Webinar moderated on Cultural Diplomacy in Southern Europe

As a member of the MCAA Policy Working Group, and in my role as Science Diplomacy task force leader, in June 2026 I organized and moderated the MCAA Around the World Webinar titled

“Cultural Diplomacy with a focus on Southern Europe”. With three speakers from Spain - Marició Janué i Miret, Eva March and Jose-Miguel Pacheco Castelao - we discussed different aspects presented in a recently published book that refer to the concept of Cultural Diplomacy, and how this field has developed in three different European countries: Spain, Portugal, and Greece. The webinar has been recorded and is accesible on the MCAA YouTube channel.

Interview on Humboldt and astronomy

In May 2026, I was interviewed by the Onda Regional de Murcia on the role of astronomy as a new discipline “in the making” in the work of Alexander von Humboldt. Was he an astronomer by training? Which parts of his work are dedicated to topics of concern for this field? And what was his contribution to the development of the discipline? – these were the questions around which the discussion developed. The podcast can be accessed by following this link:

Mirando al cielo: Alexander von Humboldt y la astronomía

Selected for the 2026-27 class of fellows at the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon

In March 2026, I received the excellent news that I had been selected for the 2026-27 class of fellows at the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon. As a three-month fellow, I will work on a side project titled “George Washington and New Spain: Diplomacy, Frontier Policy, and the Pacific Trade.”

The project examines George Washington’s interactions—both direct and indirect—with the Spanish territories of New Spain during the early Republic, focusing on diplomacy, western expansion, and economic strategy. While scholarship on Washington’s relationship with Spain has mainly focused on his relationship with the Court in Madrid, U.S. territorial pursuits in Florida, and navigation rights on the Mississippi River, my research centers on his connections to the Viceroyalty of New Spain and its colonial administration, with particular attention to U.S. trade interests in the Pacific.

Member of the Research Team European Published Sources on the American Revolution

As a member of the EPSAR Team (European Published Sources on the American Revolution), which is part of the larger AMERICA 2026 Consortium, an international research project directed by colleagues in Paris, France, I am responsible for Spain. More specifically, I am in charge of examining how the American Revolution has been portrayed in Spanish contemporary publications within specific time frames. The ongoing results of my research, as well as the work of other colleagues in charge of other European countries, will be presented at the AMERICA 2026 conference in Paris, October 14-16, 2026.

Visiting Senior Researcher at the Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU) in Ljubljana, Slovenia

The Institute of Cultural History at the Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU) in Ljubljana, Slovenia, has invited me to serve as a Short-Term Visiting Senior Researcher through a program specifically aimed at fostering effective, long-term collaboration and strengthening international research connections. I will be spending one month in early fall 2026, working on my main project “Bridging Past and Present: History Diplomacy in Global Affairs” and dedicating some time to the impact of the American Revolution in Europe.

The main project explores how historical events, analogies, and narratives are used in diplomatic discussions and how these influences can shape policymaking. It argues that understanding history is crucial for making informed choices in international relations, recognizing that the past informs the present and can provide valuable lessons for navigating complex foreign policy challenges. The side project looks at Slovenia's connection to Thomas Jefferson and the American Revolution.

David Center for the American Revolution International Fellowship

In May 2026, I was awarded the David Center for the American Revolution International Fellowship to conduct archival research in support of my project, Growing Entanglements: New Spain and the Challenge of U.S. Independence, 1769–1783.

My research at the David Center, located at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, examines how the political crisis in British North America reshaped imperial governance, diplomatic practices, and frontier policies in New Spain. From a Western perspective, it analyses how Spanish officials interpreted and responded to the rise of an independent United States. Although the Spanish Court’s strategic interest in supporting the Patriots as a means of countering the British Empire has been widely studied, the Pacific perspective on the American Revolution has not received sufficient attention.

Cultural Diplomacy for International Negotiations

As a member of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST Action 24169) “Science in Diplomacy Network: implementing multilateral policymaking in intersectoral, cross-disciplinary & strategic domains” (SiDnet), I was invited to serve as a trainer at the Training School titled Frontiers of Science Diplomacy: from Technological Sovereignty to Space Geopolitics, in the era of AI, data governance, hybrid warfare, and neurotechnologies, held in Como, Italy. My presentation emphasized the importance of Cultural Diplomacy in the context of International Negotiations.

Elected as MCAA Ordinary Board member

In May 2026, I was elected to the MCAA Ordinary Board and am preparing to officially start my two-year term in September 2026. The Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) is an international nonprofit organization and alumni community for people who currently benefit from or have benefited from the European Union's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) research funding.

The MCAA Board, elected every two years to represent our members, is responsible for setting the Association's strategic objectives and direction. Five of the 11 Board members form the MCAA Executive Committee (Chair, two Vice-Chairs, Treasurer, and Secretary) and are responsible for decision-making regarding the Association's management.

Bridging research and policy: Engaging researchers in science diplomacy

In April 2026, I was part of a group of several members of the Marie Curie Alumni Association who prepared and published a joint MCAA policy paper titled “Bridging research and policy: Engaging researchers in science diplomacy” (MCAA Policy Papers, n. 2/2026). The paper welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for a Council Recommendation on a European Union (EU) framework for science diplomacy and explains why this initiative marks an important milestone in reinforcing the EU’s strategic, scientific, and geopolitical influence while advancing multilateralism. It can be accessed here

Empowering Researcher Networks as Strategic Actors in Science Diplomacy

As a member of the MCAA Policy Working Group and the current Science Diplomacy task force leader, I moderated a panel discussion on Science Diplomacy at the annual conference of the Marie Curie Alumni Association, held in April 2026 in Brussels. The session explored how researcher networks can inform political agendas, translate community-driven evidence into actionable policy insights, and preserve a stable space for collaboration during significant geopolitical disruptions.

It featured three insightful, well-prepared speakers who approached the topic from different institutional and regional perspectives: Jan Marco Müller, the coordinator of science diplomacy at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation; Luisa F. Echeverría-King, the president of the Organization of Women in Science in the Developing World of UNESCO; and Mostafa Moonir Shawrav, who represented MCAA as Executive Director and former Chair of the MCAA and EU Science Diplomacy Alliance.

Spain and the American Revolution: Opportunities, challenges, and risks

In June 2026, I contributed to the Summer School “European views of the American Revolution, 1776-1804,” held at the University of Strasbourg, France. Organized jointly by the University’s American Studies Program, the AMERICA 2026 program, and the Great Questions Foundation, the event brought together students from various European countries and the United States to reflect on the American Revolution’s impact on Europe. My contribution focused on explaining, from a Global History perspective, Spain’s motivation for supporting the Patriots and the risks it incurred to its own interests as a colonial power.

Lecturer in «Culture Management» at the Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, Germany

During the summer semester of 2026, I serve as a lecturer teaching courses on international and contemporary aspects of culture management. The broad array of topics covered includes International Culture Politics and Cultural Diplomacy, Digitalization and AI in culture management, diversity and inclusion, Audience Development, and new financial models.