Madrid, Spain – As part of his institutional agenda in the Kingdom of Spain, Dr. Leonel Fernández, President of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), held an academic meeting with young students from the José Ortega y Gasset–Gregorio Marañón Foundation, most of them Dominican nationals, in a space for reflection focused on the major challenges of the contemporary world.
The conversation, held at the headquarters of the Ortega-Marañón Foundation—an institution of recognized international prestige in the fields of education, research, and the promotion of plural thought—was developed as an open dialogue on leadership, democracy, education, innovation, and global transformation.
During his remarks, the former Dominican president highlighted the central role of knowledge as a driver of sustainable development, emphasizing the need to strengthen the education of new generations as a foundation for building more just, inclusive, and competitive societies. In this context, he placed special emphasis on the responsibility of youth as protagonists of change in an international environment marked by profound technological, geopolitical, and social transformations.
Fernández reaffirmed his conviction that 21st-century leadership must be based on the ability to understand the complexity of the modern world, foster critical thinking, and promote dialogue as an essential tool for conflict resolution and democratic consolidation.
The meeting also addressed the importance of strengthening academic and cultural ties between Ibero-America and Europe as a means of promoting knowledge exchange, institutional cooperation, and the construction of a shared development vision.
The GFDD delegation included Ynés Vargas, Director of GFDD Spain; Guillermo Sención, José Espinal, Francisco Gómez, Axel Haché, Ruddy Fuertes, Miguel Roig, and Josefina Pimentel, who accompanied President Fernández during the event.
Upon arrival, the delegation was received by Lucía Sala, General Director of the José Ortega y Gasset–Gregorio Marañón Foundation; Fernando Vallespín, Director of the Revista de Occidente; Esther del Campo, member of the institution’s Board of Trustees; and Pedro Marcos García, Deputy Director for Academic Organization and Knowledge Transfer at the Ortega y Gasset University Research Institute.
This dialogue reaffirms GFDD’s commitment to promoting knowledge, critical thinking, and the formation of young leaders, consolidating its role as a bridge for intellectual exchange between Latin America and Europe.
