The BritishSpanish Society Scholarship Programme has been empowering knowledge and culture for more than 10 years by supporting more than 65 cutting-edge post-graduate projects in fields as diverse as medicine, urban planning, engineering, linguistics, literature, physics, architecture, marine archeology and music. In so doing, the BritishSpanish Society and its awarded candidates have helped to  promote individual and institutional links between the United Kingdom and Spain.

Below are the awards for 2019:

Mr Philip Paddack, BBVA UK Country Manager, presented the BBVA Scholarship Award 2019 to Marta IBÁÑEZ AZCONA, Master Degree in Data Mining and Business Intelligence at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

TITLE:

An in-depth study of the economic impact of Brexit on Spain and the United Kingdom.

PROJECT:

I will use a computable general equilibrium model to simulate the economic effects of Brexit in Spain and in the United Kingdom. This technique allows me to estimate both the impact at the macroeconomic level (including GDP, welfare, wages, capital remuneration, i.e., a proxy for business profits, and aggregate imports and exports) and at the micro level. At this latter level, I can track the differential impact for production, exports and exports across all sectors of the economy. This should be interesting for firms in finance, (e.g., BBVA and Santander) and in the food and beverages sector, e.g. Mahou.

PROFILE:

An exemplary 22 years old student who knows 4 languages (Spanish, English, French and Dutch) and has lived in three different countries (Spain, Belgium and United States). With an average score of 8,4 out of 10 I am graduated on Business Administration and Management. I was involved in several projects of the European Union as my traineeship was at the department of External Action of the Government of La Rioja, Spain. I was also part of international program as an organizer (Spring International Program of the University of La Rioja as a member of the Students’ Council) and a beneficiary (Erasmus exchange program at University of Gent, Belgium). I am also an art, photography and travel lover. I can handle properly different computer programs related to office automation (Word, Excel, Power Point), to graphic design (Photoshop, Lightroom, Sony Vegas) and to statistics (SAS, RStudio). Currently, I am doing a Master Degree in Data Mining and Business Intelligence in order to keep improving my knowledge.

Mr Ian Temperton, Plastic Energy Chief Investment Officer, presented Plastic Energy Scholarship Award 2019 to Alejandro AVILA SIERRA, PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham.

TITLE:

Development of Nanotechnology informed Clean-in-Place Strategy (application mesoscale).

PROJECT:

Project Summary: An optimised Clean-in-Place system (CIP) is crucial for manufacturing processes where fouling gradually builds up, reducing equipment efficiency and product quality. Despite the extensive information available on industrial cleaning, there is a critical gap of knowledge between lab and real scale. The project aims are (i) to study surface-foulant interactions to give data to be used to compare scales, (ii) to develop international collaborations between the UK, Spain and USA, (iii) to address technical challenges, and transfer knowledge to industrial partners.

PROFILE:

Education:

Ongoing PhD candidate, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, UK.

2014-2015: MPhil in Occupational Health and Safety, European University of Miguel Cervantes, Valladolid, Spain. Three specialities: Industrial Hygiene, Ergonomics and Occupational Safety. Qualification of senior technician.

2014-2015: Erasmus Traineeship program in advanced research. University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.

2008-2015: Chemical Engineering (current BSc + MPhil). University of Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain. Highest qualification for thesis of the year group (10 out of 10).

Professional Experience:

2016-2017: Research assistant in the research group TEP212 (Surfactants, enzymes an emulsion). Project CTQ2015-69658-R. University of Granada, Spain.

Teaching Experience:

2016=2017: Supporting and supervising the good practice in laboratory.

External collaborations:

2017: DOMCA. Biofilm removal and disinfection in a simulated Clean-In-Place system.

2018: P&G. Understanding the physical properties of saliva for the development of oral care products.

Publications:

Vicaria et al., 2017. Journal of Cleaner Production 168, 87-96.

Vicaria et al., 2019. Journal of Food Engineering 247, 64-73.

Avila-Sierra et al., 2019. Energy Procedia Journal (Accepted).

Conferences:

ChemEngDayUK. Leeds, UK (2018).

FCFP. Lund, Sweden (2018).

CoFE. Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (2018). Poster presentation.

2nd ICSEF. Paphos, Cyprus (2018). Oral presentation.

Mr Albert Coll Caballe, Banco Sabadell Corporate Affairs Director, presented the Fundación Banco Sabadell Scholarship Award 2019 to Celia REDONDO PEDREGAL, Msc Music Mind and Brain at Goldsmiths, University of London.

TITLE:

Enhance emotion self-awareness and emotion recognition in others through music therapy in high-functioning adolescents in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PROJECT:

The Autistic Spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by an impairment in social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviour patterns. Drawing from these general impairments, one of the most prominent challenges a person in the autistic spectrum disorder has to face is to recognize and manage emotions in oneself and the development of empathy. Given that autistic individuals are equally sensitive to the emotional content of music, the purpose of this study is to enhance self-awareness and emotion recognition in others for high-functioning autistic adolescents through music-evoked emotions. This could promote social behaviour and help the ASD population to manage anxiety.

PROFILE:

Ongoing: Msc Music Mind and Brain at Goldsmiths, University of London (London)

2013-2017: Ba(Hons) Music performance minor in violin, at Alfonso X el Sabio University (Madrid)

2007-2013: Professional Studies in Music, Conservatorio Amaniel (Madrid)

Research experience:

Research assistant – June 2018
Assistant to Professor Daniel Müllensiefen, conducting primary source research. Psychology department, Goldsmiths, University of London.

Second researcher – June-August 2018
Second researcher for María Magdalena Sánchez, coding behaviour in subjects. Psychology department, Goldsmiths, University of London

Professional experience:

2017 to present: Music tutor Every Child a Musician project of the London Borough of Newham (London).
2017 to present: Teacher assistant for Special Education Needs for Empowering Learning (London).

2016-2017: Violin teacher at Taller la Caja de música (Madrid).

Mr Manroop Khela, Santander Universities Head of Transformation and CEO’s Office, presented the Santander Universities Humanities Award 2019 to Ernesto OYARBIDE MAGAÑA, DPhil in History at the University of Oxford.

TITLE:

The First Count of Gondomar’s Library and Diplomatic Practice (1613-1622).

PROJECT:

My research centres on British-Iberian relations during the early 17th century by focusing on the Spanish ambassador, Diego Sarmiento (1st count of Gondomar), and his collection of English books, manuscripts, maps and portraits. Gondomar oversaw an exceptionally successful embassy in London from 1612 to 1622. Through a detailed analysis of the count’s library, and a simultaneous study of contemporary correspondence, I aim to explore the role that print culture played in Gondomar’s diplomatic strategy, as he became the most important conduit not just of political information but of English culture to Spain.

PROFILE:

I am presently in the last stages of a DPhil in History at the University of Oxford. My doctoral thesis offers the first detailed case study on the intersection between diplomacy and Spanish libraries during the early modern period. Between 2012 and 2014, I read for the Master of Studies in Literature and Arts at the University of Oxford (graduated with Distinction). It was through this postgraduate degree that I started to delve into the history of Anglo-Spanish relations from the 1500s to the present.

Prior to my coming to Oxford, I studied for a double Licenciatura in Spanish Philology and Journalism at the University of Navarra in Pamplona (Spain). I also read for a Diploma in Philosophy and a Masters in Political Theory. In 2011, I graduated with some of the highest marks among my cohort

Until now, my doctoral studies have been generously financed by a Caixa Scholarship (Spain) and a Leibniz Fellowship (Germany). However, my funding will run out during the Summer of 2019. Thus, the last phases of my Ph.D. will have to be carried out without any significant funding during the last months of thesis submission and the preparation for the doctoral viva (September to December 2019). In this respect, a scholarship from the British-Spanish society would provide with great assistance in covering costs during this period. It would also allow me to start preparing my doctoral thesis for publication. I very much hope you can consider my application.

Santander Universities Medicine Award was presented to Sheila BARRIOS ESTEBAN, doctorate programme Development and Research of Medicines at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela and the University of Nottingham.

TITLE:

Programmed polymeric nanoparticles as gene delivery systems for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme.

PROJECT:

Gene therapy is considered a potent tool for cancer treatment; however, the critical target cell populations are often hidden in hypoxic cores with low accessibility, which imposes an important barrier for efficient delivery. Previous research in collaboration with the host group developed nanovehicles based on cationic polymers with high capacity of tumor penetration and efficiency of transfection. Based on these promising results, our current goal is to evaluate the combination of these nanovehicles with synthetic polyphosphazenes as gene-delivery systems with better biocompatibility and high efficiency of nucleic acid delivery, targeting the glioblastoma tumor core.

PROFILE:

The candidate is responsible with extroverted and affable character.

She is capable of working in teams and independently.

She shows a great interest in acquiring new knowledge by participating in seminars, courses and conferences. She is highly committed to scientific dissemination and outreach activities.

She has adequate knowledge in both written and spoken English.

She has theoretical and practical knowledge of techniques and protocols in molecular biology such as molecular cloning and DNA amplification. She has also hands-on skills in overexpression of proteins, transfection and transduction techniques.

She has fluency in immunological techniques: immunofluorescence and immunodetection by Western-blot.

She is proficient on in vitro culture techniques of bacteria, fungi and eukaryotic cells in 2D and 3D cultures, including viability, intracellular trafficking and transfection analysis in 2D and 3D cell cultures.

She has skills in synthesis, modification and purification of polymers and different methods of preparation of polymeric nanosystems, including their physicochemical characterization.

The candidate has expertise in Chromatographic techniques, Flow Cytometry, Fluorescence Microscopy, Photon Correlation Spectroscopy and Laser Doppler Anemometry.

Finally, she has knowledge in techniques required for animal experimentation (Official certificate of Animal Experimentation of Function A, B and C).

Mr Christian Kern, Telefónica Investor Relations Director, presented the Telefónica Scholarship Award 2019 to Virginia Natalia CIRIANO TEJEL, PhD in Physics at the London Centre of Nanotechnology.

TITLE:

A new spin to silicon-based quantum computing.

PROJECT:

Quantum computing is poised to be the innovation driver of the next decade. It’s information processing capabilities will radically accelerate drug discovery, improve online security or even boost artificial intelligence. Building a quantum computer promises to have a major positive impact in society, however building the hardware that will enable that paradigm change its one of the greatest technological challenges for humanity. This project aims to study the spin of single electrons in silicon transistors as the building block of a scalable quantum computer. We will focus on the study of the energy spectrum of these isolated spins to better understand ways to initialize, control and readout a quantum machine of this type.

PROFILE:

Current PhD student in Quantum Physics at University College of London.

MRes in Quantum Technologies from University College of London. (2018).

MRes in Physics and Physical Technologies from University of Zaragoza (2017).

BSc in Physics from University of Zaragoza (2016).

Erasmus exchange program at University of Southampton, where she was awarded Best BSc project in Physics (2016).

She was awarded a Summer Grant for introduction in astrophysics research at Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (2017).

She was a research assistant for the project Borders in Nanophotonics at University of Zaragoza (2017).

She has presented her research at international conferences.

Dr Marian Jiménez-Riesco, BSS Trustee and Charity Scholarships Programme Coordinator presented the BritishSpanish Society Scholarship Award 2019 to Blanca GÓMEZ GARCÍA, PhD in Hispanic Studies at University College London (UCL).

TITLE:

The British Exile: Memory and Trauma in the Works of Spanish Writers Exiled in Great Britain after the Spanish Civil War.

PROJECT:

My project focuses on testimonial writings of Spanish authors exiled in Britain after the Civil War. Unlike Spanish refugees in other countries, those who chose Britain felt welcomed and benefitted from being geographically close to Spain. I aim to elucidate how the unique conditions of the British exile led to creative processes which, besides balancing literary quality and historical interest, provide different understandings of the conflict and a more dialectic approach to exile. For this aim, I will focus on two crucial aspects in these testimonies: their search for the deep roots of the war and their attempt to create collective memory.

PROFILE:

2017 – 2018 MPhil in European, Latin American and Comparative Literatures and Cultures, University of Cambridge (71). Dissertation title: ‘Reflections from exile: the failure of the Second Republic in Arturo Barea’s La llama (1944) and Esteban Salazar Chapela’s En aquella Valencia (1961)’

2013 – 2017 Grado en español: lengua y literatura, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (9.55). Highest grade in the Faculty of Philology 2013 – 2017. Extraordinary Award from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (2017). Excellence Award from the Community of Madrid (2015, 2014 and 2013). Excellence Award from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (2013). Year abroad at the University College of London. Erasmus scholarship (2015 – 2016).

2014 – 2019. Grado en estudios ingleses: lengua, literatura y cultura, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (8.7). Intermitted as an entry requirement from the University of Cambridge during the 2017 – 2018 academic year.

Work and volunteering experience:

January 2019 – present. Spanish – English interpreter. DA Languages. Cambridge, UK.

September 2018 – present. Spanish teacher and Event organiser. Cambridge Spanish Centre. Cambridge, UK.

May 2017 – Present. Co-founder, director and editor. Revista Úrsula. Madrid, Spain.

June 2018 – September 2018. Seminar Assistant. September 2018 – January 2019. Project Coordinator. China UK Development Centre. Cambridge, UK.

October 2017 – July 2018. President. University of Cambridge Student Action for Refugees. Cambridge, UK.

Summer 2017. Teacher Assistant. El mundo mágico de la Tía José, day care centre. Quito, Ecuador.

Summer 2016. Teacher Assistant. Humberto Luna, primary school. Cusco, Perú.

Congratulations to all candidates and thank you very much to all applicants.

If you wish to sponsor a Charity Scholarship Award, for more information contact:

Ms Maria Soriano, BSS Development Secretary, development@britishspanishsociety.org