The Jesús de Polanco Academic Chair launches a master's program in Human Rights

The Jesús de Polanco Academic Chair, sponsored by the Fundación Santillana and the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, will be offering from next year a master's program in Human Rights and Governability. The university degree program will be one year in duration (60 credits) and will combine lectures -given by renowned specialists and experts in the fields of law, political science and philosophy - with internships at different institutions and companies. Students will also complete a final research project.

The launch of the study program was attended by PRISA chairman, Ignacio Polanco and the group's CEO, Juan Luis Cebrián, the rector of the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, José María Sanz and the minister of education, Ángel Gabilondo. All applauded the content of the program and stressed how this was in keeping with the interests, commitments and career of the late founder of PRISA, Jesús de Polanco. Cebrián also highlighted the importance of both human rights and good governance - one can't exist without the other, he said - and added that both had always informed the development of the newspaper EL PAÍS and Grupo PRISA. The education minister, Ángel Gabilondo, meanwhile pointed out that "government affairs are not merely affairs for the government" echoing Cebrián's comments that civil society and its institutions have a vital role to play in governance.

The master's in human rights is just the latest in a range of initiatives organized under the auspices of the Jesús de Polanco Academic Chair for Ibero-American Studies, set up in 2008 in honor of the founder and chairman of Grupo PRISA, who died in July 2007. Since then, the initiative has sponsored a number of educational events and seminars in the fields of media, education and democracy in the Ibero-American world.

Source: EL PAÍS