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 has been working at the IEMed since 2016 and as an associate professor at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Barcelona, where he teaches international economic policy. He has published numerous papers and articles in his fields of expertise. Roger is also a board member at CIDOB and a member of the Advisory Council of EMEA.

Prior to joining the IEMed, Roger served as Secretary 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).
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 Advisor of the Management and Planning Department Hugo Gallego-Sánchez
Hugo Gallego-Sánchez Advisor of the Management and Planning 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 fluent 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.

Human Resources and Services

Anna Roy Director of Services Anna Roy
Anna Roy Director of Services Anna Roy Anna has been working as Head of Human Resources and Organisation and Head of Legal Advice since 2008. She has over 18 years of experience in legal advice to public entities and in coordination and administration of staff. She is in charge of managing public subsidies, processes of administrative contracting, as well as the negotiation and preparation of agreements and contracts, both with public administrations and with private, national and international entities.

Prior to joining the IEMed, she was a Legal Advisor for L’H 2010, Societat Privada Municipal, SA (2008), a lawyer specialising in administrative law at Diagonal Advocats (2007-2008), Director of Human Resources at Argentona City Council (2003-2006), and a lawyer at Barcelona Regional, Urban Development Agency, SA (2001-2005). Anna Roy holds a bachelor´s degree in Law, a master’s degree in Town Planning and Real Estate Law from IDEC, and a postgraduate degree in Data Protection from the 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.
Alba Mejias Management Officer of the Services and Human Resources Department Alba Mejias
Alba Mejias Management Officer of the Services and Human Resources Department Alba Mejias Alba has provided administrative support in the Human Resources Department at the IEMed since 2021. She is in charge of monitoring the processes related to administrative contracting, supports the management of subsidies, and supervises the actions concerning occupational risk prevention. Moreover, she organises and maintains the department documentary archive.

Before joining the IEMed, she did an internship at the law firm “Bufete Lemus” between February 2020 and February 2021. Alba holds a bachelor’s degree in Law from Barcelona University. Currently she is doing a master’s degree in Law.
Alberto Cerezo Programme Manager of European projects Alberto Cerezo
Alberto Cerezo Programme Manager of European projects Alberto Cerezo Alberto Cerezo joined the European Institute of the Mediterranean in 2022 to coordinate the European funded projects, as well as advise in this sense to the scientific coordinators, teams of each area and partners of the ongoing projects. Also, he is responsible for the identification, coordination and preparation of new proposals.

Previously, he developed his professional career in the sectors of culture and development, as programme officer at Interarts Foundation for International Cultural Cooperation (2020-2022), and the UNESCO Mexico Office (2007-2011); and education, as responsible for international partnerships and mobility at EAE Business School, Grupo Planeta (2017-2020), and project officer of European youth programmes at the Murcia City Council (2013-2014). In Germany, he obtained a Master degree in Intercultural Communication and European Studies at the Fulda University of Applied Sciences, and a specialization in Peace and Conflicts at the Academy for Conflict Transformation in Cologne. He speaks English, German and Spanish, and continues learning Catalan.

Euro-Mediterranean Policies

Emmanuel Cohen-Hadria Director of the Euro-Mediterranean Policies Department   Emmanuel Cohen-Hadria
Emmanuel Cohen-Hadria Director of the Euro-Mediterranean Policies Department   Emmanuel Cohen-Hadria Emmanuel is the Director of the Euro-Mediterranean Policies Department. An expert on European Foreign Policy in the MENA region, he is also the Team Leader of “EuroMeSCo: Connecting the Dots”, a project involving think tanks around the region and contributing to evidence-based policy-making in the field of economic development, migration and security. Over the last few years, he has been involved in various public diplomacy initiatives related to Euro-Mediterranean affairs.

Before joining the IEMed in 2015, Emmanuel worked for eight years for the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS). He was posted in the Western Balkans between 2006 and 2011. Back at the headquarters, he worked in the office of the Deputy Secretary General of the EEAS. Emmanuel holds a master’s degree from the College of Europe in Bruges and graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris. He works with English, Spanish and French and has some knowledge of Arabic.
Jenny Gilbert Programme Manager of the EuroMeSCo Project Jenny Gilbert
Jenny Gilbert Programme Manager of the EuroMeSCo Project 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 Events and Dialogue Officer of the EuroMeSco Project Ana López
Ana López Events and Dialogue Officer of the 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.
Pol Alberti Viñas Communications Officer of the EuroMeSco Project Pol Alberti Viñas
Pol Alberti Viñas Communications Officer of the EuroMeSco Project Pol Alberti Viñas Pol joined the IEMed team in November 2022 as the Communications Officer in charge of coordinating and distributing content to promote the activities of the “EuroMeSCo: Connecting the Dots” network and project.

Before joining the IEMed, Pol was an intern at the communications department in the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM); prior he worked at the Catalan Association of Public Universities / Global University Network for Innovation (ACUP/GUNI), at the hacktivist network XNet, and at the Centre Internacional Escarré per a les Minories Ètniques i Nacionals (CIEMEN). He also has some experience in acting and voice acting.

Pol holds a bachelor´s degree in International Relations at the Ramon Llull University, with a semester placement at the Université Catholique de Louvaine (Belgium); a postgraduate degree in Technopolitics and Digital Rights from the Pompeu Fabra University; and a master’s degree in International Security from the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals. He speaks fluent Catalan, Spanish and English; has a decent command over Arabic, French and Italian; and some knowledge of Russian and Icelandic.
Jorge Piñera Álvarez Research Officer of the EuroMeSCo Project Jorge Piñera Álvarez
Jorge Piñera Álvarez Research Officer of the EuroMeSCo Project Jorge Piñera Álvarez Jorge has been a research officer for the EuroMeSCo project since February 2023, as part of the “EuroMeSCo: Connecting the Dots” project, created by the EU and the IEMed. He is in charge of coordinating the research activities and publications of the project, as well as the Euromed Young Researchers Lab.

Before joining the IEMed, Jorge collaborated with the Institut d’Estudis Europeus of the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona; he was a research assistant in the area of global geopolitics and security at CIDOB, and did an internship at the Tuning Academy research center.

Jorge is a double graduate in Law and International Relations from the University of Deusto, studied a semester abroad at Masaryk University (Czech Republic) and has a Master’s Degree in European Integration with a focus on Foreign Action from the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona. He speaks Spanish, English, French and Euskera, and has basic knowledge of Catalan.

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 is currently studying for a postgraduate course in Public Management at the School of Public Administration of Catalonia.
Mariona Rico Programme Manager of the CONNEKT and MAGIC Projects Mariona Rico
Mariona Rico Programme Manager of the CONNEKT and MAGIC Projects 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.
Karina Melkonian Programme Manager of the CLUSTER Project Karina Melkonian
Karina Melkonian Programme Manager of the CLUSTER Project Karina Melkonian Karina Melkonian is Project Manager of “CLUSTER – advanCing youth and women sociaL inclUSion in The MEditerRanean”, co-funded by ENI CBC Med. She coordinates the technical, financial and administrative management of the project in close coordination with the project team and partners. She also manages the Euro-Mediterranean Women’s Foundation (EMWF)’s online platform.

Previously, as part of her role as EuroMeSCo Officer at the IEMed, she coordinated the drafting, peer review and editing processes leading to the EuroMeSCo publications and was also responsible for the activities related to the Euromed Young Researchers Lab.

Before joining the IEMed, she coordinated for two years the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Immigration at the University of Pompeu Fabra, where she earned her Master’s degree in Migration Studies. She also worked for three years at the Danish Refugee Council, the first NGO to intervene in the Syrian Crisis in Lebanon, and at the Aga Khan Development Network, as part of the Government of Canada’s Refugee Resettlement Program.

She earned her Master’s degree in Migration Studies at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Her thesis examined the negative effect of the secondary exposure of humanitarian workers to the traumatic experiences of aid recipients, referred to as compassion fatigue. She also attended the Summer Course in Forced Migration at the University of Oxford. She is fluent in Armenian, Arabic, English, and French.
Gloria Tarno Management and Communications Officer of the CLUSTER Project Gloria Tarno
Gloria Tarno Management and Communications Officer of the CLUSTER Project Gloria Tarno Gloria Tarno is the management and communications officer of the ENI CBC MED-funded CLUSTER Project, which aims to to tackle social exclusion and poverty amongst young NEETS and women in Cyprus, France, Italy, Jordan, Palestine, Spain, and Tunisia

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences and Administration Studies by the University of Granada and a master’s degree in European Neighbouhood Policy from the College of Europe in Natolin. During her studies, she specialized in the political system of Turkey and the role of minorities in the country, as well as in the Southern ENP and Euro-mediterranean partnership. Before joining cluster, she coordinated the Local European Youth Event in Santander, organized by the European Parliament.

She is fluent in Spanish and English and has an intermediate level of French.
Aida Traidi Officer of the CONNEKT Project Aida Traidi
Aida Traidi Officer of the CONNEKT Project Aida Traidi Aida joined the IEMed as a Mediterranean Programme Trainee in January 2022. She is part of the team of the Arab and Islamic World Department, and she is currently research officer of H2020 project CONNEKT H2020 project, which analyses the factors behind radicalization of youth.

Sustainable Development and Regional Integration

Antoine Apprioual Programme Manager of the Sustainable Development and Regional Integration Department Antoine Apprioual
Antoine Apprioual Programme Manager of the Sustainable Development and Regional Integration Department 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.
Cristina Valero Programme Manager of the INVESTMED and CREACT4MED projects Cristina Valero
Cristina Valero Programme Manager of the INVESTMED and CREACT4MED projects Cristina Valero She is the project manager of INVESTMED – InNoVativE Sustainable sTart-ups for the MEDiterranean- and CREACT4MED – CReative Entrepreneurs ACTing FOR the future MEDiterranean -, which aim to support new sustainable opportunities for young people and women in the Mediterranean countries.

Prior, Cristina has worked during four years at Wallonie-Bruxelles International, the Belgian organism in charge of international relations in French-speaking Belgium, as a project manager of international mobility programmes. She has also worked as coordinator and head of the academic programme at the Casal Català in Brussels (Institut Ramon Llull). Previously, she worked for two years at the Generalitat de Catalunya, as a legal expert for the development of European Social Fund programmes.

Cristina has experience and interest in human and sustainable development policies, and in the protection and respect of Human Rights, and has been a participant and representative of the Council of Europe in numerous youth, development and justice projects.

She has a background in law from the URV with a focus on the EU institutional system, policies and programmes from the University of Groningen and the CEI International Affairs.
She is fluent in Catalan, Spanish, English, French and Italian.
Francesca Pugliese Manager and communication officer of the INVESTMED Project Francesca Pugliese
Francesca Pugliese Manager and communication officer of the INVESTMED Project Francesca Pugliese Francesca Pugliese is the manager and communication officer of the INVESTMED Project , which aims to support new sustainable opportunities for young people and women in three Mediterranean countries: Egypt, Lebanon, and Tunisia, to create socially and environmentally responsible jobs.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economic Development, International Socio-sanitary Cooperation, and Conflict Management and a master’s degree in Development Economics from the University of Florence.
She is interested in data analysis, international trade, and the history of the Middle East. During her studies, she specialized in the Lebanese socioeconomic context and history, the dynamics of the economic relations between China and the US, and the subsequent impact on European trade.
She is fluent in Italian, Spanish, English, and French.

Arab and Islamic World

Elisabetta Ciuccarelli Management Officer of the Arab and Islamic World Department Elisabetta Ciuccarelli
Elisabetta Ciuccarelli Management Officer of the Arab and Islamic World Department 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 managed the Arabic fiction and documentary film series “Docudebats” and was a member of the team that coordinated the publication of the reading guide La mar de libros para adentrarse en el mundo árabe.

Before coming to the IEMed, Elisabetta worked at the Italian Institute of Culture in Cairo (2002-2004) as an Italian teacher. She graduated in Oriental Languages and Literatures (Arabic) from Ca’ Foscari University in Venice and holds the master’s degree Crossing the Mediterranean: Towards Investment and Integration (MIM). Elisabetta speaks Italian (native), Spanish, Arabic, French and English. She studied Arabic in Damascus (1997-1998) and Cairo (February-June 2002).
Oumaya Amghar Officer of the MAGIC Project Oumaya Amghar
Oumaya Amghar Officer of the MAGIC Project Oumaya Amghar Oumaya Amghar is 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. 
 
She studied Political Sciences and Administration at Pompeu Fabra University and holds a master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Organisations at the CEI International Affairs (University of Barcelona). She was an intern in the Spanish Consulate in Nador (Morocco), a project assistant in Fundació Servei Solidari of the European Project SESAME (Social Enterprise by Synergy and the Added Value of Youth Mentoring in Europe) and she worked at Pompeu Fabra University with students from Georgetown University. Also, her master’s thesis “Los nuevos movimientos de protesta en el mundo árabe: el caso del Líbano e Irak” was published by the University of Barcelona. She speaks Spanish, Arabic, Catalan, English and French.