CENL celebrates its 5th anniversary

The event will reflect on the trajectory and new challenges of the Association of Scientists in the Netherlands.

The 5th anniversary of CENL (Association of Spanish Scientists in the Netherlands) will be celebrated on March 23rd at the Cervantes Institute in Utrecht. The event will gather over fifty attendees to commemorate, review, and reflect on CENL’s journey over the past five years, including navigating through three years of the pandemic. CENL has diligently worked to establish a strong community of Spanish scientists from various disciplines in the Netherlands and to foster the growth of the Spanish scientific community in the country.

This occasion will unite more than fifty Spanish scientists across diverse fields to facilitate collaboration between Dutch and Spanish institutions. Rodrigo García, President of CENL and RAICEX, will open the event with a welcome speech, followed by a word of recognition of the work of the Association by the Spanish Ambassador to the Netherlands.

After the intervention of Noelia Lozano, former president of CENL, who will review the beginnings and the process of consolidation of the Association, the current president of CENL will delve into the current lines of action of the organization. The event will continue with a three-hour round table on the challenges and objectives faced by associations of Spanish scientists abroad, with the participation of the following representatives of friendly institutions:

• Eva Ortega, Secretary General for Research of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities;
• Inma Aguilar, General Director of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT);
• Santiago Sierra, Head of the Cultural and Scientific Relations Coordination Department of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID);
• Joaquín Durán, Cultural and Scientific Counselor of the Spanish Embassy in the Netherlands;
• Alberto Gascón, Director of the Cervantes Institute in Utrecht;
• Rodrigo García, President of CENL and RAICEX.

The event is not only a recognition of the progress made by the association on the part of the Spanish authorities who will travel expressly to the event, but also represents a meeting and dissemination point for CENL for Spanish scientists.It also represents a meeting and dissemination point of CENL for Spanish scientists who are starting their careers in the Netherlands and who are interested in getting to know and collaborate with associations of Spanish scientists abroad. The presence of these young scientists reflects the impact and growing relevance of the work of CENL and RAICEX in the Spanish scientific community abroad.