Excellence Awards 2015

Almost like a spring tradition, again this year the ceremony for the presentation of Excellence Awards of the Social Council of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) took place. These awards are under the support of Banco Santander, through Santander Universidades, and Airbus Group. Bestowed on over fifty alumni, students, young researchers and administrative and institutional services personnel, these awards are given to honor the talent and effort of the university community.

“These awards emphasize the dimension of excellence at this university,” the second vice-president of the Banco Santander and president of the Social Council, Matías Inciarte pointed out. The director of Santander Universidades España, Pedro Alonso Gil, highlighted the consistency in holding the seventh annual celebration of these awards “which demonstrate the value of acts and initiatives with numerous factors in common: talent, ambition and loads of work”. In addition, he spoke in memory of one of the great promoters of these awards, Emilio Botín, for whom the Rector, Juan Romo also expressed words of thanks. The general director of Universidades e Investigación de Comunidad de Madrid (Universities and Research for the Madrid Community), Lorena Heras Sedano congratulated the award winners, whom she described as people who have demonstrated their vocation, dedication, professionalism and efficiency.

More than 300 people participated in this year’s version of the awards. In order to guarantee the quality and transparency of the selection of award winners, there was a select panel of thirteen experts of renowned prestige, among them UC3M Honorary Degree holders and high-level directors of large companies. One of the members of the evaluating committee, César Dopazo García, full professor of the Engineering and Architecture School of the Universidad de Zaragoza and member of the Royal Academy of Engineering, pointed out that a bonus was given to those who emphasized the economic and social relevance of their research

Research is one of the axes of these awards, which recognize international repercussions and research careers of ten professors under the age of 45, who will receive 15,000 euro annually for two years: “This award is an incentive, a stimulus to continue working”, commented one of the award winners, Concepción Ausín Olivera, from the Statistics department of the UC3M.

This recognition of our efforts represents a push forward, commented the 22 students who received awards for their brilliant academic records. Pedro Alonso Gil reminded the audience that precisely one of the priorities of Banco Santander is to support the University, “a breeding ground of talent which is indispensable for progress of society”. With him, Alejandro Jiménez, director of aeronautic system engineering for Airbus Military Transport, emphasized that joint celebrations like this one are “an important step” in that they connect the university to business, a link that is what “will be needed by the future of the country”.

The Madrid-Puerta de Toledo campus project was the other protagonist of the day for having received the excellence award for administrative and service personnel, with a prize of 20,000 euro, for the development team’s “excellent execution” and the “precise coordination”, which made it possible for the project to be launched in record time. “To renovate a shopping center and convert it into a university is a complex proposition, logistically as well as academically,” commented María Carmen Ruiz Jaramillo, from the Madrid-Puerta de Toledo Graduate Studies Unit, one of the ten members of the team who received the award in this area.

The last awards given were in recognition of the excellent careers of ten UC3M alumni. One of the award winners is Vicente Inoges, who remembers the “providential training” that he received at UC3M and that has allowed him today “to have the skills and confidence” to carry out good work and boost the growth of Airbus. Diego Sánchez, responsible for Business Development for European  and Mid East Development for Indra and freelance reporter Jairo Marso also pointed out the “excellent training” received at UC3M.

For more information:

List of award winners: See PDF
Excellence Awards 2015: www.uc3m.es/consejosocial/premios