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Harvard professors Steven Pinker and Daniel Ziblatt and Sergey Paltsev, Director of MIT's Science and Policy of Global Change Program, are set to participate at the 'World in Progress Barcelona' Forum

02-10-2024

  • The inaugural edition of this conference will be held on October 14 and 15 at the CaixaForum in Barcelona
  • Participants will include economist Mariana Mazzucato, columnist Anne Applebaum, author Javier Cercas, and philosopher Daniel Innerarity
  • Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, will inaugurate the forum, which will also feature former Italian Prime Ministers Matteo Renzi and Enrico Letta, former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, President of the Hauts-de-France region Xavier Bertrand, former Foreign Ministers of Spain and Israel José Manuel García Margallo and Shlomo Ben Ami, and former U.S. Ambassador to Spain, Julissa Reynoso


A forum aimed at shaping the future: World in Progress (WIP) Barcelona will center its discussions on key global issues such as the challenges of globalization, the erosion of democracies, the struggles of states to adequately address citizens’ needs, the future of industry, the threats posed by disinformation, and our shared responsibility to mitigate climate change. These critical topics will be debated by political leaders and renowned international experts from the fields of economics, sociology, philosophy, and journalism at this forum hosted by PRISA, EL PAÍS, and Cadena SER on October 14 and 15, positioning Barcelona as a focal point for the world’s most pressing concerns.

PRISA Group, through its pair of flagship media outlets, has thus embraced its commitment to fostering and promoting quality news, information, and expert discourse. This forum, designed with a truly global and forward-looking perspective, seeks to promote thoughtful reflection, knowledge exchange, and debate on the shared challenges, risks, and opportunities facing nations worldwide.

And to ensure a truly global exchange of ideas, WIP Barcelona will be welcoming a range of leading international figures. Representing the academic world and the social sciences, Harvard University professors Steven Pinker, a renowned psychologist and cognitive scientist, and Daniel Ziblatt, a political scientist and co-author of How Democracies Die, will be leading the debate.

From an international, geopolitical perspective, the forum will feature former Italian Prime Ministers Matteo Renzi and Enrico Letta, former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, President of the Hauts-de-France region Xavier Bertrand, and former foreign ministers of Spain and Israel José Manuel García Margallo and Shlomo Ben Ami. Former U.S. Ambassador to Spain Julissa Reynoso will also participate.

On the economic front, influential figures such as Indra Chairman Marc Murtra, Iberia Chairman Marco Sansavini, and The Washington Post columnist Anne Applebaum will contribute to the conversations.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will open the event, joined by national political leaders including María Jesús Montero, Spain’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; Yolanda Díaz, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor and Social Economy; Salvador Illa, President of the Generalitat de Catalunya; and Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona.

WIP Barcelona is proudly sponsored by Telefónica, the Fundación La Caixa, Iberia, Indra, and Naturgy, with additional support from Foment del Treball and Barcelona City Council. Collaborators include Roman and Thinking Heads.

For further information, please visit: https://www.worldinprogress.es/

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