department Hugo Gallego-Sánchez
Hugo Gallego-Sánchez Programme Manager of the Management and Coordination Department Hugo Gallego-Sánchez Hugo is in charge of planning and technical coordination of projects, annual work plans and budgetary forecasts, justifications and annual reports. Since 2010, he has been a member of the editorial team of the IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook and responsible for developing MedCronos, a unique product, which monitors the main political events in the Arab world.

Prior to joining the IEMed, he worked as project technician at the National Institute of Statistics, the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP), the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP).

Hugo holds a bachelor´s degree in Political Science and Administration from Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona) and in Advertising and Public Relations from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), as well as a postgraduate degree in International Cooperation from the UPF Institute of Continuous Education and a degree in Copywriting (Zink, Madrid). He speaks Spanish, English and French.
Patricia del Valle Events Management and Protocol Advisor Patricia del Valle
Patricia del Valle Events Management and Protocol Advisor Patricia del Valle Patricia has been the Head of Protocol and Events Management at the IEMed since 2008, although she has worked in the same department since 2003. She plans and manages the technical and human logistical needs to carry out the events organised by the IEMed. She is responsible for coordinating, hiring and managing relations with external suppliers in their field of action, prepares the expenditure forecast of each activity in coordination with the IEMed´s departments, and establishes the events protocol.

Prior to her work at the IEMed, she was responsible for human resource management in the events context, working in the coordination and execution of fairs and conferences held at the Fira de Barcelona and the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya. She also worked in the convention department of one of the hotels in the Hesperia hotel group.
Jordi Bertran Communications and Press Programme Manager Jordi Bertran
Jordi Bertran Communications and Press Programme Manager Jordi Bertran Responsible for communication and media relations at the IEMed, Jordi is the co-director of the Observatory of Islamophobia in the Media and project manager of MAGIC, Muslim women and communities Against Gender Islamophobia in society.

He has an extensive experience ranging from 1998 in the field of journalism and communications. Graduate in Communications Science (Journalism) from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), he holds a master’s degree in Communications Management and Marketing from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) and a post-graduate degree in Design and Multimedia Communication (UOC). He is fluent in Catalan, Spanish, English and French.
Xavier Aragall Programme Manager of the Euromed Survey Xavier Aragall
Xavier Aragall Programme Manager of the Euromed Survey Xavier Aragall Xavier has been Coordinator of the Migration Programmes, member of the scientific team of the Euromed Survey (2010-2019), and at present is EuroMeSCo Migration and Survey Officer, responsible for coordinating the fieldwork, questionnaire design and quantitative analysis of the results.

In the area of migration programmes, Xavier has coordinated the organisation of seminars on comparative migration policies and migrations in the Mediterranean, and the research projects “Immigration and the Euro-Mediterranean Area: Keys to Policy and Trends” and “Role of Immigrant Communities in the Euromed Relations” and books on migration management. He was coordinator of contents in the Technical Secretariat of the 2004 World Congress Human Movements and Immigration.

Xavier has written extensively on the external dimension of migration policies and the migration-development link and is a frequent contributor to various media outlets, providing analysis on migration dynamics in the region. He graduated in Political Science at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Núria Esparza Corporate Image and Graphic Design Programme Manager Núria Esparza
Núria Esparza Corporate Image and Graphic Design Programme Manager Núria Esparza Núria joined the Institute’s activities and publications area in 2002 and has been responsible for graphic design and coordination of language services since 2007.

She is in charge of conceptualisation of design and visual aspects of the IEMed´s programmes, publications and events and their adaptation to the different applications. She is also responsible for contracting and supervision of external designers, coordination of translation services, as well as managing the related administrative documentation.

Before joining the IEMed, she worked in the publishing industry (Edicions Just) (1999-2002), carrying out design and layout tasks for different magazines and coordinating the printing process, and later become the Coordinator of Advertising Services. Núria Esparza has a diploma in Graphic Design from the Llotja School of Art and Design.
Jordi Padilla Programme Manager of the IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook Jordi Padilla
Jordi Padilla Programme Manager of the IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook Jordi Padilla Jordi has been the coordinator of the IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook since 2007. He has been linked to the IEMed since 1995, first as a research fellow and later as a technician in the studies department, where he was responsible for documentation, statistical research and publication preparation.

He has been part of the editorial team of the IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook the since its first edition (2003). In addition to his dedication to the Yearbook, he has participated in other IEMed projects such as the IEMedObs, the Euromed Survey and the Observatory against Islamophobia in the Media.

Prior to joining the IEMed, he worked for “la Caixa” Foundation and in the field of opinion studies. He holds a degree in Contemporary History from the University of Barcelona and a postgraduate degree in Demography from the CED of the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Oumaya Amghar Advisor of the Executive Presidency and General Direction Oumaya Amghar
Oumaya Amghar Advisor of the Executive Presidency and General Direction Oumaya Amghar Oumaya has been a Project Assistant at the IEMed of MAGIC (Muslim women and communities Against Gender Islamophobia in society). She had previously been an intern in the Arab and Mediterranean World Area at the IEMed. 

Human Resources and Services

Anna Roy Director of Services Anna Roy
Anna Roy Director of Services Anna Roy Anna Roy is the Director of Services at the IEMed where she assumes the direction and coordination of the administration, the internal regime and the management of the general services of the entity. She has worked for more than 20 years as a legal advisor to public entities, and has gained extensive experience in the management and coordination of public projects and subsidies, coordination and administration of work teams, negotiation of agreements and contracts with public administrations and private, national entities and international, as well as in administrative contracting, economic management, heritage, risk prevention, organization, human resources, information technology, data protection and cyber security. He has more than 10 years of experience managing projects commissioned by European institutions. He has coordinated numerous projects financed by the EU in the field of cooperation and development, research, gender equality and intercultural dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

He has been working at the IEMed since 2008 where he initially held the position of Head of Human Resources and Organization and Head of Legal Advice. Before joining the IEMed, she was legal advisor for H2010, Sociedad Privada municipal, SA (2008), lawyer specialized in administrative law at Diagonal Advocats (2007-2008), director of human resources at the Argentona City Council (2003-2006) and lawyer in Barcelona Regional, Urban Development Agency, SA (2001-2005). Anna Roy holds a degree in law from UPF, a master’s degree in urban planning and real estate law from IDEC, and a postgraduate degree in data protection from ICAB.
Carles La-Rosa Economic Manager Carles La-Rosa
Carles La-Rosa Economic Manager Carles La-Rosa Carles has been the head of economic management at the IEMed since 1991, first as an autonomous administrative body of the Government of Catalonia and since 2002 as a public consortium.


He has an extensive experience in developing economic management tasks. Before joining the IEMed, Carles was responsible for accounting and economic management of three companies that were part of the Parc Tecnològic del Vallès: the PTV itself, the Centre for New Technology Companies, and the Institute of Technology and Society Patrimony of the PTV (1989-1991). He also worked as an accounting technician at Suministros ILAGA, SA (1981-1989). Carles holds a diploma in Business Sciences from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).
Raquel Pons Accounting Management Officer Raquel Pons
Raquel Pons Accounting Management Officer Raquel Pons Raquel has been working as Economic Management Technician at the IEMed since 2005 and had previously carried out other administrative tasks in the same department since 2003. She has more than 25 years of experience in different accounting departments. During these years she has professionalised in different skills within accounting and economic management.

Prior to joining the IEMed, she worked as an accountant for T-SHIRT (2002) and as an accounting clerk for P.P. SERVICE POINT (1997-2002) and ESCODA (1992-1997).

Raquel is currently finishing her degree in Business Administration and Management at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC). She speaks Catalan, Spanish and English.
Nazario Fernández Reception and Dispatches Nazario Fernández
Nazario Fernández Reception and Dispatches Nazario Fernández Nazario has been part of the IEMed team since 2007. His main responsibilities are office administrative and management support offline and online.

Before joining the IEMed, Nazario worked as office support at the art gallery Follow your Art in New York (1998-2003) and the European Parliament in Brussels (1997-1998), as well as being a salesman for Óptica Pasteur in the Principality of Andorra. Nazario speaks fluent Spanish, Catalan, Italian, French and English.
Francesca Gómez Mosquera Financial Officer of EU Projects Francesca Gómez Mosquera
Francesca Gómez Mosquera Financial Officer of EU Projects Francesca Gómez Mosquera Francesca is the financial manager of European Projects and Funds at IEMed, specifically: EuroMesCo -Connecting the Dots-, CLUSTER -advanCing youth and women sociaL inclUSion in The mEditerRanean-, CONNEKT – Contexts of Violent Extremism in MENA and Balkan Societies -, INVESTMED -Innovative Sustainable start-ups for the MEDiterranean-, CREACT4MED -Creative Entrepreneurs ACTing FOR the future MEDiterranean- and MAGIC -Women and Muslim Communities against Gender Islamophobia -.

Before joining the IEMed, she managed the European funds that promote research, innovation, growth and employment mainly, through the projects of the operational program of Catalonia financed with the European Fund of Regional Development (FEDER) within the General Directorate of European Funds and State Aid, of the Department of Economy of the Generalitat of Catalonia. She had previously been part of the Management and Economic Coordination Unit for European and National Projects in the field of research and innovation at the Catalonia Technology Centre, Eurecat.

She had previously worked for Barcelona City Council in the development of several projects in direct collaboration with Barcelona Activa and the Barcelona Public Health Agency.

She graduated in economics from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), has a Master’s and Post-Graduate in Management and Planning from the UAB, a higher degree in Tourism Management from the University of Girona (UdG) and a diploma in tourism from the University Rovira and Virgili (URV).

With extensive experience in financial management and interest in the revitalization and economic promotion of the territory, specifically in training and international multi-sector cooperation, especially in the areas of socio-economic, cultural and sustainable development.

She speaks English, Spanish and Catalan fluently, and has an intermediate level of French and Italian.
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Alba Mejías Programme manager of Procurement Alba Mejías
Alba Mejías Programme manager of Procurement Alba Mejías Alba is the Procurement Manager at the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed). She oversees the control of tenders and administrative contracting, and supervises essential processes related to insurance contracts, grants, and transparency. She also handles personnel management and is responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance and providing advice to the organization and its staff on labor and public procurement matters.

Alba has worked at the IEMed since 2021, where she initially started as a management officer in the Services and Human Resources area. Before joining the IEMed, she worked for a year in a litigation office. Alba is a professional lawyer specialized in Administrative Law and holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Barcelona as well as two Master’s degrees, one in Advocacy from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) and another in Administrative Law and Public Function from the School of Legal Sciences.
Sabina Bueso Management Officer Sabina Bueso
Sabina Bueso Management Officer Sabina Bueso Sabina is responsible for processing the IEMed’s administrative contracting files and provides support to the Economic Management and Human Resources departments.

Sabina holds a bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Barcelona. Prior to joining the IEMed in 2023, she collaborated for two years with an international music industry organization on the implementation of a capacity-building project co-funded by the European Union, assisting in the drafting of the funding proposal and project monitoring reports, and providing support in the production of the organization’s international events. She speaks Catalan, Spanish and English and has basic knowledge of French.
Judith Bonet Human Resources officer Judith Bonet
Judith Bonet Human Resources officer Judith Bonet Judith is currently the Human Resources officer and provides support at the Department of Services at IEMed.

Prior to joining IEMed, Judith worked as a lawyer in a Law Firm and has also taught Communication Skills at the University of Barcelona and the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

She graduated in Law from Autonomous University of Barcelona and holds a Master in Laws. She speaks Catalan, Spanish, English and French.

Euro-Mediterranean Policies

Jenny Gilbert PROGRAMME MANAGER OF THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN POLICIES DEPARTMENT Jenny Gilbert
Jenny Gilbert PROGRAMME MANAGER OF THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN POLICIES DEPARTMENT Jenny Gilbert Jenny Gilbert joined the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) in Barcelona in May 2021 as the Project Manager in charge of coordinating and managing the activities of the EuroMeSCo network and project.

From 2018 to 2021 she worked as a Project Analyst in the Social and Civil Affairs Division of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), supporting the Euro-Mediterranean policy dialogue processes on Women Empowerment, Youth and Civil Protection. From 2015 to 2017 she worked as a Grant Administrator for EU projects at the European University Continuing Education Network (eucen), and between 2012 and 2015 she was the Project Manager of the SGroup – Universities in Europe network, based in Brussels.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Rovira i Virgili University (URV), a master’s degree in International Relations, Development and Security from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and an international diploma in Euro-Mediterranean Policies, specialising in diaspora movements and gender. 
Ana López Project and Events Advisor, EuroMeSCo Project Ana López
Ana López Project and Events Advisor, EuroMeSCo Project Ana López Ana has been EuroMeSCo’s Dialogue and Events Officer since June 2020, as part of the project “EuroMeSCo: Connecting the Dots”, co-funded by the EU and the IEMed. She is responsible for the organisation of multi-stakeholder research and dialogue events and the production of outputs related to those events, and manages databases of policy-makers and experts.

Before coming to the IEMed, she worked as File and Documentation Officer for Tomás Alcoverro, correspondent for La Vanguardia in the Middle East, Spanish Instructor at the German International School Beirut, Events Officer at the Instituto de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores de Granada and the Spanish Embassy in Beirut. She also has experience in translating journalistic and academic documents from Arabic to Spanish.

Ana holds a bachelor´s degree in Arab and Islamic Studies from the Autonomous University of Madrid, with a semester placement at the Saint Joseph University of Beirut (Lebanon), and a postgraduate degree in Arabic Language and Literature from the Institut Français du Proche-Orient, Beirut.
Minerva Martínez Communication Officer of the EuroMeSco Project Minerva Martínez
Minerva Martínez Communication Officer of the EuroMeSco Project Minerva Martínez Minerva has been EuroMeSCo Communications Officer since February 2024, as part of the project co-funded by the EU and the IEMed “EuroMeSCo: Connecting the Dots”. She is responsible for managing EuroMeSCo social media and website and online dissemination of the project’s results, as well as increasing the project´s visibility and footprint worldwide.
Before this position, Minerva joined the IEMed as a support for the administration of the department, especially regarding the Spanish Network of the Anna Lindh Foundation and the organization of the Sea of Words Euro-Mediterranean literary contest.

She has been involved in matters of gender equality since 2018 as a member of a local feminist assembly. Minerva holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Universitat Ramón Llull, with a focus on the MENA region and politics. Her working languages are English, Spanish, and Catalan and she has some knowledge of French and Arabic.
Marco Lagae Research Officer of the EuroMeSCo Project Marco Lagae
Marco Lagae Research Officer of the EuroMeSCo Project Marco Lagae Marco is the research officer of the EuroMeSCo project since March 2024, as part of the “EuroMeSCo: Connecting the Dots” project, co-funded by the EU and the IEMed. He is in charge of coordinating the research activities and publications of the project.
Before joining IEMed, Marco completed an internship at Marco Agency, a leading communication and public relations agency in Spain; and at the Department of Interior of the Generalitat, analyzing measures to strengthen security through urban design.
Marco holds a degree in International Relations from Blanquerna University, specializing in European Union Foreign Action and Geopolitics of the Middle East and North Africa. He speaks Spanish, English, Catalan, Italian, and has knowledge of Arabic and Croatian.

Culture, Gender and Civil Society

Gemma Aubarell Director of the Culture, Gender and Civil Society Department Gemma Aubarell
Gemma Aubarell Director of the Culture, Gender and Civil Society Department Gemma Aubarell Gemma Aubarell has a long career dedicated to Mediterranean relations.

Linked to the Catalan Institute of the Mediterranean since 1989, she was Director of Programs (2000-2008) when the Institute had already become the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed).

She has been Head of Programme and Networks Unit of the Anna Lindh Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures (Alexandria, Egypt) 2009-2016. As Head of the Mediterranean Relations and European Networks Service at the Government of Catalonia, she has coordinated the Government’s Mediterranean Strategy MedCat 2030 (2018-2023).

With extensive experience in the fields of Euro-Mediterranean relations, migration policies, civil society and intercultural dialogue, she has been involved in the organization of international events such as the first Euromed Civil Forum in 1995 or the World Migration Congress in year 2004 in Barcelona. She has coordinated research teams and directed European projects in the Arab world with a special focus on the issues of education and youth. She has published articles and edited books on these subjects and has directed periodical publications in the Mediterranean area.

She is an associate professor of International Relations at the Blanquerna-Ramon Llull University in Barcelona and an associate researcher at the UPF GRITIM group. She holds a degree in Political Sciences and Sociology from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, a postgraduate degree in European Studies from the Free University of Brussels and a postgraduate degree in General Management from the UOC (Barcelona). She has a postgraduate degree in Public Management (School of Public Administration of Catalonia).
Mariona Rico Programme Manager of the Culture, Gender, and Civil Society Department Mariona Rico
Mariona Rico Programme Manager of the Culture, Gender, and Civil Society Department Mariona Rico Mariona joined the IEMed in 2003 and since then has held various positions, first as part of the editorial team of the IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook and later as Executive Advisor to the Executive President. At present she is responsible for day-to-day management of the CONNEKT H2020 project, which analyses the factors behind radicalisation of youth.
Carina Soriano Advisor of the Culture, Gender and Civil Society Department Carina Soriano
Carina Soriano Advisor of the Culture, Gender and Civil Society Department Carina Soriano Carina is in charge of coordinating the historical and heritage exhibitions and other cultural events of the IEMed both in Spain and abroad, such as cycles of music, conferences and seminars of an intercultural nature, as well as overseeing the publication of related catalogues.

Since 2012, she has been responsible for managing the Secretariat of the Spanish Network of Anna Lindh Foundation. She has over 20 years of experience in organising exhibitions and coordinating initiatives for Euro-Mediterranean cultural cooperation and exchanges.

Prior to that, she participated in the organisation of various cultural events in the city of Barcelona, in particular the 1992 Paralympic Games and the reopening of the Victoria Theatre in 1993. Carina holds a degree in PR and Protocol from the University of Barcelona and a master´s degree in Management of Cultural Companies from Pompeu Fabra University. She is a native Spanish and Catalan speaker and is fluent in English and French.
Elisabetta Ciuccarelli Programme Manager Elisabetta Ciuccarelli
Elisabetta Ciuccarelli Programme Manager Elisabetta Ciuccarelli Elisabetta has been working at the IEMed since 2007. She coordinates the interuniversity programme Aula Mediterrània, which aims to promote studies on the Mediterranean with an interdisciplinary perspective, and is the editor of the journal afkar/ideas.
Previously, she directed the Docudebats program of Arab fiction and documentary films and was part of the team that coordinated the publication of the reading guide La mar de libros para adentrarse en el mundo árabe [countless books to enter in the Arab world].

Before joining the IEMed, Elisabetta worked at the Italian Institute of Culture in Cairo (2002-2004) as an Italian teacher. She holds a BA in Oriental Languages ​​and Literatures (Arabic) from Ca’ Foscari University in Venice and an Erasmus Mundus (MIM) Master’s degree on Crossing the Mediterranean: Towards Investment and Integration . Elisabetta speaks Italian (mother tongue), Spanish, Arabic, French and English. She studied Arabic in Damascus (1997-1998) and in Cairo (February-June 2002).
Aida Traidi Programme Officer of the Culture, Gender, and Civil Society Department Aida Traidi
Aida Traidi Programme Officer of the Culture, Gender, and Civil Society Department Aida Traidi Aida joined the IEMed in January 2022. She is currently project officer of the H2020 project CONNEKT, which maps the drivers of violent extremism among youth in the MENA and Balkans region. She is also member of the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) Young Platform.

Prior to joining IEMed, she completed an internship at the International Institute for Nonviolent Action (NOVACT), providing support to the “Salam” project for the prevention of violent extremisms in Tunisia, and to the presentation of project proposals. Aida has also acquired experience in research and edition of texts by working at the Muslim Human Rights Association as part of the “La Red de la Islamofobia” (The Islamophobia network) project, at the newspaper L’Independent de Gràcia and at the digital marketing agency Marhaba.

She graduated in Sociology from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (2020), with academic stays at Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (USJ) and The American University in Cairo (AUC). Aida also holds a master’s degree in Human Rights and Democracy in the MENA region (USJ) (2021) and a master’s degree in Project Management for International Development Cooperation (UNIR) (2022). She is fluent in Spanish, Catalan, English and French, and has an intermediate level of Arabic.

Sustainable Development and Regional Integration

Antoine Apprioual Programme Manager Antoine Apprioual
Antoine Apprioual Programme Manager Antoine Apprioual Antoine joined the IEMed in 2019. He is coordinating and managing the activities of the Sustainable Development and Regional Integration Department, including the day-to-day management of the Euro-Mediterranean Guarantee Network (EMGN), the Secretariat of the MED Confederation, and the MedThink 5+5 network of Western Mediterranean think tanks. He is in charge of monitoring and analysing the main issues of the Euro-Mediterranean sustainable development and socioeconomic agenda and coordinates the drafting and edition of contents, organisation of events and public diplomacy initiatives, as well as the implementation of European projects related to the thematic of the department.

Antoine was previously Junior Research Fellow at the IEMed (2016), as well as Research Assistant at the Istanbul Policy Center (2015) and the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies (FUNDEA, 2010). He holds a master’s degree in Euro-Mediterranean Relations from Saint Joseph University of Beirut (Lebanon) and Rovira i Virgili University of Tarragona (Spain), as well as a master’s degree in History and International Relations from Sciences Po Rennes (France). He speaks French, English, Spanish and Turkish.
Nicolás Medrano Villar Programme Officer Nicolás Medrano Villar
Nicolás Medrano Villar Programme Officer Nicolás Medrano Villar Nicolás joined IEMed in 2024 as Programme Officer of the Sustainable Development and Regional Integration Department. His work in the division encompasses coordinating the Med Dialogues +2030 conference series, managing the Euro-Mediterranean Guarantee Network (EMGN), organising the Conference of Mediterranean Central Banks, coordinating the FEMISE Annual Conference, and organising the workshop co-organized by IEMed and NESA. He also monitors and analyses key issues on the regional socio-economic agenda to identify emerging relevant topics. Additionally, he contributes to the drafting, editing, and reviewing of content related to the department’s themes, and performs various administrative tasks.

Before joining IEMed, he worked at the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in the Higher Education and Research Division. He holds a degree in Political Science and Administration from the Complutense University of Madrid and a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Organisations, completed at the Diplomatic School of Barcelona (CEI International Affairs, an institution affiliated with the University of Barcelona). Besides his native language, Spanish, he is fluent in English and Italian and has knowledge of French and German.
Ángela Campos Project and Events Advisor, CREACT4MED Project Ángela Campos
Ángela Campos Project and Events Advisor, CREACT4MED Project Ángela Campos Ángela joined IEMed in May 2023 as the Events Officer of the CREACT4MED -Creative Entrepreneurs ACTing FOR the future MEDIterranean- project, which aims to strengthen the cultural and creative industries in the Mediterranean, with a special focus on supporting new sustainable opportunities for young people and women.

She oversees the organisation of the different events aimed at boosting job creation and exchange of ideas in the sector and is also part of the Technical Assistance Team that supports the civil society organisations, start-ups and artists participating in the project’s sub-grant scheme.

Prior to joining IEMed, she worked as a project management assistant for the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC) in New York. Previously, she also collaborated and worked with various organisations and entities dedicated to international cooperation and development, both in Spain as well as in Italy and Bosnia & Herzegovina, mainly in the educational and cultural fields.

She holds a degree in Humanities with a specialisation in International Cooperation and Development from the University of Salamanca (USAL), and a Master’s degree in Democracy and Human Rights in Southeast Europe (ERMA) from the University of Sarajevo (BiH), where she researched upon the role of art in post-conflict societies and reconciliation processes.

She has experience and great interest in the intersection of socio-political development and international cooperation and the role of art and culture within it, as a means of articulating dissent and dialogue between different realities and subjectivities.

She is fluent in English and Spanish, and has an intermediate level of Portuguese, French and Italian.