07Open Day: How did it go?E50 Olympic Games: How was your experience?E50: To be continued E5

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“He who doesn’t know what relaxation is, doesn’t know what work is. ” Anonymous

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA): Light and Shadows

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2 Summary Editorial

In the course of the present academic year, which is now drawing to a close, we have organised various activities and institutional events to commemorate ESADE’s first fifty years; activities which will continue throughout the first term of the coming academic year.

Based on the premise that ESADE’s 50th anniversary has been possible thanks to the people who make up the institution, our goal has been, and is, for these people to be the real protagonists of events and celebrations. Without them, it would not have been possible to create an organisation like this 50 years ago, nor would it be possible to ensure that it remains one of the world’s most important institutions in the field of management development.

So far, this magazine has covered the various events rela-ted to the E50 anniversary celebrations such as the photo-graphy competition, the ‘birthday party’ which coincided with the Christmas cocktail reception, the Olympics, and the Open Day, etc. And there’s more still to come. All of these events have been devised – and we hope they have succeeded – in order for people to feel that our organisation is where it is today thanks to the daily work of each and every one of them, given that they have devoted intense periods of their lives, and in some cases even decades, to ESADE.

This is the spirit of E50: the joint construction of something big. Hence the cover of this last issue of the year. We hope it will serve as a tribute to all those who, through their par-ticipation and enthu-siasm, have turned this ‘dream’ into a reality.

Thank you!

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sA day like thisOn 4th July 1776 the United States of America achieved independence.

On 7th July, the Sanfermines take place in Pamplona.

On 21st July 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon.

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THANK YOU!

What about you?

E-News

El personaje

The portrait

This month’s personality

Cyan salon

E-News

Checking text & translation:

Language Advisory

Design art direction:

Sintagma, Edicions Corporatives

Imprent:

Imgesa

Editorial board:

José M. Álvarez de LaraAriadna AntequeraÓscar BistuéRebeca CarpiIvanna CasaburiJosé M. ContijochAnna DíazDavid Fernández-Manzanos

José Antonio MengualMila MirasAdela NebotSusana PérezMónica Sisternas Ana SoláJosep Soler

CREDITS

This magazine is printed on recycled paper

Plural thinking

This month’s personality

Cyan salon

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3What about you?

Department of Marketing Management

Sílvia Muñoz MontesDepartment of Marketing Management Secretary

Tamara Miranda Villalba Department of Marketing

Management Secretary

Beatriz Soler Bigas Marketing Management and Brand Management

Carles Torrecilla Gumbau

Strategic Marketing

Carlo Gallucci Strategic Marketing

Gerard Costa Guix Social Marketing

Ivana Casaburi Marketing in Asia

Jaime Castelló Molina Key Account

and Sales Management

Jatinder Jit Singh Marketing

Management

Josep M. Oroval Planas Communications

Jordi Montaña Matosas

Design Management

Lluís Martínez Ribes Retailing

and Commercialisation

Jordi Molina Capella Marketing

Management

Manuel Alfaro FausRelationship

Marketing

Mònica Casabayó Bonàs Consumer Behaviour

Josep Franch Bullich International Marketing

Josep Francesc Valls Giménez

Tourism

Oriol Iglesias Bedós Brand Management

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4 E-News

Broadly speaking, the following are the objectives of the EHEA:

• To adopt a common education system that offers comparable de-grees based on two main cycles: the undergraduate cycle (four years and 240 credits in Spain), which provides general education or training for the exercise of a particular profession; and the postgraduate/master’s cy-cle (two or more years and between 60 and 120 credits), which may provide professional or multidisci-plinary specialisation. Postgradua-te courses that train students to be- come researchers are normally in- cluded in the third cycle (doctorate).

• To establish an international sys-tem for recognising and accumula-ting credits, known as the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Un-der the ECTS, the value of a credit is not based solely on class time; other work carried out by students is also taken into account. One ECTS credit is equivalent to 30 hours.

• To promote the mobility of stu-dents, lecturers and researchers by making the process for having a de-gree recognised in another country much faster, simpler and, in theory, automatic.

• To encourage European coopera-tion in guaranteeing the quality of higher education through accredita-tion systems (both internal and ex-ternal) that ensure that higher edu-cation institutions offer high-quality courses and meet the requirements of the EHEA.

• To formally approve the use of the Diploma Supplement (DS), also known as the European Diploma Supplement (EDS). In a format com-mon to all European countries, this document describes the skills at-

tained by a student and the content of the subjects he/she has completed.

Another major focus of the EHEA is methodological renewal, with a clear commitment to a ‘student-centred learning model’. The number of stu-dents in each lecture class will be re-duced by a shift towards e-learning, in-dividual and group tutoring sessions, seminars and self-directed learning. This model also envisages a reformu-lation of the teacher’s role.

Taking into account today’s dyna-mics of change and evolution, the basic idea is that students com-pleting an undergraduate degree should acquire a series of cross-disciplinary skills (‘knowing how’ rather than just ‘knowing’) that will make them more employable. They will therefore be able to enter the labour market immediately and, depending on their needs and inter-ests over the course of their lives, continue their education in the se-cond cycle at a later date.

Legally speaking, the application of the EHEA in Spain is based on seve-ral laws and royal decrees that have been enacted since 2003. Of these, the most important are Organic Law 4/2007, which modified Organic Law 6/2001 of 21st December and established the basis for restructu-ring the Spanish university system, and Royal Decrees 55 and 56/2005 and 1393/2007, which regulate undergraduate and postgraduate courses and modify the higher edu-cation classification system. In ac-cordance with the EHEA philosophy, the current legal framework allows universities to create and propose the courses and degrees they wish to teach and award. They are not li-mited to catalogues of official cour-ses as they were prior to the new legislation.

The body responsible for certifying the quality of educational programmes is the Spanish National Agency for Qua-lity Assurance and Accreditation (ANE-CA), which forms part of the Ministry of Science and Innovation. Equivalent agencies operate in the various auto-nomous communities – for example, Catalonia’s Agency for the Quality of the University System. ANECA also accredits and evaluates university lecturers.

The highly attractive EHEA approach offers a series of clear advantages, including the following:

• The degree-recognition process is simplified, which encourages mobility.

• The finite official catalogue of degrees is abandoned in favour of allowing a more flexible system that is open to new degrees.

• Official degrees no longer exist alongside non-official (i.e. universi-ty-specific) degrees that have not been approved by the Ministry of Education and Science.

• Master’s degrees are recognised as official degrees.

• Countries can compete to attract top foreign students to follow post-graduate courses.

• Lifelong learning is a major focus of the system.

Nevertheless, there are some thorns among the roses. Numerous associa-tions of students and lecturers have taken a stance against the EHEA for various reasons, including the fol-lowing:

• The new system was adopted with-out consulting with the university com-munity (lecturers and students).

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA): Light and ShadowsThe EHEA is a complex and ambitious project stemming from the Bologna Declaration, which in 1999 was signed by the education ministers of 29 European countries. In this declaration, the ministers expressed their commitment to harmonising Europe’s higher education systems in order to facilitate the mobility of students and degree holders within Europe – in the spirit of the Schengen Agreement – and give higher education a truly European focus.

In practice, the Bologna Declaration is a commitment to reforming European university systems – one which currently encompasses more than 40 countries. Under this agreement, each government is expected to pass the necessary legislation and has total freedom to design compatible curricula. The reform process must be completed by 2010.““In practice, the

Bologna Declaration is a commitment to reforming European university systems

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E-News 5

“Taking into account today’s dynamics of change and evolution, the basic idea is that students completing an undergraduate degree should acquire a series of cross-disciplinary skills

• Educational convergence is not accompanied by financial conver-gence. (In Spain, per-student spen-ding is well below the average for countries belonging to the OECD.)

• Universities may be treated in a strictly utilitarian manner, there-by reducing the kinds of education offered to those demanded by com-panies. Research would mainly be oriented towards developing maket-able products.

• Enrolment fees may increase and less money may be spent on scholar-ships (especially at the postgraduate level). Together with the difficulty of combining work and education (the new plans call for 1,800-hour yearlong courses), this may marginalise poorer

students and make higher education the exclusive reserve of the elite.

Some major figures from Spanish universities – for example, Fernando Savater and Emilio Lamo de Espinosa (Complutense University of Madrid), Adela Cortina (University of Valencia), and Francesc de Carreras (Autono-mous University of Barcelona) – have published newspaper pieces expres-sing their disapproval of the way in which the EHEA is being introduced. One recurring fear expressed in va-rious media outlets is that, with the excuse of the Bologna Process, finan-cing models will be introduced that force universities to submit to the logic of the market – that is, they will have to maximise profits and competitive-ness. According to critics, this would

amount to the commercialisation of a public service that should not respond solely to market forces or exclusively fulfil the needs of business.

Another issue is the future of the hu-manities, art and the social sciences. These disciplines may not have a very high ‘exchange value’, but they do constitute an intellectual heritage that societies should not relinquish – in fact, they should cultivate it.

Let us hope that the light will chase away the shadows and that the EHEA will prove to be a suitable tool for im-proving and revitalising higher educa-tion that can begin to build a Europe of citizens.

Josep M. Contijoch

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6 E-News

In our last edition, we told you about the preparations for Sant Jordi.

Throughout the morning and part of the afternoon of 23rd April, tables filled with flowers, books, copies of _untitled, and handcrafted gifts made by the Arrels Foundation’s ‘La Troballa’ workshop kept watch at each of the three buildings of the Pedralbes campus. Over the course of the day, the three tables earned 2,480 euros, which will go to various projects sponsored by the Arrels Foundation, a non-pro-fit organisation supported by ESADE.

Gabriel Olivencia, a benefi-ciary of the foundation’s ser-vices who participated in the Sant Jordi festivities, had this to say about the event: “Each year, the Arrels Open Centre celebrates Sant Jordi on the Rambla del Raval, where the ‘La Troballa’ workshop sets up a stand to display products re-lated to the holiday. This year, we accepted ESADE’s invita-tion on behalf of all homeless people. At the tables where the roses were being sold, they gave us a space to display and

Giving something back for Sant Jordi

sell the workshop’s products. All the money we earned goes to Arrels. We had a very good time. We had the chance to spend a few hours with a lot of people, especially young

First joint meeting of ESADE’s board of Trustees and Professional Advisory board in Madrid On 28th May, ESADE’s Board of Trustees and Professional Advisory Board held their first joint meeting in Ma-drid. The members of the two bodies discussed the new challenges the school will face in the coming years and implemented the Strategic Plan for 2009-2012.

people, who probably had never met anyone who lived on the street.”

Thanks to everyone who par-ticipated for their support.

Presentation of the study ‘Diversity Management in Business Schools’

On 30th June at ESADE Ma-drid, the European Academy for Business in Society (EABIS) presented the results of its study ‘Diversity Management in Business Schools’, which was based on a sample of more than 800 business schools, including the University of Leu-ven, the University of Leeds, and the International Business School of Budapest.

The study provided an over-view of how deans and fac-ulty members of European business schools perceive diversity management and how they incorporate it into their institutions both in the academic area (pro-grammes, research and teaching) and in ‘good prac-tice’ policies towards stu-dents and employees.

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the ESADE Foundation. Its main function is to maintain and promote a close relationship between ESADE and the business world that is conducive to training future execu-tives. It draws on the trustees’ experience at the helm of their respective companies, as well as their knowledge of new trends, and incorporates this know-how into ESADE’s programmes.

The Professional Advisory Board is an advisory body that counsels ESADE on the criteria and demands of the professional world and helps the school design its curricula. It also arranges and oversees professional internships for ESADE students. ESADE Law School and ESADE Business School each have their own Professional Advisory Board.

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E-News 7

Stress Forum: a congress on stress, at ESADE In order to learn more about the origin and consequenc-es of work-related stress, ESADE’s Institute for Labour Studies hosted the Stress Forum on 29th and 30th May.

For those two days, experts on the topic shared views based on a wide range of per-spectives – psychology, medi-cine and management – in an open, in-depth dialogue about stress, its causes and its consequences. The list of speakers includ-ed some of the most highly considered specialists in the field: Dr. André Arsenault (Co-director of the Centre for Occupational Stress and Health, University of Mon-treal), Professor Cary Cooper (Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health, Lancaster University), and Professor Michael P. Leiter (Director of the Centre for Organisational Research and Development and Professor of Psychology, Acadia Uni-versity). In addition to the various lectures and work groups held throughout the event, several musical surprises helped the participants to forget, for just a few mo-ments, their stress and their worries. Stress Forum was such a great success that we fear that the members of the organising committee suf-fered from some stress of their own while planning the

event. Congratulations to Si-mon Dolan, Ceferí Soler and the entire organising com-mittee (Míriam Diez, María José Parada, Scott Moodie, Xavier Suriol, Dr. Angel Gue-vara and Antonio Márquez)

for a organising such a ter-rific conference.

For more information, visit the event website: www.stressforum2008.com

An MBA is more than just an academic experience. In addition to case studies, projects, presentations and exams, MBA students seek to have educatio-nal and recreational experiences that provide added value to the degree they are pursuing. One activity that falls into this category of experiences is the MBA Tournament held in Paris each May.

The MBA Tournament is a series of sporting events open to MBA candida-tes from 15 of Europe’s top business schools. For four days, participants compete in a wide range of games, including chess and salsa dancing, in addition to more traditional sports such as football, basketball and volley-ball. With a total of 29 competitions,

the MBA Tournament offers the perfect chance to get away from it all before facing final exams.

This year, at the 18th edition of the MBA Tournament, ESADE presented a team made up of 115 participants in the Full-Time and Part-Time MBA pro-grammes. The ESADE basketball team finished in first place after beating the Rotterdam School of Management in the finals.

After a long day of physical exertion, the participants recovered their strength during each evening’s planned social activities, which gave them the chan-ce to share experiences with students from other schools.

The Other Olympics

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8 E-News

Henry Mintzberg named Doctor Honoris Causa by Ramon Llull University

On 25th June at ESADEFO-RUM, Henry Mintzberg was named doctor honoris cau-sa by Ramon Llull University (URL).

Henry Mintzberg is the John Cleghorn Professor of Manage-ment Studies in the Department of Strategy and Organisation at the Desautels Faculty of Man-agement of McGill University

(Canada). He has dedicated his entire professional career to management and business strategy.

The ceremony, which formed part of the celebration of ESADE’s 50th anniversary, was hosted by Esther Gimé-nez-Salinas, Rector of URL. Professor Mintzberg’s sponsor was Xavier Mendoza, Associ-

ate Director General of ESA-DE. During his speech, Pro-fessor Mendoza highlighted Professor Mintzberg’s intel-lectual qualities and the im-pact that his ideas have had on today’s society.

Professor Mintzberg is the twenty-fifth person to be na-med doctor honoris causa by URL.

Over the past few weeks, Wednesday has become a special day at ESADE, with cries of ‘We’re going on an excursion!’ heard throughout the business school. Every week, a minibus takes around 20 ESADE col-leagues to visit the new Sant Cugat campus, where

construction is progressing in parallel with technol-ogy. The visitors receive clear, simple explanations of the Sant Cugat construction project from Ramón Aspa, whom we wish to thank for all the time he has invested in this project. Mr. Aspa sparks the imagina-

tion of the visitors by helping them to visualise the new campus. The tours have been a great success. Over the course of 11 Wednesdays, more than 280 people have visited, experienced and grown with Sant Cugat.

Wednesdays in Sant Cugat

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9This month’s personality

How long have you worked at ESADE?Since before ESADE opened its doors. In 1956, Father So-breroca told me that the Provincial Father had put him in charge of creating a business school. This was a surprise to me, as I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t have any idea what a business school was. I only understood the word ‘school’. Sobreroca asked for my help in deciding what steps to take. So, in answer to your question, I think I can say I’ve been here for 52 years.

What sort of work do you do here? Now I am retired. My current work consists in carrying out studies. I think this should always be done at a school like ours, but in practice it is difficult to do, es-pecially due to the haste of day-to-day work and the fact that these studies require ample time and tran-quillity.

Could you briefly describe your time here? It is impossible for me to offer a succinct description of these complex and varied years. In any event, I think I can say that I have learned a lot over the years and that I have been able to help many people.

If you were a historical figure, you would be… Christopher Columbus.

If you were a monument, you would be… Something not designed by Chillida.

If you were an animal, you would be… A horse.

If you were a sport, you would be… Chess.

If you were a book, you would be… The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

If you were a song, you would be… Tannhäuser’s, Song to the Evening Star.

If you were a forgotten corner, you would be… A beach at the edge of the sea.

If you could be someone else, you would be… Any of you, just some more than others.

Quick questionnaire

Josep Baruel is an institution at ESADE whom the ‘new generations’ perhaps do not know well enough. Here we will take a closer look at a key person in our 50 years (or more) of history.

What did you think about the institution on your first day here? As I said before, I was very surprised because I didn’t know what it was all about. I was even more surprised when they told me that I had to teach industrial psy-chology. So I went to the United States to study and to learn more.

And what about your colleagues? On that first day, I only had one colleague, Luis Antonio Sobreroca, whom I had already known for many years. He was a practical, active and hard-working man.

Tell us about your best experience at ESADE. There are many, but one was when we moved to the new Pedralbes building and people said, ‘This is irreversible’

And your worst experience? I don’t know. Perhaps the long period during which I could not do the work I liked – that is, research – due to a lack of resources and time.

Tell us about the funniest, most ridiculous or most absurd situation you have witnessed in your time here. While I was studying in the United States, Sobreroca asked me to prepare a purchase of calculators that we could use for statistical calculations. This request was due to the fact that an international institution had offered little, newborn ESADE $10,000, I think, for this purpose. I started talking to several manufac-turers of these things. I was wined and dined, all the while assuring each company that I would buy the cal-culators from them and not from anyone else. Once I knew that I wanted to buy, among other things, one of those typewriters – because it was the only machine capable of calculating a square root (one was enough) – it all ended suddenly. Sobreroca sent me a letter sa-ying that the Spanish Ministry of Education – I think

that’s what it was called – was not going to allow us to accept the $10,000, because psychology did not re-quire statistics! I thanked the manufacturers for the lovely meals and didn’t buy anything.

What ESADE value or sign of identity do you most identify with?With the value that was behind the Jesuits’ decision to create the school: training good professionals with very good principles who are capable of improving the micro-structure of society.

Who should we interview for the next edition? Francesc Cribillers.

How long have you been with ESADE? A prodigious decade.

What do you do here? (Department, functions, pro-jects etc.). I’m a secretary in the Department of Public Law and I deal with all matters relating to the subjects we teach.

Why did you join ESADE? Out of necessity?

In a nutshell, describe the time you have spent wor-king here. Very gratifying. What did you think about the institution on your first day at ESADE? Bufff! ESADE’s fame preceded it, so I was bursting with enthusiasm to work here.

If you were a historical figure, you would be… Cleopatra, but without the asp bite.

If you were a monument, you would be… Oh...Does Angelina Jolie count?

If you were a animal, you would be… My little dog Tosca, who lived like a queen.

If you were a sport, you would be… Any high-risk sport.

If you were a book, you would be… An entire library, but one that was full of fiction. No Law volumes.

If you were a song, you would be… Hotel Califor-nia, by the Eagles. And, just for the record, it’s a classic.

If you were a forgotten corner, you would be… Undoubtedly an unspoilt beach, if there are any left.

If you could be someone else, who would you like to be… My brother Marc.

Quick questionnaire

Susana Giner Assistant, Public Law department, Law Faculty.

And what about your colleagues? I was given a very good impression of them; and I haven’t asked for a change of department yet.

What’s been your best experience at ESADE? The first graduation ceremony for Law students at the Palau Pedralbes.

And the worst? During that very same graduation...I had to act as hos-tess.

Tell us about the most amusing, ridiculous or extra-vagant situation you’ve experienced or witnessed at ESADE. Well, there are countless and my position requires ab-solute discretion.

Who from ESADE would you like to eat with, face to face? With Javier Fontcuberta, without a doubt, though I’d rather it were dinner…

Who from ESADE would you go to a party with? That wild lot of fiesteras from Civil Law.

Where, or in which job, would you like to be in three years’ time? Mmmmm, well, not in Sant Cugat. When will there be a campus in Castelldefels?

Personally speaking, with which ESADE value or sign of identity do you most identify?

Above all, respect for others, from whom I always try to learn to be a better person.

Who else would you choose to fill in this question-naire? Arjona, who has some very good points. ☺

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Must-sees Bled. A village located in the heart of the Julian Alps, is one of Slovenia’s picture-postcard locations. From Bled, travellers can visit Triglav National Park, Lake Bohinj (Slovenia’s most spectacular lake), Savica Falls and Vintgar Gorge.

Postojna Cave is the country’s best-known cave system. The tour be-gins with an underground train ride and continues with a two-kilome-tre walk through surprising limestone formations. The lesser-known but no less stunning Škocjan Caves are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. A tour of these caves – an essential part of any trip to Slovenia – takes visitors through a series of fantastic underground halls.

Predjama Castle, perched on a rocky cliff 123 metres high, has been preserved perfectly since the 16th century.

The Adriatic coast. The campanili of Piran and Koper remind visitors how close they are to Italy. These cities are ideal places to enjoy the sea after excursions in the mountains.

In inland Slovenia, green is the predominant colour everywhere: charming villages, forests inhabited by bears, ski slopes in the winter, vast vineyards, and medium-sized cities such as Maribor (home of the university), Murska Sobota (a spa town) and Novo Mesto (one of Slovenia’s oldest cities).

Ljubljana, has been com-pared to Vienna, Paris, Salz-burg and even Amsterdam. A stroll through Tivoli Park is a great way to start your day in Slovenia’s capital. Then hike up to Ljubljana Castle for spectacular views of the city and the surrounding area. On the way back, get lost in the old quarter. In the evening, most of the action is along the banks of the river.

The perfect destination for people who love nature, hiking and new discoveries

Located in a discreet but exceptional corner of Europe, charming Slovenia makes travellers fall in love with the country in just a matter of days. Similar in size to Catalonia but with just two million people, this great little country surprises visitors with its spectacular contrasts: Alpine landscapes, lakes, waterfalls, immense forests, karst caves, a Venetian-style coast along the Adriatic Sea, high-quality winemaking regions, and a capital that evokes the best of imperial Vienna.

The

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SLOVENIAEurope in Miniature

Where to sleepSlovenia offers many types of accommodation: urban and rural hotels, hostels, campgrounds, apartments, boarding houses (gostišče) and even rooms in private homes (sobe). Two sug-gestions in different regions:

Hotel Ribno (Bled): Surrounded by nature and just one hour from the capital, this hotel is an ideal base for day-tripping travellers. <http://www.hotel-ribno.si/?page=en/index>

Hotel Union Garni (Ljubljana): From this urban hotel, located very close to the centre of the city, travellers can visit any cor-ner of Slovenia and make it back to the capital for the night. <http://www.astralhotel.net/defaultEng.php>

Where to eatSlovenia’s culinary options are also very extensive. The most traditional restaurants are the gostilnas, which serve homemade dishes, salads, soups, stews, sausages and – of course – exqui-site desserts! Don’t forget to try the gibanica, a pastry made from cheese, apples and walnuts.

For more informationVisit the country’s official tourism website, which offers in-formation about the different regions, routes, excursions and accommodations. Upon request, you can receive free tourism brochures in the mail. <http://www.slovenia.info/>

Guía Viva Eslovenia, by Luis Argeo Fernández Álava. Anaya Touring Club Collection. <http://www.anayatouring.com/>

Josep Soler

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Albert is one of those easy to talk to and cheerful people who are constantly playing around with words and coming up with puns and tongue twisters full of an absurd humour that lies somewhere between ‘Gomaespu-ma’ and ‘Faemino y Cansado’. But this initial openness is deceptive, because in reality he is a rather reserved and tactful person who only talks about his parallel life – baseball – when people insist and manage to coax him into talking. And when he does talk, he does so discreetly and humbly in a soft voice that barely contains the excitement and energy that baseball, his lifelong passion, inspires in him.

European Champion Albert Díaz has been playing baseball for nearly 20 years and is now the longest ser-ving player with FC Barcelona (11 years). Along with the rest of his team-mates, Al-bert has just succeeded in achieving a major sporting accomplishment that is as memo-rable as it is anonymous. At the very same moment that the Spanish and Italian football teams were maximising the tension in the Eu-ropean quarterfinals, the FC Barcelona Base-ball team was proclaimed European Cham-pion after winning in the finals against the Italian team, Nettuno, in Germany. Although a great sporting success, it has not been gi-ven the recognition and media coverage it rightly deserves: ‘Anonymous athletes have great stories to tell: stories about overcoming insurmountable odds and self-sacrifice. Be-hind an anonymous athlete, there is always someone who knows what it means to make sacrifices. Friends and parents give up their free time to be with you, and you sacrifice the time you can’t spend with them,’ says Albert.

‘Adversity draws out the best in you’ Playing at a high level in a sport that gets little media coverage involves training at least three times a week, playing matches

Albert Díaz has been working with the Communication and Admissions Service at University Facul-ties for the last 2 years. It’s quite possible that Albert and his friendliness are among the first images parents and students are greeted with when they come to ESADE for information or to fill in the regis-tration form for programmes that will mark a new stage in their lives.

Parallel life of...Albert Díaz, 28 years old, Degree in Management and Business Administration Communication and Admissions Service, University Faculties

Albert wearing the FC Barcelona colours and batting during the European Championship Finals, won by the team in June.

at weekends, and spending a lot of your holidays taking part in international tourna-ments. Despite this, Albert sees things very clearly: ‘Adversity draws out the best in you. I enjoy competing and the sense of control I get when playing. Besides, baseball has allowed me to make a lot of good friends and travel around the world’.

For Albert, baseball is one of the most com-plicated and precise sports of all: ‘You’ve got to hit a ball that’s thrown at you from 20 me-ters away, that’s spinning at 150 km/h, and that’s the same width as the bat’.

Albert plays as an outfielder, which means he is the player positioned just outside the playing field, although players have to both defend and attack during matches: a dual role that requires them to be all round ath-letes. ‘Baseball’s similar to chess. It’s based a lot on strategy and follows a logical order. You need to know how to anticipate moves. You’re forced to think a lot and react fast’.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Albert Díaz plays with FC Barcelona Baseball, his life-long team and where he has achieved great sporting triumphs:

• European Champion 2008

• Spanish FA Cup Championship runners-up 2007

• Premier Division Baseball Championship runners-up 2007 (league equivalent to 1st division soccer)

• Trained with the “Seattle Mariners” in Arizona, one of the best teams in the American Major League, the world’s top baseball league

• Until 2006 he played with the Spanish National Baseball Team

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Autochthonous profiles: the (good) health of catalan music‘Catalan Rock’ was very popular around the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Underrated by music critics in general, disinclined towards music in languages other than Spanish or English, perhaps the greatest merit of Catalan Rock, in its day, was its more sociological rather than its strictly musical facet, given that it turned the usual process of spreading musical and artistic trends upside down. For the first time ever, the provincial influence took the capital by storm, which had been contemplating its navel, immersed in a whirlwind of centralism, design and Olympic Games.

As leading groups disappeared, a long musical dry spell continued up to 2000. Unfortunately, it seems that singing in Cat-alan is always accompanied by controver-sy: at the end of 2006 an article entitled ‘The Poor Health of Catalan Rock’ was published. It argued that the music was boring, took few risks and sounded all the same. I won’t go into details about the article’s contents (it can be found easily enough on Internet) because the work carried out by the following artists speaks for itself.

ANTòNIA FONT (MALLORCA): One of the best groups today, creating festive Pop with an eye for detail and completely personal, their last album (Coser y cantar, 2007) is a compilation of songs from their five previous albums recorded, once more, with the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra and with surprising results.

ADRIà PUNTí (GIRONA): He was the leader of the disappeared Umpah-Pah (possibly the most interesting Catalan Rock group). Though his last album (Maria) came out in 2002, he is devoted to performing live. Poetic and with great control over the lan-guage, he can be seen as a Catalan Tom Waits. Capable of both the best and worst on stage, if he’s feeling inspired, his music will truly touch you.

CRIS JUANICO (MENORCA): Ex singer of Ja t’ho Diré (a reference in Catalan Rock) and with an extraordinary voice, this prolific artist has already produced three al-bums: Memòria (2004), with Pop-rock and Reggae versions of traditional songs from the Balearic Islands, Jocs d’amagat (2005), Pop with Mediterranean roots, and Vola’m a sa lluna (2006), with his own arrangement and adaptation of Jazz standards.

ELS PETS (CONSTANTí): Practically the only survivors of the original movement, they’ve gone from being a group playing at local fiestas to becoming Pop artisans, with the singer, Lluís Gavaldà, proving to be a lucid lyricist and excellent composer. Over the years, they have won over mistrustful musical critics who often compare them now to The Kinks for their folkloric Pop. Com anar al cel i tornar (2007) is their most recent album.

GUILLAMINO (BARCELONA): Pau Guillamet is one of the most restless musicians and singers on the musical scene. Oriented generally towards electronic music, he can also create a dance tune from a tenora (a typical, oboe-like instrument from Cat-alonia), add Hip-Hop rhythms to poems by Josep Pedrals (En/Doll, 2007) or become a ‘soulman’ (Somnis de Llop, 2005).

LA TROBA KUNG-Fú (LA GARRIGA): They reclaim the Rumba as an autochthonous genre and remix it guilt-free with Cumbia, Blues, Son and any other style that they can think of. Clavell morenet (2007) is their latest and highly recommended al-bum.

MAzONI (LA BISBAL D’EMPORDà): This pseudonym is used by Jaume Pla, a compo-ser who stands out for his eclecticism and good taste in terms of arrangements and melodies. In his last album (Si els dits fossin xilòfons, 2007), he combines guitar rock (‘La Granja de la Paula’, a version of Bob Dylan’s ‘Maggie’s Farm’), classic Pop (‘Memòria’) and electronic music (‘Ull de vellut’).

MISHIMA (BARCELONA): Their Pop is melodic and elegant, comparable to that of Magnetic Fields or Divine Comedy. With personal lyrics and an adept hand at choosing arrangements such as in their song ‘La tarda esclata‘ (in Set tota la vida, 2007), they have absolutely nothing to envy highly acclaimed British Pop bands.

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Cyan salon 13

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This recipe is very simple and very French.

Entrecôte with Roquefort Sauce Ingredientes para 4 personas4 entrecôtes 150 g Roquefort cheese30 cl cream OilSalt and pepperSmall glass of port wine 6 or 7 walnuts, crushed

Mix the Roquefort cheese with the cream. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the entrecôtes. Season the raw side of the entrecôtes with salt and pepper before flipping them. Cook to taste (rare, medium or well done). Remove the entrecôtes from the pan and keep them warm. Cook the Roquefort/cream mixture in the same pan on low heat. Stir fre-quently until the sauce becomes homogeneous (about 3 minutes). Then add the port wine and the walnuts. Pour the sauce over the entrecôtes and serve immediately with white rice on the side.

I moved to Barcelona during the Olympic Games of 1992. Eleven years earlier, I had met my husband, who is British, here in this city. In the back of our minds, we always thought of it as an ideal place to live. So one day, we decided to come back. In have been working as a teacher in ESADE’s French Department since 1996. No one could have imagined that I would ever leave France, my country of origin. My parents were farmers from Aveyron. They had never crossed a border in their entire lives, not even as tourists. But I fell in love with the Spanish language while I was studying French philology in Toulouse, which inspired me to come study here.

Josiane Labascoule

NISEI (BARCELONA): Their album Continents (2007) was one of last year’s revela-tions, somewhere between Post-Core, Jamaican Dub and experimental rock. Force-ful and melodic at the same time, no one else in the country sounds like them.

OBRINT PAS (VALENCIA): A true institution, they probably have the largest number of followers in Catalonia. Active since 1997, their music is a mix of Ska, Reggae, Hardcore and Folk, but always with the omnipresent sound of the gralla (another traditional, conical oboe-like instrument). They released their album Benvingut al paradís last year.

ROGER MAS (SOLSONA): He has probably one of the best voices in Catalan music. A singer-songwriter who began his career in 1995, Les cançons tel·lúriques (2008) is his latest album, combining his own compositions, adaptations of popular songs and poems by Jacint Verdaguer. It is a hypnotic and daring album that combines Catalan tradition and minimalism with Oriental influences.

SANJOSEx (LA BISBAL D’EMPORDà): This is Carles Sanjosé’s musical project. He is a gifted lyricist and creator of folk-rock, inspired directly by Neil Young, Bob Dylan or Pau Riba in the latter’s early career. Temps o Rellotge (2007) is his new album and it has been unanimously well-received by critics.

Josep M. Contijoch

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Cyan salon14

The

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Stranger than FictionIt was a cool, brilliantly sunny November day in Barcelona in the 1960s. The stu-dents of the Lycée Français had gone to enjoy a day of outdoor activities. The mys-terious Collserola mountains, at once so close and so distant, were filled that mor-ning with the cries and laughter of this cheerful, multicultural group of students. They now made their way back to the city in the same coaches that had taken them to that joyful place, which they would re-member so tragically.

The first bus was filled with young girls, who were singing and joking around. The second bus carried the boys: students in the so-called ‘terminal classes’, worried about the examinations that awaited them, which would decide their future. Suddenly, on a narrow highway over- looking a steep drop, the bus carrying the girls skidded, turned over and fell, end over end, down the slope. It came to rest in the bottom of the ravine, surrounded by motionless bodies and cries for help. The boys from the second bus raced down the slope to organise a rescue effort. The many windows that had popped out of the overturned bus were used as stretch-ers to evacuate the girls with the most severe injuries. On one such improvised stretcher lay a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl with a profound, lucid gaze. A boy with light eyes held her hand as he and several classmates struggled to carry the stretcher up the debris-strewn slope.

The crash – which claimed the lives of four girls and left a dozen others seriously injured – left the entire city in a state of shock. The occupants of the second bus, led by the boy with the light eyes, acted as pallbearers, solemnly marching the four coffins down Barcelona’s Avinguda Diagonal, surrounded by a crowd that was speechless with emotion. The boys visited the injured girls and led tutoring

sessions for them right there in the hospital. It took sev-eral months for the girl with the profound, lucid gaze to recover from her injuries.

Life went on, as it always does.

The girl with the profound, lucid gaze grew up to become a wife and mother. A brilliant student, she was admitted to a well-known and prestigious business school in Barcelona. She later went on to develop an equally brilliant career in academia and management at the same school.

The boy with the light eyes grew up to become a husband and father. A medio-cre student, he had a mediocre career in multinational companies in several countries. He later developed a medio-cre – and belated – academic career at a well-known and prestigious business school, where he tried to improve his le-vel of mediocrity.

Forty-five years after the accident, it was yet another cool, brilliantly sunny Novem-ber day, as if to celebrate the reunion of the girl with the profound, lucid gaze and the boy with the light eyes. During a chan-ce conversation about their youth at the legendary Lycée Français, the girl – who was no longer a girl – recognised the boy – no longer a boy – who had saved her on that fateful slope. A wave of emotion overcame hallway E1A of the Pedralbes campus, causing the creaky old door on office 114 to tremble, and moistening the eyes of both the not-so-young girl and the not-so-young boy.

They made a pact to keep their secret and thereby avoid stirring up the horrible me-mories of the tragic event.

As we know, all pacts are made to be broken.

This day finally came in a very special place, the centre of intellectual life at our school: the Cafeteria. There, over- come with anxiety at having to defend her doctoral thesis, the not-so-young girl told her story. The honourable members of the Cafeteria’s intellectual elite were witness to the breaking of the pact.

The story we have told here, with the per-mission of both protagonists, is – as the truth often is – both joyful and tragic. Can you discover the identity of the girl with the profound, lucid gaze and the boy with the light eyes?

José M. Álvarez de Lara

BIRTHS

_untitled would like to congratulate our proud new ESADE

mums and dads and welcome their recent additions to the

family: Nerea (M. Ángel zaragoza), Miquel (Carme Cirera).

Miquel

Nerea

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Plural thinking 15

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Eva Moreno Eva Moreno began working at the Law School Secretary Office just a short time ago. We sat down with her recently to discuss her experiences as a regular collaborator of the very interesting Fundació Pare Manel [Father Manel Foundation].

First of all, who is this Father Manel and what does he do? Father Manel, or Manel Pousa, is the heart and soul of Funda-ció Pare Manel, an organisation dedicated to defending rights and working towards equal opportunity for socially marginal-ised people. It focuses on prisons and the families of in- mates, especially children and young adults who are at risk of social exclusion.

The foundation organises a variety of activities for children and young adults, such as a day camp, after-school lessons, day trips and summer camp. The basic idea is to keep the kids off the streets of especially dangerous areas. Inside prisons, the foundation personally monitors each in-mate and works to reinsert them in society and in the wor-kforce. We also support their families and find foster homes.

How did you first make contact with Father Manel? My father died two years ago. Afterwards, my family was a little bit lost. One of the things we had to decide was what to do with many of my father’s things that had sentimental value, such as his books. My brother and I kept some of the books, but we didn’t want to get rid of the rest of them just any old way. A former co-worker, Salvador Bueno, who colla-borates very actively with the foundation, put us in touch with

Father Manel. After meeting him in person, I felt engaged with his work. You can’t help but notice his great humanity and his complete devotion to this disadvantaged sector.

Tell us an example of how you have collaborated with Father Manel. We’ve donated clothing, books and even linens, such as beds-heets and tablecloths. My last contribution was to sell Christ-mas lottery tickets. Another way of collaborating is to attend the various festivals that the foundation hosts throughout the year at different theatres in Barcelona. It’s fun, and the money raised goes directly to the foundation’s activities.

How can we collaborate or get in touch with Father Manel? There are many ways to collaborate with the foundation, ei-ther by volunteering or making a donation. You can visit the festivals, buy Christmas lottery tickets, or donate items, such as clothes you haven’t worn in a long time, to be auctioned off.

The best way to learn more about the foundation is by visiting its website, <www.paremanel.org> or by sending an email to <manelpousa@paremanel.org>

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16 The portrait

“I still cherish the fond memories I have from ESADE”Carmen García joined ESADE in 1966 located then in a building on passatge de Josep Llovera. She stopped working with us a few months ago after a total of 42 years.

Where did you work when you started?I started working at ESADE as an assistant chef for 7 years; I was in charge of preparing breakfast and lunch for the Jesuits. I also left dinner ready for them so that they only had to heat it later.

Can you describe what you remember from that time?I remember those years as the best times at ESADE; I will never forget the 7 years I dedicated to Father Ivar, Sobrerota, Tomás, Güell, Marzal, Mesa, Comas, Trave, García Nieto and so many more whose names I don’t remember now, but there were 19 and I have very fond memories of them all.

What was on your mind that first day on your way to ESADE?I was very excited; I remember that the head of personnel, Antoni Aliana, met me, and I thought to myself “how lucky I am to have joined an institution like this.”

Do you remember your colleagues? And your bosses?I have very fond memories of some of my colleagues, especially Sacramento Castillo who I worked with for 33 years. She was my support, my colleague, my friend, but, especially, a great person.

What would you say to the people you’ve left behind at ESADE?Everything has changed so much inside, but that they should go to work as eagerly as I did all those years.

In your opinion, what has changed the most at ESADE since that first day?What can I say? Everything has changed so much, especially in terms of the number of people. When I started, there were 19 of us, a great big family. Today, I don’t know how many there are, but I do know that we’re a great company.

Tell us about your funniest experience at ESADE.One day, a day just like any other, I was emptying out the waste bins in the offices when I found a 5,000-peseta bill, specifically in Mr. Marzal’s office. When I told him about it, he doubted it was his since he hadn’t even noticed. He told me I could have kept it because I was looking at a very absentminded person.

What was your last day at ESADE like?I was very nervous. At first I didn’t want any kind of party and then I thought that it was the only way to say goodbye to everyone. It was the right choice, a very special day, unforgettable for me. I would really like to thank everyone again who was there with me and showed me all their affection.

Up close and personal

What is the best and worst memory you have from ESADE?The best one is what I commented at the beginning of the interview, my 7 years cooking for the Jesuits. It’s best not to remember the worst things. I don’t care about that anymore.

And now what do you do? What projects do you have in mind?A lot more things than I would have imagined: swimming, yoga, dance classes, gym and now I’m in charge of my time.As of September, I have a very interesting project in mind, taking over a sewing workshop and class along with a friend of mind; we’ll have 12 students.

The colour you can never leave home without:Green and black.

The movie or play you would have liked to have starred in:Gone with the Wind.

The song you would have liked to have written or sung:Any soft rock song. I love one by the group Mocedades, ¿Dónde estás corazón?

The book you would have liked to have written:The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett.

The city you’d like to get lost in:Vienna or a small town nearby.

The place which is most like you as a person:Any town along the sea.