UPF is the Spanish university that has the most students awarded scholarships by La Caixa Foundation. In the 43rd edition, 1,045 applicants applied for 100 scholarships of which 14 have been granted to UPF students, who will be able to pursue their studies at one of the world’s top universities. Thus, only one in ten applicants has been awarded the scholarship. The fourteen UPF students will begin their postgraduate studies abroad next year. The scholarship award ceremony took place in Madrid, presided over by the president of La Caixa Foundation, Isidre Fainé; the king of Spain; the Spanish minister for Social Rights, Consumption and the 2030 Agenda, and was attended by the UPF vice-rector for Academic Planning, Sergi Torner.

The 100 scholarships awarded are spread over three continents. 71 scholarships are to study in Europe; 27, in the United States, and 2 in Japan. By country, the United Kingdom attracts the most, with 42; followed by the United States with 27. The universities to receive the most scholarship holders are the University of Cambridge, with 12; the University of Oxford (9); the London School of Economics and Political Science (6); Columbia University (6), and the Federal Polytechnic School of Zurich (5).

The most represented disciplines are engineering and technologies, with 16 scholarship holders; cell and molecular biology (12), mathematics (11), law (8), economic and business sciences (7), and political and administrative sciences (6).

The scholarships are awarded to follow master’s or doctoral degree studies, which must be started after receiving the scholarship. Pre-doctoral scientific and technical research stays are also accepted. The call covers all areas of knowledge, but excludes Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes.

Vice-Rector Sergi Torner with some of the UPF students awarded scholarships by the La Caixa Foundation to pursue a postgraduate degree abroad

Who are the 14 UPF students who have been awarded a scholarship?

Mireia Arguijo Badia - Scholarship to study a master’s degree in Governance and International Diplomacy at Sciences Po in Paris (France)

She graduated in Humanities from Pompeu Fabra University specializing in Modern and Contemporary Studies, and in Catalan Studies from the University of Barcelona. In 2023 she received the IEC - Mercè Rodoreda Foundation award, the result of her research on Rodoreda’s late narrative work, which she carried out thanks to a collaboration grant from the Catalan Ministry of Education with the UPF Department of Humanities. She is currently responsible for the Language and Literature Section of the Ateneu Barcelonès cultural association, where she deals with culture management.

Alma Gamper Saez - Scholarship to study a master’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Oxford (United Kingdom)

She has a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (UPF, UAB, UC3M and UAM).  As part of her undergraduate studies, she has also done stays abroad at Sciences Po in Paris and at the University of California in Los Angeles. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Oxford funded by “La Caixa”, and collaborates with the Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (AVID). Her interests include feminist and decolonial methodologies, restorative and transformative justice, abolitionist feminism, alternatives to incarceration and policing, and the criminalization of migration. Her research has been awarded by UPF and the Catalan Institute of Women and presented at academic conferences.

He graduated in 2024 in Global Studies from Pompeu Fabra University, after studying for a semester abroad at the Institut d’Études Politiques (SciencesPo) in Paris. He is currently taking a master’s degree in Governance and International Diplomacy, where he is focusing on cultural diplomacy and conflict prevention.  

Maria Torner del Barrio - Master of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London (UK)

She graduated with a double bachelor’s degree in Law and Economics from Pompeu Fabra University in 2024. She has spent a year at the University of Oxford, where she earned a Diploma in Legal Studies and the award for best academic performance. At the London School of Economics she wishes to specialize in Competition Law and Technological Innovations.

Mar Villora Valero - Master of Laws from Harvard University (United States)

She graduated in the double bachelor’s degree in Law and Business Administration from UPF with a distinction in 2020. During her undergraduate studies, she did an exchange semester at the School of Law at the University of California, Los Angeles (2018). She has practised law in New York, Madrid and Barcelona. She has co-authored articles that have been published, among others, in La Ley (Wolters Kluwer), Aranzadi, and Thomson Reuters.

Adrián Vizuete Hernández - Magister Juris from the University of Oxford (United Kingdom)

He graduated in the double bachelor’s degree in Law and Business Administration from UPF with an average grade of 9.23. He has a deep appreciation for the creative industries, in particular the world of fashion, which has greatly influenced his academic activities and is reflected in his degree final thesis. He completed one academic year at the University of Oxford taking the Diploma in Legal Studies programme. He is currently enrolled in the University of Oxford’s Magister Juris, where he is focusing on relevant fields for the creative industries, such as human rights at work, trademarks, and comparative copyright.

Berta Coll Bosch - Master’s degree in Scripture from the University of Columbia (United States)

Graduated in Humanities, Journalism and Linguistics from Pompeu Fabra University and in Liberal Arts from the Francisco de Vitoria University. She subsequently expanded her training at the University of Stirling (United Kingdom), where she specialized in British literary modernism and North American narrative. Specializing in music, literature, the performing and visual arts, she was a staff writer at the newspaper Ara, and a contributor to Núvol, El Punt Avui, Enderrock, 440 Clàssica & Jazz, La Directa, Catalonia Today, El Temps and Recomana, as well as other institutions such as L’Auditori de Barcelona and the Carulla Foundation. Her academic interests include cultural criticism, intermediality, comparative literature, non-fiction writing, contemporary literature, sound literary studies, Catalan studies, media theories, and English literature.

Marcos Tomás Díaz Tarragó - Master of Laws from Harvard University (United States)

A graduate in Law from UPF, he has broadened his training with stays at the University of Oxford, the University of Manchester and the University of Chicago. He has a master’s degree in International Business Law from NOVA University Lisbon and ESADE. Professionally, he worked as a court clerk and as a legal intern in several international law firms before joining the PPAI programme at Cuatrecasas, where he has specialized in international arbitration.

Gonzalo Plaza Arriola - Master’s degree in Applied Artificial Intelligence for Biomedicine and Healthcare. University College London, University of London (UK)

Trained in Biomedical Engineering by UPF, he has specialized in neuroscience and deep learning, and has a strong interest in the ethics and interpretability of algorithms. He is a sociable person who is passionate about philosophy, sport and outreach, as can be seen in his podcast on biomedical engineering.

Irina Samy Cucur - Master’s degree in Migration and Diaspora Studies. School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London (UK)

A graduate in Global Studies from Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona. She specialized in migration, with first-hand experience in Greece, Ceuta and the Canary Islands. She has worked at Novact on migration policies and migrant rights, and also at the Barcelona City Council Human Rights Resource Centre, focusing on rights and the fight against racism. She has a minor in Gender Studies and is currently researching migration and diasporas at SOAS (University of London) with a scholarship from La Caixa Foundation.

Helena Rodríguez Mellado - Master’s degree in International Social and Public Policy. London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London (UK)

She graduated in Global Studies from UPF, with a stay at Sciences Po and an internship at the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia). She has worked at Barcelona City Council promoting the social and solidarity economy among young people and has collaborated in various human rights and social inclusion volunteering initiatives. She speaks Catalan, Spanish, English and French, and wants to establish herself as a professional in public policy and social rights.

Pol Villaverde Cortadellas - Master’s degree in Public Policy from Columbia University (United States)
 

A graduate in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from UPF, he has also studied in Madrid and Paris (SciencesPo). He founded and has participated in various youth and civil society initiatives, and has worked in public and third sector institutions. He is also a social entrepreneur, through apps with up to 1.5 million users, and the founder of Palumba EU, which has mobilized 170,000 young people for the European elections. He is currently taking a master’s degree in Public Policy at Sciences Po to be followed in Columbia in Public Administration.

Esteban Félez Martínez - Master’s degree in Neural Systems and Computing from the Federal Polytechnic School of Zurich (ETH) (Switzerland)

A graduate in Biomedical Engineering from UPF with an extraordinary award. He did a stay at the University of British Columbia (Canada) and wrote his dissertation on epileptic networks in neuroelectrics (UPF). In the autumn of 2024, he began a master’s degree in Neural Systems and Computing at the ETH and the University of Zurich, with the aim of contributing to computational neuroscience that has a social and a clinical impact.

Pau Canivell Gamez - Scholarship to study a master’s degree in Film Studies at the Tish School of the Arts at New York University (United States)

Pau Canivell is a Catalan screenwriter, performer and film director. He graduated in Audiovisual Communication from Pompeu Fabra University and in 2024 he obtained a “La Caixa” scholarship to study a master’s degree in film direction in the United States. His films include Tacones sobre ruedas (2022), his first documentary feature film, which premiered in Serbia and has been screened in several international cinemas. He has been a member of the Young Jury of the Sitges Film Festival (2019) and the Giornate degli Autori of the Venice Film Festival (2023), and is an ambassador for the LUX Audience Award of the European Parliament.