Spain Alumni
There are an estimated 10,000 University of California alumni living and working in Spain. Over the 2023-24 fiscal year, the Trust has significantly expanded its programming in Europe, with a primary focus on growing the alumni network in Spain. There are active alumni groups in both Barcelona and Madrid and both have UC wide networks. UC Barcelona hosts bi-monthly activities and events, such as Museum trips, Beach Volleyball, Hikes, Social Nights, and a Book Club.
In October 2023, the UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) travelled to Spain to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the exchange with the University of Barcelona. The UC Trust and UCEAP partnered to host a dinner for local alumni and current student scholarship recipients, becoming our 4th most attended event of the fiscal year. Through this collaboration, we identified the future UC Alumni UK Student Gala Speaker and began cultivating a dedicated group of volunteers to expand alumni engagement in the region.
Following the celebration in Barcelona, we hosted a networking evening in Madrid that was also highly successful, with representation from nine out of the ten UC campuses. Throughout the fiscal year, we developed a diverse events program aligned with our key pillars: enriching the alumni experience, enhancing the student experience, fostering academic exchange, and offering alumni opportunities to give back to the UC community.
In February, we partnered with IE University in Madrid to host a talk and networking reception featuring Berkeley Professor Ikhlaq Sidhu, who spoke about artificial intelligence. 'Knowledge exchange' is a vital aspect of our programming, as we aim to provide alumni with continued access to the academic rigor they experienced at UC. This event ranked as our fifth most attended for the fiscal year.
In Barcelona, we cultivated a strong base of alumni volunteers eager to support our educational, social, and connection-oriented programming. In June 2024, we hosted a series of mini-talks by UC alumni who have transitioned to academia, at lESE Business School in Barcelona. This event attracted alumni from across the UC system, many of whom were new to the city and interested in connecting on both social and professional levels.
The president of the UC-wide Barcelona group is Ajay Gandhi, a UC Santa Cruz alum.
Ajay Gandhi, UC Barcelona Chapter President
UC Santa Cruz (MPhys, MSc, PMP)
"From my experience at UCSC, I will always take with me the joys of multiculturalism and spaces for forming new connections, as well as my love for being in nature. With a lack of these 'third spaces' in the modern world, I voluntarily collaborate with UC Trust to set up a network of UC alumni and friends to unite us in setting up and founding the Barcelona chapter. I believe by trying new things together and sharing experiences, with diverse people and perspectives, we can collaborate to make a difference, one conversation at a time. And with our experience of UC and Barcelona, the foundations have been set to explore and discover together."
Contact Ajay here.