Georgetown Club of Spain

Casa
España
San Agustín del Guadalix
Georgetown Club of Spain

Alumni Association of Hoyas in Spain /
Asociación de exAlumnos de Georgetown en España Officially Chartered Alumni Association in the territory of Spain

20/11/2025

Last week, the Georgetown Alumni Club of Spain held its annual Gala Dinner, bringing together our community of Hoyas and friends in a warm, festive setting. This year, we were honored to welcome key representatives from the Madrid Town Hall, Inmaculada Sánchez Cervera, la Coordinadora General de la Alcaldía, and don José Francisco Herrera Antonaya, Director de Relaciones Internacionales del Ayuntamiento, who shared insights on the city’s growing role as a global hub for talent welcoming and empowering thought leaders from all walks of life to develop their careers and mission with purpose and freedom.

Georgetown University’s values are rooted in its Jesuit heritage and a tradition of educating the whole person. Central to this mission is cura personalis—care for the individual—which emphasizes personal integrity, respect for others, and a commitment to intellectual and spiritual growth. Georgetown fosters a deep sense of service and social responsibility, encouraging its community to engage with the world and work for the common good

As a non-partisan, non-profit group of friends inspired by Georgetown University’s spirit and values, the Georgetown Alumni Club of Spain strives to create meaningful events that strengthen connections, celebrate service, and foster dialogue. The gala was a wonderful reflection of that mission—uniting our diverse alumni community with the vibrant future of Madrid.

31/10/2025

Private dinner with MERCEDES SANTIAGO at Club Financiero Genova
Leadership series: EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (FIRST EXTRACTION)

Ha sido un auténtico placer tener con nosotros a MERCEDES SANTIAGO, Gerente General de la empresa familiar EVOO ACANTO SL. Mercedes es una empresaria española cuyo liderazgo y know-how en internacionalización empresarial, ha propiciado que EVOO ACANTO SL pasara de vender sólo en España, donde ahora suministra a clientes como El Corte Inglés Gourmet, a exportar a 25 países, fundamentalmente en Asia pero también en Europa.
Mercedes nos ha compartido su visión del sector del aceite de oliva en España y en el mundo, y el enorme valor para la salud de un producto como el que posee ACANTO, de primerísima calidad, muy centrado en el aceite de oliva virgen extra (AOVE) de extracción temprana, con un alto valor en polifenoles.
La cena se ha desarrollado en un entorno idílico, con las mejores vistas de Madrid. Para colmo, hemos tenido el privilegio de catar el aceite de Acanto de la primera cosecha, recién recolectado y aún sin embotellar. Un manjar difícil de disfrutar en el paladar en cualquier otra circunstancia.
EVOO ACANTO SL nos ha compartido un código promocional de un 10% para la Comunidad Georgetown en España: “GEORGETOWN10”, introducible en la web de Acanto (https://aceitesacanto.es/). Las botellas, que tienen producción limitada, estarán disponibles en un par de semanas, una vez terminen el proceso de embotellado y puesta en disposición para la venta.
Muchas gracias a todos los asistentes. La conversación, preguntas y discusión han sido de gran valor y han ayudado a que esta experiencia sea inolvidable. https://www.google.com/url?q=https://guclubofspain.es/events/breakfast-with-mercedes-santiago/&source=gmail-imap&ust=1762513293000000&usg=AOvVaw0aCg8tqmmoT9_BUW7mnL0I

06/09/2025

On Thursday we welcomed all the exchange students that are going to be studying this year in Spain. Welcome to the neighborhood, Hoya Saxa!!!

02/06/2025

On May 30th- June 1st, we continued our Club's "National Events" chapter with an unforgettable weekend at La Rioja.

On this trip, on Friday night, we visited Laguardia, one of the most beautiful villages in our country, and had dinner at the traditional wine cellar, "Entreviñas y Olivos."

On Saturday morning, we visited the area, full of great wineries. We had the pleasure of visiting BERONIA, the most sustainable winery in the world. At Beronia, thanks to Rosemary Murray Blake and Luis González-Sterling, we were given a private tour by the winery and we had lunch there with amazing views of the winery, whose conception and architectural design are also outstanding. In the evening, our member Clara Pang and her husband César, hosted a reception at their residence in Haro: we had an unforgettable evening with Spanish food, wine, and top single malts. Thank yo,u Clara and César, for such a wonderful night!!!

On Sunday morning, we headed to Elciego, where we visited Marqués de Riscal; there, we had some drinks at its well-known hotel, designed by Frank O. Gehry, before heading to Logroño, to experience the "tapas and wine" experience at the famous calle Laurel doing "la ronda" in different bars.

Once again, it was an honor to live such a great Hoya experience together!!!

07/02/2025

Ayer celebramos nuestra tradicional misa de principio de año, que como siempre continuó con la tortilla de patata de José Luis 😋

15/11/2024

Earlier this week, Juan Luis Manfredi moderated a critical conversation on the future of transatlantic relations in the midst of changing global diplomacy. Alongside Áurea Moltó and Esteban Hernández, he discussed the direction of European relations to the United States and the world in light of the recent US presidential election. Manfredi served as Prince of Asturias Chair at Georgetown University. What an amazing event!

15/07/2024

On July 13th, we continued our Club’s “National Events Series” with an unforgettable Saturday in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Segovia.

On this trip, we had the opportunity to visit the magnificent Art Exhibition titled, “Art Trends in Spain from 1950 -2000”, hosted in the Medieval 13th Century museum, Torreón de Lozoya.

The exhibition was produced and created by the Art, Culture and Heritage Foundation (Fundación Arte, Cultura y Patrimonio - https://lnkd.in/e7wRBHmz), and includes more than 100 works of art on loan from foundations, museums and private collections. It includes several masterpieces from the best Spanish artists of the second half of the twentieth century, including Eduardo Chillida, Fernando Zóbel, Antoni Tapiés, Luis Feito, Jorge Oteiza, Manuel Millares, Manuel Rivera, Gerardo Rueda, Eusebio Sempere, Pablo Palazuelo, Juan Genovés, Esteban Vicente and Juan Barjola, among others.

We were very honored to have the President of the Foundation, Jose Manuel de Riva, co-hosting the visit, along with other members of the Foundation’s Patronage.

After visiting the exhibit, we had the opportunity to visit the city and then we headed to Mesón de Cándido, a very traditional restaurant founded in 1453 by King Enrique IV of Castile, and located in front of Segovia’s Roman Aqueduct, where we had the opportunity to enjoy the internationally acclaimed suckling pig “cochinillo” served by Cándido himself, who recited traditional poems during a typical preparation ceremony just for our group.

To finalize the visit, we had the opportunity to enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the city in the Segovia family home of a member the Georgetown Club of Spain’s Executive Committee.

11/06/2024

On June 7th-9th, we continued our Club’s “National Events” chapter with an unforgettable weekend at Elche.

On this trip, we had the opportunity to visit the palm grove of Elche, a World Heritage jewel and the biggest in extension in Europe, as well as some of the relevant vegetable patches. Additionally, we were really honored to meet in person the Mayor of Elche, who was really kind to host us in the town hall, one of the nicest in the world.

We started our weekend at a reception on Friday 7th at the Hotel Huerto del Cura, followed by a private guide through Elche, ending up with a cocktail at the Basilica and having an exclusive dinner at Huerto del Cura. On Saturday morning, the major Pablo Ruz hosted us in the town hall, where we had a very rich discussion. We then headed to Santa Pola, where we met former President of Spain Mariano Rajoy and where we had an excellent lunch (local fresh fish and paella) at Batiste. At night, we had a rich time together to experience the gastronomy and social life of Elche.

On Sunday morning, we followed a guided tour within the Portos garden, one of the most significant vegetable patches in Elche. There, we had the opportunity to know local traditions, to visit a typical farm house and to understand the way local farmers grow palms, extract dates and cultivate the white palms for the Palm Sunday.

08/06/2024

Desde Georgetown Club of Spain agradecemos el calido recibimiento del alcalde al . Es todo un lujo haber tenido esta gran bienvenida

06/06/2024

Yesterday, the Georgetown Club of Spain held another meeting of the Leadership Series about Perspectives on Talent and Competitiveness in Spain. This time it was the time for gastronomy, one of the most differential fields we have as a country.

We had the privilege to count on Alberto Chicote for an exclusive breakfast. Chicote is one of the most reputed chefs in Spain, known as a father of fusion cuisine. Chicote is known not only because of his talent as a chef, but he is also famous as a TV presenter, playing a key role in TV shows such as “Nightmare in the Kitchen” or “Top Chef.” Because of his success and soft skills, Chicote has co-presented the TV New Year’s Eve clock struck program for a decade.

Today, Chicote shared with us some of the best leadership and career advice on a lifetime of experiences, giving us invaluable insights into the position Spanish cuisine plays at a global level, sharing the ingredients and the big changes/adaptations the sector incorporated in the past two-three decades that were key to make the sector grow in competitiveness. Notwithstanding, Chicote highlighted the need to get more investment to make a greater promotion on our products and of our culinary strengths as a country, as we have really talented professionals in this sector and plenty of room to grow, especially bearing in mind that other countries are investing substantially to promote their cuisine and we might lag behind. In other words, following a Formula 1 example, even if we had the best drivers in the world, we would not be able to win races unless we also had the best cars. Additionally, in this line to increase exports, Chicote referred to the potential for our tapas as a simple and easy product to carry abroad as well as the enormous powerfulness of using social media and communication to reach consumers.

It was a real privilege for all attendants who had the opportunity to ask questions in a very easy-going environment with one of the most prominent chefs and presenters. We enjoyed a lot this one-time experience!!!

27/05/2024

On Thursday, May 23th 2024, we organized a club discussion with Haizam Amirah-Fernández on the conflict in Gaza.

Haizam Amirah-Fernández is a Senior Analyst for the Mediterranean and the Arab World at Elcano Royal Institute and a Professor of International Relations at IE University. He specializes in international relations and the political economy of the Middle East and North Africa, political Islam, and transitions to democracy in the Arab world, where he has lived for over sixteen years.

Professor Amirah-Fernández has published extensively on Middle Eastern and North African affairs, and he is co-editor of books on North Africa and Euro-Mediterranean relations. He has lectured at universities in Europe, MENA countries, and the U.S.
Professor Amirah-Fernández holds a BA from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and an MA in Arab Studies on a Fulbright Scholarship from Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. He completed his studies at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He has worked for the United Nations in New York and Human Rights Watch in Washington, DC, and he is a frequent commentator in the Spanish and international media. He speaks Spanish, Arabic, English, and French.

In a close and relaxed atmosphere, Haizam gave us a master history class while explaining the current geopolitical situation in the Middle East, connecting the dots among the several players involved in the region. Furthermore, he analyzed the implications that this conflict, which at first might seem distant to us, has for Spain. Haizam gave an empirical answer to what is at stake for all stakeholders involved.

We were especially happy to have 3 Georgetown students with us who are studying abroad in Madrid this semester. During the discussion, they contributed their points of view on the conflict and opened a debate about the media war that is taking place in the West.

30/04/2024

Last week, we were highly privileged to have with us Francisco Bisbal, just retired Lieutenant General of the Spanish Marine Infantry. He is the highest rank in this position and the only Lieutenant General in the 487 years of history of the Marine Infantry. Lieutenant General Bisbal shared his insights with us about the geo-strategic situation of ongoing conflicts (Ukraine, Gaza, Middle East), the current state of Spain’s armed forces, and the response capacity in the event of an escalation of a military conflict.

It was a compelling and very rich conversation. Mr. Bisbal is recognized for his leadership in key international missions (Iraq, Haiti, Bosnia). His career is marked by top academic honors, strategic NATO roles, and prestigious awards such as the U.S. Bronze Star Medal, the San Hermenegildo Gran Cruz, and the Marine Gran Cruz.

We learned a lot and were very lucky to count on the Lieutenant’s point of view on top topics you never hear in the public press. Our time today went too fast. The atmosphere, once again, was amazing.

You can read more about Francisco Bisbal here: https://emad.defensa.gob.es/Galerias/emad/files/CV_TG_Francisco_Bisbal.pdf.

Thank you, Lieutenant General, and also José Ignacio López, Hoya and Club member, who made this event possible.

Dirección

Chopos 222
San Agustín Del Guadalix
28750

Página web

http://alumni.georgetown.edu/

Notificaciones

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