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“Books taught me to think, and thinking made me free.” Anonymous

Interview with Alfons Sauquet, Deanof Management at ESADEE-

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���������������A few years back, I was enjoying a pleasant conversa-tion with a top exe-cutive of Spain’s largest commu-nications group (whose majority shareholder sha-res with me part of his last name, though not his for-tune). I mentioned that we were plan-ning to conduct a survey at ESADE to discover the reading habits of the staff and faculty of this world-renowned business school. This gentle-man, who had a glorious Olympic past, assured me that market surveys had already be carried out on this target and that, aside from books of professional interest, we would surely find no ex-ceptions to Spain’s predominant reading habits among ESADE staff and faculty.

Despite this categorical assertion, backed by market research conducted by an enormous communications group, we proceeded with the survey. Based on the results, we were able to declare, like Isabel (not our Isabels –the one with the big smile in Building 3, and the friendly huntress of press articles– but rather the sickly-sweet Isabel of TV), ‘I have a surprise for you!’ The surprise –which we had anticipated intuiti-vely, without the help of market surveys– was a severe addition to reading among both ESADE faculty and the awkwardly named ‘administra-tive and services staff’, with a diverse range of preferred genres.

Best-sellers (or, perhaps more appropriately, ‘mega-sellers’) were obviously quite common on the reading lists of our target group. But we also discovered a streak of diversity and originality. For example, one prominent member of ESADE’s management team revealed his obsession with –and expertise in– the genre of science fiction. Another member of this peculiar group confes-sed his love for anthropology. Another respondent was a fan of Latin American novels. Yet another, a lover of poetry. Then there were the true ma-rathon runners: those capable of flying through a thousand-page novel, or a several-volume me-moir. And then there was one reader, trying to

tackle a foreign-language master-piece of literature, who quipped that he would proba-bly finish paying off his mortgage before finishing the book!

The survey res-pondents shared numerous anec-dotes. One indivi-dual recalled the

witty comment of a true teacher, George Steiner (whose recent disappearance made us all feel like orphans) –a comment in the form of a question: ‘Why do you want to know what I have on my bed-side table?’ Well, dear teacher, so that you may do precisely what it is that teachers do: share.

Sharing is, indeed, one of the missions –if not the mission– of our institution. We begin by sha-ring with our colleagues: sharing knowledge, rea-ding material, entertainment, ideas, convictions and anything else that makes us feel proud to form part of this organisation. The question is whether ESADE’s passion for reading is shared by those who pass through our classrooms un-dergraduates studying Management and Law, and participants in the Master and Executive Education programmes.

Perhaps people are hesitant to publicly discuss their reading habits, since reading is ultimately an individual hobby. Perhaps, with the support of the magnificent and widely envied tradition of Sant Jordi (Saint George), starring the rose and the book, lecturers could make a habit of starting their classes by commenting on a (non-professio-nal) book they have read recently. Perhaps the experience of hearing lecturers talk about books and reading would be seared into the memory of our students as yet another positive aspect of our institution, thereby strengthening our already positive image.

We’ve already shown that ESADE’s faculty and staff are avid readers. Now, with the help of Saint George, we need to prove that ESADE can also inspire others to read. Are you ready for the challenge?

José María Álvarez de Lara

A day like this23rd April is a special day. World Book Day is celebrated on this date. In 1616, two great writers, Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare, both died on this day. Curiously, Josep Pla, one of the greatest Catalan-language writers of all time, died on this day in 1981. The autonomous communities of Catalonia and Aragon also celebrate St. George’s Day on this date.

27th April 1959 (Feast of Our Lady of Montserrat): ESADE’s facilities were blessed and the Virgin of Montserrat was named the patron saint of the institution.

22nd April 1960 The collaboration agreement of 17th October 1958 that created ESADE was notarised by José M. Porcioles.

27th April 1962 The Ecclesiastical Teaching and Training Foundation was created.

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The New Challenge of Saint George

What about you?

E-News

Cyan Salon

The Portrait

This Month’s Personality

Sant Jordi‘s Day Special

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3What about you?

The Information and Knowledge Service (SIC)

The Service provides vital support for teaching, learning, research and knowledge creation. One should note that the SIC has always been a lea-der in its field. The Library has one of the largest collections of works on Management and Law and is a centre of excellence in the fields of informa-tion automation and international networking. It has been a member of the European Business Schools Library Group (EBSLG) since the 1970s. ESADE Guíame! Portal has a ten-year track record and has become a national and in-ternational reference point for both universities and business. The European Documentation Centre was the first of its kind in Spain and is still the only one in Barcelona.

Let us now have a look at SIC’s members, their work tasks and discover some of their hobbies and pastimes when they are not slaving away in ESADE:

Editorial board:

José M. Álvarez de LaraAriadna AntequeraÓscar BistuéIvanna CasaburiRebeca CarpiJosé M. ContijochAnna DíazDavid Fernández-Manzanos

Ana SoláJosé Antonio MengualMila MirasAdela NebotSusana PérezJosep SolerMónica Sisternas

Colaborations:

M. José Marimón (The comic)Cristina Català (The getaway)Creapolis Team (The Creapolis Project)

Checking text & translation:

Language Advisory

Design art direction:

Sintagma, Edicions Corporatives

Imprent:

Imgesa

CREDITS

The SIC, which forms part of the ESADE Library, runs the School’s business information portal Guíame! And the European Documentation Centre. The Service specialises in obtaining, managing and disseminating the information sources and resources that best meet ESADE’s needs.

Núria BoadaI am a keen reader (this was true before I started working in the library). I like free-form travelling and cooking.Núria’s work covers user care and Law cataloguing. Ivet CastellsI like reading, travelling and observing nature and sharing these pursuits with others. I am also keen on sport and keep fit by playing hockey.Ivet’s work covers the European Documentation Centre and Research Support Service (RSS) queries.Cristina CatalàI like discovering new places, landscapes, people and places and am fond of the sea and open air. I also love watching good films, reading and seeing my children grow up. If you cannot track me down it will be because I have escaped to Formentera.Cristina’s work covers the Information and Knowledge Service.Toni CortésI am a fan of wushu, a discipline I used to teach.Toni’s work covers periodicals and the reference section.Lino EstévezI love listening to a tango by Sant Telmo or a bee-bop by Dizzy Gillespie, reading Corto Maltès in Venice, racing through the adventures of Zalacaín, paddling in the Med and tasting the local tit bits in Santiago… all this and a lot more.Lino’s work covers acquisitions, service benchmarks and the reference section.Jordi FernándezI like the sea and reading.Jordi works in the Document Request Service, inter-library loans and in the reference section.María José MarimonGive me time, a book, a beach in winter, sleep, gobbling cake with the girls, a hearty laugh, a good conversation...Maria José runs the Library.Pep SabatéI have always liked painting and would like to spend more time on this hobby in the futu-re. I also enjoy reading, travelling, and walking and being at the seaside..Pep manages periodicals and works in the reference section.Toni SacrestI love jazz and nature.Toni provides daily support and content for ESADE’s Guíame! portal and works in the reference section.Carolina SolàI like spending time with my family, sharing knowledge and experiences with my hus-band and passing on values to my children. I am interested in current affairs and things linked to my work. I think it is vital to learn and progress both in personal and spiritual terms.Carolina’s work covers acquisitions and the reference service.Cristina SoléI co-ordinate and attend to Research Support Service (RSS) queries. I also deal with bu-siness studies cataloguing and loans and work in the reference service field.Cristina co-ordinates the Research Support Service (RSS), carries out business studies cataloguing and works in the reference service.Mònica Solé I am mad about sport, abseiling, water-jetting and I love theatre-going, meeting up with family and friends and listening to their piano playing.Mònica works on digital projects and knowledge support.Josep SolerI enjoy reading, DIY and sport. I love the Empordà region and am a great fan of Barce-lona FC.Josep’s work covers management of ESADE’s Guíame! portal and he helps out in the Research Support Service.

If you want to find out more about the service, visit our website at:http://www.esade.edu/sic

This magazine is printed on recycled paper

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WHERE ARE WE HEADED?

Alfons Sauquet, you are a psycho-logist by training and a Professor in the Department of Human Re-source Management. How did you end up at ESADE?I became a psychologist by acci-dent. I wanted to study philosophy, but unfortunately I had a professor

who quashed my love for the sub-ject. At that time I became more interested in psychology, although I kept studying philosophy on my own. I also studied law and his-tory on my own time. I was eager to learn. After graduation, teaching seemed like a natural career choi-

ce. I did that for several years, until, for various reasons, I took over a small family business. I immediately decided that I needed an MBA, so I enrolled at ESADE. Back then I was giving classes in the Department of Human Resource Management and the Department of Social Sciences at ESADE as an

Assistant Professor. When I finished my MBA, I was lucky enough to receive job offers from both departments at the same time. I remember Jau-me Filella telling me, ‘This is the first time in memory that two de-partment heads have wanted the same person.’

On 18th February, Xavier Mendoza declared Alfons Sauquet his successor as Dean of Management. Professor Sauquet will lead the ESADE faculty together with Pere Minosa, Dean of Law. ESADE has passed through many different stages in its 50-year history. Several generations now coexist here: those who created ESADE, those who grew up with ESADE and those who are just starting out at ESADE. Together, we are all facing a single challenge: to preserve ESADE’s raison d’être by adapting to the world of the future.

Alfons Sauquet, Dean of Management at ESADE.

It’s Wednesday morning and I’ve just arrived at the Dean’s office. Olga Plaza, who also served as secretary to the last two Deans of Management, asks me to wait just a few minutes. The office is located in the new wing of Building 1, ESADE’s second-oldest building. It looks like a modern box attached to a structure showing signs of the passage of time. From the vantage point of an armchair in the office, I see a flip chart covered with colourful Post-it notes and text. This reminds me of a doctoral course I took 13 or 14 years ago that was taught by a young psychologist. In that course, I learned that it was important to think about who we have been if we want to know where we are headed. In making this reflection, it can be very helpful to recall the people and events that have made an impact on our lives. Now we’re going to try this exercise with the teacher himself.

“Globalisation is our priority, but we must face it without ever erasing our DNA”

Interview with Alfons Sauquet, Dean of Management at ESADE.

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E-News 5

““Europe no longer surprises us; we want to move ahead. Something non-negotiable, although it has certainly raised some suspicions, especially among those who have seen the entire evolution of ESADE.

And you chose the Department of Human Resource Management. Why? In fact, it was hardly a choice at all. I felt that human resources fit better with everything I had been doing up to that point. Psychology was more closely related to human resources, although philosophy and history still interested me. In fact, the first class I ever taught at ESADE was offered to me by Josep Miralles as part of a subject on Catalonia and Spain for the students of the English-langua-ge MBA. It must have been 1985 or 1986. It was the most carefully pre-pared class I have ever given, and I still think it was the best. I had written 30 or 40 pages of notes. It was a terrific summary. And that’s how I got involved with ESADE. In 1990, Conchita Núñez moved with me to the office in Building 2.

What events and people have most influenced your career here at ESADE? Academically speaking, the most relevant events have been related to the first subjects I taught: working with a team of faculty, preparing teaching material, working with stu-dents, defining my message, etc.

One important experience for me in this regard was a third-year psy-chology subject that I taught. It was an unforgettable experience. The students had to complete a psycho-logy project in just 30 hours of class time. I taught three hours on the ba-sics of research, and they spent the rest of the time attending different classes. Each class covered a variety of topics, and the work groups were

supposed to explain what they were doing and what methodology they were using. That initiative resulted in some very interesting projects. It was a great subject.

Another important subject was one that Eduard Bonet made me teach for the PhD programme. I asked him if he really thought I could contribu-te anything, and he said, ‘You try it, and I’ll let you know.’ Towards the end of each class, he would come in, sit down and start taking notes. I realised things were going well when one day he appeared with a new notebook. That meant that he had finished the old one, and that he was interested enough to write things down. That was another im-portant subject for me.

Another important event in my academic career was the project that Josep Maria Lozano and I carried out with Gas Natural for Executive Education. It was a long process –a year and a half or two years. I think that we left our mark on the company. It was a study of the company’s culture, which was a very innovative concept back then.

Also in the academic and edu-cational world, I worked in the in-ternational programmes of the Association for Human Resources Management in International Orga-nisations (AHRMIO). Four schools were involved. I participated in all of the programmes, which targe-ted human resources directors at international organisations. I had the chance to share knowledge and ideas with the human resources di-rectors of the World Bank, the FAO and other organisations.

And in the area of research, the experience that most affects any scholar is his own training –in my case, the PhD I did in the United Sta-tes– and the first notable scientific contribution he makes. That’s when you start understanding the scien-tific production process, its requi-rements, and in-depth intellectual debate. My experience at the Aca-demy of Management was also very important. You realise that there are people whose work you’ve read who ask you questions and say to you ‘I agree with you on this point, but not on that point’.

Of course, what you write is also important –the result of your colla-borations with other people. When you see your contribution in print, well, that’s important.

Another moment of great satis-faction is when you realise that you, too, can do something for others –for example, when you direct good dissertations. That also gives you a chance to see people doing interes-ting things.

And how about people who have in-fluenced you? Here at ESADE there are many im-portant people. This is an organisa-tion that you can come to love very much, just by opening up a little, because the people here are worth it. Here, you feel lucky to work with truly amazing people.

Of the people whom I have wor-ked with, and who have made a major impression on me, I would first mention Eugenio Recio. Ano-ther person who taught me a lot was Samuel Husenman. In recent years, the most important person has been Eduard Bonet. All three are the embodiment of humanism, yet they are very dif ferent from one another and would probably disagree on practically everything. They are and have been important to me both academically and per-sonally. They are also important to ESADE. They’re really left their mark, their essence, on this insti-tution.

In recent years, I have also learn-ed a lot from the people I’ve worked with in the management area: Lluís M. Pugès, Carlos Losada, Jaume Hu-gas and many more.

Finally, one person who has in-fluenced me a lot lately is James March. He has left a mark on every-one who has ever known him.

Looking to the future, where is ESADE’s faculty headed? What are their priorities and projects? Well, some of their goals are already clichés; everyone talks about them all the time. ESADE was born as a local business school. Then it be-came national, and then European, and now it is aiming to become glo-bal. Europe no longer surprises us; we want to move ahead. There is so-mething inevitable in all this, some-thing non-negotiable, although it has certainly raised some suspicions, es-pecially among those who have seen the entire evolution of ESADE.

Those who still remember Pas-satge Llovera have been here their whole lives, so I understand that this can be difficult for them. But those who started with Barcelona and made it as far as Europe will also be able to take this last step. Those who started with Europe pro-bably don’t see this global perspec-tive as anything new.

We all have to understand that, whenever there is a change of this magnitude, the entire structure has to shift. An organisation is a system, and when you change one part of a system, you always have to adjust the other parts. One thing comes af-ter another, very quickly. Nobody can make a 30-year investment; change is inevitable.

As much as we may try to adapt, it is also clear that we are what we were. Several generations now co-exist at ESADE, as you say, and this makes it difficult to adjust the sys-tem in some ways. This is indeed a challenge. Over the years, ESADE has developed various modes of coexistence to face diffe-rent situations. I imagine that the situation during the initial stage was different from the situation when the school moved to Pedralbes, which in turn was different from the situation when we became European. Now, if a new challenge emerges, we must work to meet it and remind the fa-culty that one part cannot work wi-thout the other. So, if one part fa-ces a challenge –research, say– the other part faces it, as well. Things cannot stay the same. One part can’t always be doing the heavy lif-ting for everyone. We probably have to change how we do things.

Coexistence is a challenge, so whe-re is the opportunity?Coexistence is a challenge, just like attracting candidates is a challen-ge. ESADE’s variables still repre-sent a certain way of doing things –the concern for fundamental issues that explains why we are here. If ESADE were just a business school, its existence would not be justified. There’s an element of identity: If we know what we were, we know what we will be. ESADE was founded as a business school with a particular

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If ESADE were just a business school, its existence would not be justified. There’s an element of identity: If we know what we are, we know what we will be.

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6 E-News

Jaime Rosales (Barcelona, 1970) is a director, producer, screen-writer and ESADE alumnus (Lic&MBA 1993). At the 22nd edition of the Goya Awards, he unexpectedly won Best Picture and Best Director for his film

The second gathering brin-ging together professio-nals working in Barcelona’s three main business school libraries (ESADE, IESE and EADA) was held on January 18th 2008. The aim was to share knowledge on the la-test trends in the field.The theme of the gathering was Business Libraries in an Interconnected World:

Library 2.0. The new tech-nologies employed for Web 2.0 were set out, as well as their real-life applications in libraries. There was also discussion of the opportu-nities for improving library services for our users, the application of various tools and their potential risks and drawbacks. The gathering ended with a dinner.

Matins ESADE with Goya-Award-Winning Filmmaker Jaime Rosales

The ESADE Library Holds the Second Meeting of ESADE-IESE-EADA Business School Libraries

The Rise of Internationalisation

In accordance with its Stra-tegic Plan, ESADE has in-creasingly targeted interna-tional students. As a result, diversity has become one of the hallmarks of our institu-tion. More than 500 people now work at ESADE. Altogether, ESADE’s faculty and admi-nistrative and services staff represent 23 different coun-tries: Argentina, Australia,

Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Guate-mala, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zea-land, Romania, Singapo-re, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Venezuela and, of course, Spain. The Human Resources Service has created Join Us www.esade.edu/sites/joinus,

a website that announces job openings at ESADE that are suited to international can-didates. This initiative illustrates not only the aforementioned ex-pansion process, but also ESADE’s great capacity for coexistence, adaptation and humanity.

understanding of the rela-tions between social agents. At the same time, the school wanted to move forward towards the future and help the country to advance. We must keep this idea clear in our minds, because it can help us greatly in this new stage.

We live in an over-institu-tionalised society. Certifica-tion mechanisms have made business schools more and more similar to one ano-ther. Nevertheless, some have found the strength to say ‘We are like this’; those schools have a true raison d’être. ESADE has it; we must preserve and articu-late it.

I believe that this is an op-portunity, an opportunity for the faculty to develop a plan for adapting to the world of the future, but without era-sing our DNA. Globalisation is our priority, but we must face it without ever erasing our DNA. We must act glo-bally without forgetting who we are. In four, six or eight years, we want to expand worldwide –for example, in India and China– and strengthen our presence in the United States. In addi-tion to fundraising, we want

La soledad. On 17th April, the filmmaker gave a talk at Ma-tins ESADE entitled “Choosing the Future: From ESADE to the Goya Awards”.Mr. Rosales is deeply commit-ted to culture. In an interview with the newspaper El País a few days after winning at the Goyas, he said: ‘We should think more about our futu-re. In one of my acceptance speeches at the awards ce-remony, I talked about chil-dren, because they are going to build this society. We need to develop a comprehensive vi-sion of what kind of citizens we want for the future: production and consumption machines, or people capable of thinking and finding new solutions? The inte-llectual and emotional stimula-tion that a culture generates is very important.”.

to form partnerships in or-der to provide skills and share projects.

Internally speaking, we also have two priorities. One is procedure, we will conti-nually be requiring greater quality, which implies re-newal and innovation. The other is cohesion and shared responsibility in the area of corporate citizenship. We must do what we want to do, and we must do it very well, because the guy next to you needs you to. We want to en-hance transparency. What we have done is just a first step; we’ve got five more to go. We must learn to coexist with people of different tra-ditions and cultures.

Indeed, various different traditions and cultures coexist at ESADE, which translates into various di-fferent ways of understan-ding the organisation. This has been a source of some tension... There have been positive ca-ses and others that are not so positive. This is a problem that people are dealing with everywhere. Candidates have many options to choose from, and they have enough time to find out whether they have

made the best choice. I don’t think we are doing so poorly. We are certainly learning a lot.

I’d love to give our readers a scoop, so I’m going to give this a shot. Who will be the new Vice Dean of Research? I can tell you that the new Director of Research will be Jonathan Wareham.

And what about the new Vice Dean?For now there is no Vice Dean. The duties of the Vice Dean will tempora-rily be assumed by the Re-search Office (F. Cribillers), the Director of the PhD Programme (N. Agell) and Jonathan, who will be res-ponsible for implementing the strategic research plan and leading the Research Committee. That’s very si-milar to what I used to do.

Thank you very much let-ting us get to know you better. I hope your contri-bution helps us all to bet-ter understand our jour-ney towards the world that awaits us.

Ivanna Casaburi

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E-News 7

Career Services Gets Down to Business

Companies that have recently participated in an MBA Talent Recruitment Event:

ESADE Holds 1st Corporate Universities Forum

A celebrity who doesn’t work at ESADE has found his way into the magazine. The names of those who find him will be included in the prize draw for the film Ocean’s Thirteen. Send us an email to revista@esade.edu Subject: Celebrity

The final session of this year’s MBA Career Forum, organi-sed by ESADE’s Career Servi-ces team, was held on 5th Fe-bruary. The event marked the end of an intense activity pro-gramme called “MBA Talent Recruitment Events”, which began with MBA Career Week in October 2007. Over the previous four months, this programme brought 68 top-level companies to ESADE in search of talent that meets their needs. At the various events, the companies also pre-sented their current placement opportunities –both permanent positions and internships– to ESADE MBA students. Career Services keep in contact with more than 1,500 Spanish and international recruiters and corporations in all indus-tries. Numerous recruiters and executives participated in our events in order to find talented individuals capable of bringing a global vision of manage-ment and a distinct internatio-nal focus to their companies. The MBA Talent Recruitment Events included a broad range of activities held on the ESADE campus, each focused on a particular sector or professio-nal specialisation. The aim of this programme was to help our students complete an internship and find a perma-nent job at one of the world’s top firms.

MBA Career WeekOctober 2007This event mainly targets com-panies in the financial and con-sulting industries that want to complete their selection proces-ses before the end of the year. In the 2007 edition, the event was expanded to include indus-trial companies.

International Career DayNovember 2007This event, jointly planned by the MBA and MSc career teams, allowed companies to contact ESADE students with a wide range of backgrounds who had the potential to fit into their organisations in a variety of different ways.

MBA Consulting WeekJanuary 2008To meet the needs of the growing consulting sector, the Career Services team held MBA Consulting Week in January. The timing of this event took advantage of consulting firms’ greater flexibility to adapt their selection processes.

MBA Career ForumFebruary 2008This event brings together a lar-ge number of companies from a wide range of sectors. At their stands and in presentations, the companies present their internship and employment op-portunities.

“It’s interesting that I now find myself interviewing ESADE candidates, when just three years ago I was the one who was asking si-milar questions in the same place, with the same pur-pose: to make my careers goals a reality. This double perspective helps me to better understand the can-didates and find people with the best background for my company.”

Ana Claudia Longoria(Full-Time MBA 2005)NovartisInternational CareerDevelopment Programe

The 1st Corporate Universities Forum was held on the ESADE campus in Madrid. The forum began with lectures by the directors of some of the cor-porate universities that were invited to the event: Guillermo Cisneros (Santander Group), José Ángel Fernández Izard (Unión Fenosa), Joan Rovira (Telefónica) and María Dionis (Ferrovial). The participants then split up into four work-shops, each led by a different speaker. After the workshops, Marcel Planellas, Secretary General of ESADE, acting as the modera-tor, asked the four speakers to summarise the experiences of their workshops. Camelia Ilie, Director of Executive Education at ESADE Madrid, highlighted ten key aspects, including the schools’ vision of leadership, the various programmes offe-red and methods used, and the accreditations received by the various corporate uni-versities. Jaume Hugas, Exe-cutive Director of Executive Education at ESADE Madrid, noted a series of operational characteristics. He insisted that it was essential for execu-tives at corporate universities to become professors and also consultants, with regard to the company’s figures. Enric Se-

garra, Lecturer at ESADE-URL, shared the main questions posed by the workshop parti-cipants: How should people be selected? How can lecturers be motivated? How much does all this cost? And how can small companies get in on this? Xa-vier Mendoza, Deputy Director

General of ESADE, stressed the idea of innovation and noted that corporate universities are gaining popularity in Spain. At the end of the forum, Do-minique Pépin, Director of the French company Saint-Gobain, discussed his firm’s corporate university.

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8 E-News

Advanced countries are finding it more and more diffi-cult to maintain high economic growth rates. On the one hand, new highly productive low-cost nations are supplying a rising proportion of the world’s goods. This is especially true of countries in South-East Asia and Southern Africa. This limits the scope for competing on price –especially in industrial goods. On the other hand, things are getting tougher in increasingly ma-ture, saturated markets, whose consumers are beco-ming better informed, sophisticated, and demanding. This spells shortening product life cycles, making it harder to find business opportunities.

Hence the interest in searching for and breaking into new markets. In such markets, knowledge and added value command a premium and price-based competition is weaker. Innovation is essential if the-se markets are to be fully exploited.

European countries often find it difficult to rise to the challenges posed by innovation. Cultural influences and hide-bound public administrations often make the transition to an innovation-based business model an uphill task.

ESADE is going through a period of rapid change which includes its partial move to Sant Cugat del Va-llés. The School has decided to take the initiative and free the forces for innovation through its ESADECRE-APOLIS initiative.

Creapolis’ mission is to become a centre of excellen-ce in the business innovation field. There are three strands to this strategy. The first strand: providing innovation areas, covering premises, services and knowledge. The building will house the innovation departments of leading companies in each sector and that have a proven track record or commitment to new products. ESADE’s Executive Centre will occu-py the building’s southern wing and provide speciali-sed courses for managers and companies. There will be a Business Centre offering turnkey facilities for entrepreneurs, facilitating the launch of new lines of business.

The building will follow the design philosophy un-derlying the offices of highly innovative companies such as Google, SAP, e-bay and 3COM. Particular care will be taken with the layout of common areas, mee-ting and brainstorming rooms given that such featu-res play a vital role in the success of many high-tech Californian companies. The project has been drawn up by the Sanabria firm of architects, which enjoys an enviable reputation for high-quality projects. The building will be low-rise and very Mediterranean in character and thus a welcome departure from most office blocks. It will be spacious and feature natural light and ventilation, terraces and a roof terrace. The building will face Collserola’s pine woods on one side and the thriving city of Sant Cugat del Vallès on the other.

The second strand of the project will foster interac-tion between the business school, the companies, creating a network bringing together resources, ser-vices and knowledge.

The third strand will strengthen the other two and stimulate innovation. Various multi-sector visionary experts will be employed by ESADE CREAPOLIS. In addition, an innovation “architect” will be charged with fostering and channelling interaction between

stakeholders wi-thin the framework of multi-sectoral projects. CREAPO-LIS will also provi-de access to ser-vice and resource networks, covering consultancy, fun-ding, and expert advice among other things.

The stress is on “open innovation”. That means orga-nisations create a

collaborative framework in which they furnish talent, resources and different sectoral and cultural pers-pectives in carrying out specific projects.

It is planned to open the building in the first quar-ter of 2009. The present pace of construction makes this a realistic target. From then on, the innovation departments of selected companies will move to the new site. Some of the firms concerned have already signed letters of intent in this respect.

Both ESADE and Sant Cugat del Vallès City Council and the institutions that have reserved space are en-thusiastic about this pioneering initiative. The fruits of the project will benefit business and consumers alike and foster knowledge in the innovation field. Spain’s competitive position should thus be streng-thened as a result.

CREAPOLIS Team

THE CREAPOLIS PROJECT

In such markets, knowledge and added value command a premium and price-based competition is weaker. Innovation is essential if these markets are to be fully exploited.

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OPEN DAYWhat is it? → ESADE will open its doors one Saturday morning to show all our friends and relations what makes the ESADE business school so special. With this in mind, there will be guided tours of the different buildings on the Barcelona. When? → May 24th 2008When? → Barcelona

E50 OLYMPICSWhat is it? → The chance to have a great time at the Can Caralleu facilities: open just for us. When? → June 14th 2008Where? → Can Caralleu sports centre

E50 FAREWELLWhat is it? → All celebrations come to an end and E50 is no exception. This will be an unforgettable farewell. Different groups are getting together to surprise us all with what they do best.When? → July 3rd 2008Where? → Barcelona campus

2 AGENDA E50

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It was pitch black crossing Barcelona along Aragó avenue. I felt comfortable in the car and all the traffic lights were green as I sliced across the sleeping city. I had arranged to meet at half past eleven at the Plaça de Sants but I seldom arrive on time. I had gone home to change into a jersey, jacket and scarf. I put on a stout pair of shoes because I knew I would have to do a lot of walking. I was met by Maria and a couple of girls. That made four of us who, together with seven hundred other volunteers, were helping Fundació Arrels with its census of the homeless. The foundation’s initiative, which began a couple of years ago, combs the city street by street and bank by bank (the homeless sleep out next to the indoor cash dispensers). The idea is to gather as much infor-mation on the number of homeless, how long they have been on the streets, their habits, and so on.I met Maria by the newstand in Plaça de Sants with the others covering the Sants beat. I was introduced to Anna and Mercè who made up our foursome. We had already planned our route through the neighbourhood. We set out at about a quarter to twelve and we immediately bumped into a man sitting on a bench on the other side of the square. Mercè and Anna chatted to him as they filled in a form. Maria and I started to walk along the streets near the square: Passatge Serra i Arola, Carrer Galileu, Carrer del Miracle. In Joan Güell street, we came across a man who was sleeping rough in a card-board box in the Caja Navarra savings bank. He was well wrapped up and we decided to leave him in peace. Opening the door of the cash point would have been an intrusion on his privacy and unlikely to be appreciated. So Maria noted down the address and we waited for Anna and Mercè to catch us up. We crossed the street. People looked at us with the cold disdain re-served for those making a census of the homeless. At that very moment,

dozens of people like us were fanning out through the city streets like an enormous dragnet.

We soon reached the Can Mantega gardens a little further up. We had been given very clear instructions the previous day on what we were to do. The idea was not to help the homeless but rather to count them and discover as much about them as possible –especially their habits and problems. This informa-tion would later be used by the town council’s social services and NGOs to focus their efforts. It was a litt-le after one when we reached Avinguda Madrid, the

northern edge of our beat so we swung down to Rambla del Brasil. During the next hour and a half, we tramped through Sants district, crossed Carrer de Sants until we reached the works for the high-speed train. We then made back to our starting point: Plaça de Sants.It was now half past two and it had taken us three hours to comb the area. We were pleased because things had gone well. We had bagged eight ho-meless all told. Of course, it would have been better if there had been none. Anna told us she had spoken to a woman who had “only” been homeless for five years but had no plans or desire to give up her drifting lifestyle. Like Anna, I too was surprised.The groups in the Sants district ended their work around two in the morning and we met up in a bar close to the square. Although we were dog-tired, we eagerly swapped stories of how our forays into darkest Barcelona had gone. Some people then went on to the city’s old quarter to carry on the good work. Some groups made a second sweep. The dragnet was spread further and further until morning light.I got into the car and drove back through a city in which all the traffic lights seemed set on green. Yet something had changed. Perhaps I felt that I belonged a little more to Barcelona and the city to me.

The account of AN ANONYMOUS VOLUNTEERSolidarity project: Arrels Fundació

On the night of the 12th-13th of March, the Arrels Fundació held a census of the homeless. Many people from ESADE took part. Here is the account of one those who took part.

Those who signed up for the concert may have harboured some lingering doubts. Their doubts started to fade as they heard the buzz, in the cafeteria and hallways, about the upcoming show. Their doubts were completely dispelled one hour before showtime: Santa Maria del Mar was packed with people anxiously waiting for the concert to begin. The orchestra began to play with the utmost punctuality. The audience was taken back in time to the 16th and 17th centuries by a performance worthy of its venue. Dressed in simple but cheerful traditional garb, the orchestra struck a perfect balance between quality and showiness. Enrique López Viguria, Technical Secretary of ESADE, Father Ignasi Mora, the parish priest of Santa Maria del Mar, and Joan Rigol, former President of the Catalan Parliament and Honorary President of ESADEFORUM, welcomed us and put us in the mood to enjoy the concert to the fullest. Raquel Maldonado, the conductor of the orchestra, explained that the music being played was brought to Bolivia by the Jesuit community that was doing evangelical work there in the 16th and 17th centuries. After the expulsion of the Jesuits, the sheet music was pre-served by Bolivian communities who were grateful to them. The Bolivians adapted and enriched the scores with local musical nuances and embellishments. At the concert, the orchestra played all of the songs from their latest album, Tras las huellas de la Loma Santa, alternating between orchestral works, choral pieces, sacred hymns and traditional Christmas carols. Towards the end of the show, the orchestra surprised everyone with a native dance. The audience burst into euphoric applause at the sight of the feather headdresses worn by the performers. At the end of the concert, the orchestra walked off-stage to yet another thunderous round of applause. Usulupaya!!

E50 SOLIDARITY CONCERTYouth Orchestra of San Ignacio de MoxosSanta Maria del Mar was the perfect venue for a concert by the Youth Orchestra of San Ignacio de Moxos in commemora-tion of ESADE’s 50th anniversary.

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3AGENDA E50

The E50 events include our first open day, to be held on May 24th on the Barcelona and Madrid campuses.As explained in the E50 in-house web the aim of this event is simply to share our anniversary with our families in a fun-packed day with loads of activities for children and parents.Building 2 will have bouncy castles, a painting workshop, board games and a mini ping-pong area where our untiring boys and girls can enjoy the day having fun toge-ther. Plus guided tours of the different buildings so you can see and share our work-place and main projects. We will end the open day with an aperitif for adults and hot chocolate for children.The Madrid campus will hold an open day too to give the relatives of the staff there the chance to visit these facilities and workplace and enjoy a Saturday with the fa-mily.Although this event is being planned with lots of excitement and enthusiasm, RHPAS invites anyone who would like to help in the organisation as a volunteer. If you are interested in taking part, please write to to e50interno@esade.edu stating “Volunta-rios JPO” (JPO volunteers) in the subject. If you would like to attend and take part in the open days, send an e-mail with “JPO” in the subject to e50interno@esade.edu specifying the number of adults and chil-dren who will be coming.

- 10.00 to 10.30 am → Reception

- 10.30 to 10.50 am → Presentation-opening of the event

- 11.00 am to 12.30 pm → Recorridos / Actividades infantiles

- 12.45 to 1.30 pm → Aperitif (adults) / Hot chocolate (children)

- 1.15 pm → Closing of event

AGENDA

OPEN DAYThe E50 events include our first open day, to be held on May 24th on the Barcelona and Madrid campuses.

(www.esade.edu/sites/50/hoyabrimosesade)

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4 AGENDA E50

The E50 Olympics will take place on June 14th in Can Caralleu sports centre (street Esports, 2-8, next to Oreneta park).Besides football, basketball, volleyball, tennis and paddle tournaments, you can en-joy archery, aerobics, step, climbing, cycling, yoga and a huge swimming pool… all in a beautiful scenic setting.There are lots of ways to take part. You can compete individually or in teams in the Enjoy! sports or even be a volunteer. To register in the activity you fancy, just write to e50interno@esade.edu, stating “Olimpiadas E50”

You can take part in three different ways:

- Team tournaments State the full name of the participants (at least five persons per team), t-shirt size and name of the team.- If you fancy a non-competitive, Olympic activity, you can take part by sending an e-mail to the same address with the same subject, saying that you would like to take part in “Enjoy!” and giving your t-shirt size.- Finally, if you would like to be a volunteer, just send us an e-mail saying you would like to be a volunteer, giving your t-shirt size.

The E50 Olympics will run until the end of the morning and then, with the help of our expert cooking volunteers, we will serve a delicious paella after the award giving.

What better way to enjoy a splendid June morning!

See you there!

E50 OLYMPICSThere are still lots of activities to celebrate this special anniversary. Just as Peking will host the 2008 Olympics, ESADE will be hosting the “E50 Olympics”. Don’t miss them!

- 9.00 to 9.30 am → Pick up equipment

- 9.30 to 10.00 am → Bikes set off

- 10.00 am onwards → Tournaments start

- 2 pm → End of tournaments

- 2 pm onwards → Award giving and informal lunch

AGENDA

End of the 50th ANNIVERSARY in sight

GROUPS

We would like to remind you that the 2nd of July marks the end of the celebrations of ESADE’s 50th Anniversary. The final fling promises to be fun but will only be possible through your help and contributions.

The event “End of the 50th anniversary in sight!” will feature various artists and every-one can take part. Are you up for it?

1. Choral SingingDirected by Nuria Martínez (nuria.martinez@esade.edu)

2. Country:Directed by Nuria Duran (nuria.duran@esade.edu)

3. ESADE Café:Directed by David Fernández-Manzanos (david.fernandezmanzanos@esade.edu)

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E-News 9

The ESADE Community Declaration of ValuesThe Board of Trustees of Fundació ESADE approved this Declaration in January after an open, participatory consultation process that involved the faculty, the administrative personnel and student representatives, as well as the publication of a favourable report by ESADE’s management team.

The values of ESADE as an institution are expressed in its Mission Statement, which reads:

ESADE’s mission is to promote teaching and research in the areas of Management and Law, in order to contribute to the scientific, social and personal education of individuals who are characterised by a high level of professional competence and fully aware of their responsi-bility in the development of a society that promotes the dignity of individuals as part of the humanistic and Christian traditions, and in a context of intercultural dialogue.

ESADE aims to educate individuals with a high level of professional competence, aware of their responsibilities as national and global citizens, sensitive to issues of solidari-ty and social justice and able to engage in collective projects. To that end ESADE is involved in promoting human qualities: a combination of knowledge, judgement, balance and depth that generates confident, consistent, reliable citizens capable of living fundamental values.

Being part of a university institution such as ESADE should involve an attitude of commitment to its Mission: a commitment that is expressed in the values governing our daily coexistence and academic activity. Those who share these values make up our community.

Members of ESADE freely form part of their community and, in accepting these basic values, each member should decide on their own way of putting them into practice. In this climate of freedom and mutual respect, ESADE invites its members to promote actions and behaviours that are consistent with its values.

This Declaration is open to the changes which may affect our community in the future.

ValuesThe ESADE community is committed to promoting a set of values consistent with human qualities and academic and professional excellence, values which it aims to use to serve the local and global society of which it forms part. These values are:

1. Acting with integrity in academic and professional endeavours. This means behaving, even in difficult circumstances, in a manner that reflects the institution’s commitment to fundamental values such as rigour and effort in carrying out activities, honesty, a critical spirit, fairness and a sense of responsibility.

2. Respecting individuals, colleagues and oneself and being sensitive o the specific circumstances of others. This means recognising the dignity of all individuals and being able to accompany and help others when needed, working towards building a more just and humane world.

3. Valuing diversity positively and learning from differences between individuals, ideas and situations.This means understanding that differences of gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, cul-ture, language, religion, sexual orientation, physical characteristics and other differences are enriching opportunities for learning about other people, the world and oneself.

4. Searching, sharing and contributing to the common good of the ESADE community. This means being aware that the pursuit of one’s own interests cannot be separated from the good of the community as a whole and this is reflected in attitudes of respect and responsibility towards the community.

5. Assuming responsibilities and commitments to create a more just society. This means understanding not only what reality in actual fact ‘is’, but also what it ‘should be’ ba-sed on justice, a fundamental value expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Based on these values, members of the ESADE community undertake to act with personal integrity, professional conscientiousness and social responsibility.

Personal integrity means that words and actions are consistent with each other, with personal convictions or beliefs and with the values embodied in the Declaration. Professional conscientiousness means rigour in carrying out our activities, a culture of effort, continuous up-dating of knowledge, a capacity for autonomy and cooperation, a transforming creativity and a spirit of service and improvement. Social responsibility means assuming and taking into account the consequen-ces of one’s own decisions and their impact on justice in organisations and society, both locally and globally.

© Carolina Álvarez

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10 This month’s personality

How long have you worked at ESADE?I’ve been at ESADE since September 1983.

What is your job here?I’m in charge of the University Programmes Office, also known as the UNIOffice. It’s certainly a fun job. Right now we are working on many interesting projects. My respon-sibilities range from visiting the construction site of the new Sant Cugat campus once a week to creating a servi-ce team to face the challenges of the new undergraduate degree and the Bologna Masters.

Tell us about your best and worst experiences at ESADE.One of the biggest challenges has been making the shift from managing a team made up mostly of men to ano-ther made up mostly of women. Men and women work in very different ways. This has helped me to learn a lot, including about myself. The worst experience, by far, has been losing people at ESADE whom I appreciated and respected greatly.

Quick-fire questions

Teresa Careta is the Director of the University Programmes Office, better known as the UNIOffice.By Mónica Sisternas.

Tell us a good story from your time at ESADE.In the late 1980s, there was a photo shoot for a new infor-mational brochure - I forget what for, but the idea was to show the latest technological innovations here at ESADE. Back then I worked at the Data Processing Centre, now known as ICT. A photographer showed up, accompanied by the lecturer who was coordinating the photo shoot, to take pictures of the old ‘fridge’ of the Data Processing Centre - the place where the central computers were. The lecturer insisted on having the photographer take pictures of the air conditioning unit that cooled the ‘fridge’ instead of the central computer itself - the famous Data General. And in fact, the air conditioning unit was much larger and more impressive than the Data General. It took me a- while, but eventually I convinced him to change his focus.

Which colleague would you like to take out for a night on the town?The truth is that I don’t have much time for going out. I always get up early, so I’m usually very tired in the eve-ning. I’m not much of a party girl.

What position would you like to hold at ESADE three years from now?I’d especially like to be involved in opening the new cam-pus in Sant Cugat. I also want to stay in contact with the students.

What ESADE value or sign of identity do you most iden-tify with?This issue is actually very fresh in my mind. For the past year, I’ve been part of the work group that drew up the Declaration of Values. It’s hard for me to choose just one value, since I have internalised all of them.

Who should we interview for the next edition? I’d choose one of the main shareholders of the car park at the little plaza of the Pedralbes Monastery: Ignacio Serrano.

How long have you been at ESADE? 20 years.

What work do you do? (department, tasks, projects, etc.).I collaborate in four fields:

1. Research carried out by Prof. Baruel, in which I help out with the field studies.2. Co-ordinator for the admission tests. That basically covers administering the tests, preparing materials, detailing the rules for those holding and invigilating various kinds of tests, controlling stocks of test pa-pers, and so on.3. Editing Working Papers and Research Notes. This covers the whole process from receipt of the paper from the author to its publication. I am responsible for corrections, galley proofs and distribution. 4. Administration support for the University Develop-ment Service (SUD).

Describe what it has been like. Well, it was very enriching. The last twenty years have just flown past.

Which historical figure would you choose to be?... Ignacio de Loyola.

What historical monument would you choose to be?… The Parthenon.

What animal would you choose to be?… An eagle.

If you had to choose a sport, what would it be?... Water-skiing.

What book would you choose to be?Tránsito by Rabindranath Tagore.

What song would you choose to be…Gracias a la vida by Mercedes Sosa.

What forgotten place would you choose to be?…A pergola at the end of a verdant garden.

What would you like to be if you had the choice?...A writer.

Which historical figure would you choose to be?... If I had to choose a woman, it would be Marie Curie. If I had to choose a man, it would be Charles Darwin.

What historical monument would you choose to be?… An aqueduct.

What animal would you choose to be?… A wolf.

If you had to choose a sport, what would it be?... Mountain hiking, year-round.

What book would you choose to be?Le cimetière marin, by Paul Valéry, in the original French. It’s a poem that I like very much.

What song would you choose to be…I’m Your Angel, by Céline Dion.

What forgotten place would you choose to be?…Any forgotten corner of the mountains, at least two kilometres from the nearest highway.

What would you like to be if you had the choice?...One of the people who participated in the discovery of fire.

Quick-fire questions

Ana María de Hériz, Ana María de Hériz is a secretary to honorary professors and is someone who is always ready to lend a helping hand.By Rebeca Carpi.

Why did you decide to work at ESADE? Because Prof. José Baruel called me. He had known me for several years and he offered me a job at ESADE.

What impression did you form from your first day of wor-king in ESADE?People seemed very down-to-earth, even though they worked in a top-notch business school.

What about your colleagues? Simply wonderful and always willing to help me when I needed it.

What has been your best experience of ESADE?The presentations of the findings of research studies to the companies that participated by providing data. It was the culmination of a long, highly-complex process.

And the worst experience? The first day I worked with a computer, I forgot to save the data before switching it off. A whole day’s data simply vanished in an instant.

Who would you most like to have sitting opposite you at lunch? Anyone in principle but preferably someone who has something original or unusual to say traveller’s tales, working with different cultures, that kind of thing.

Who at ESADE would you choose to go out with and paint the town red?With Francesc Cribillers or Sergio Izquierdo

Where would you like to be in three years time?Where I am right now. I would like to have the same enthusiasm and good health to continue making a contribution and taking an active part in things.

What ESADE values or features do you most identify with? Scholarships. I would like many more students lac-king the money but who have the ability to be able to study at ESADE on scholarships.

Who would you choose to ask you these questions? Josep Baruel.

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Cyan Salon 11

On

the

diva

n

Perhaps this is not the best day to use this title, call me a party pooper if you like, precisely becau-se today is the anniver-sary of the death of the illustrious Miguel de Cer-vantes or, depending on your cultural inclination, of the day an unlucky dra-gon about to swallow a king’s daughter (messing with the monarchy is bad news...) was killed by a knight in shining armour on a white horse.

Precisely today, when we should be reciting poetry in corridors or be immersed in the latest best-seller or be seeking self-help in a book along the lines of “Seven tips from really, really, really efficient people”. By the way, why this obsession with the number seven? Snow White shared a house with seven dwarves (or persons with reduced verticality, to be PC); then we had the magnificent seven; the seven all-sin-ging, all-dancing brothers look-ing for brides (one man’s meat...); pirates sailing the seven seas; the seven plagues that struck Egypt; and the se-ven deadly sins (although I think there are more now), not to mention that mythical Spanish TV se-ries starring a national icon Ana y los siete (Anna and the family of seven). But where were we?...

Ah yes, where, you might wonder, did the title for this article come from? Well, it all started not long ago when I was reading (call me eccentric if you like) the results of the Pisa Re-port, an international, three-yearly survey to assess the knowled-ge of 15-year-old students in different academic areas. The 2006 edition of this report ranks Spain 16th in read-ing comprehen-sion, in other words the ability to understand, use and analyse texts, with a total of 461 points in comparison with the OECD average of 492. Why such poor results? Apathetic students? Lack of investment? The video games – mobile phone – messenger

triad? Last week, at last, I saw the light: the secret is not blowing in the wind but on Spanish TV, and can be found in Physics or chemis-try, a series intended to pro-vide a true-life reflection of everyday life at secondary school.

So far in the series, we have seen (not exactly plato-nic) relationships between male and female teachers and students, teachers and other teachers, and bet-ween students (other com-binations are not ruled out in the future); dealing and consumption of a variety of illegal substances; an incredible range of parties (but mostly orgy-oriented); bullying; violence; and ra-cial prejudice, to name but a few, all in just seven episodes... Knowing the script writers, the contents planned for the more than likely second season are worrying to say the least.

And this is the quid of the matter: with this wide range of activities, who has time to read? Indeed, who would want to read? Besides, it’s dreadful for your eyes. So, who knows, maybe the rea-ding comprehension ratings in the 2009 Pisa Report will be sub-zero....

The solution some ex-perts suggest is a return to the classics. I’m not sure that’s a good idea bearing in mind that the question “Who was Erasmus of Rot-terdam?” in a secondary school exam not long ago received the following an-thological answer: “The ass of Rotterdam is the sculp-

ture of a famous donkey in Antwerp”. To think that this is the result of three thousand years of philosophical thought....

Well, perhaps we should have just left the dragon grazing peacefully, or let the five hundred crowns paid to release Cervan-tes from the Turks be spent on seafood.

Happy Sant Jordi’s Day.

Hard times for poetry

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Cyan Salon12

Para

llel l

ives

What exactly is tai chi? What is the underlying philosophy?Tai chi could be described as meditation in movement, a discipline seeking to im-prove physical and spiritual health. It in-volves very gentle gymnastics consisting basically of sequences of rather slow movements aiming for harmony. In some respects, it’s like a martial art: hitting out with the fists, kicking, etc, but all in a very deliberate, relaxed way.

How did you get interested in tai chi? Why did it appeal to you? I have always been interested in oriental philosophy and the martial arts. When I was young, I even practised kung-fu. But what attracted me to tai chi was, above all, that I was a regular gym-goer but the-re came a time when it was very difficult to improve and when attempts to pro-gress often implied injuries. I realised that “higher, faster, stronger” did not ne-cessarily mean healthier and sometimes the complete opposite. In short, I thought that tai chi could be a good alternative to the gym.

What benefits can tai chi have?It’s strange but the first thing you notice when you start practising tai chi concerns your physical problems more... People with lumbago, pain in their muscles and

joints, etc, for example, will quite probably notice an immediate improvement, and people already in good shape but who are highly-strung or impatient, will learn to unwind. Either way, the great advanta-ge is that it’s suitable for almost anyone, and when I say anyone I mean people in any physical condition. There are people in wheelchairs, blind people, people with serious problems that stop them from doing other physical activities but who can do tai chi no problem at all.

In short, does it seek to balance physi-cal and mental aspects?Orientals never separate these two sphe-res. They believe they are closely interwo-ven. It’s true that the western culture talks about mens sana in corpore sano too, but this is a different approach that is less inte-grated than the oriental outlook.

Tell me about your work as an instruc-tor…At the moment I have three groups. I teach two by myself and I share the other with a colleague. One class is on Wednesday at 8 am and I’m very plea-sed with it because about 15 people take part. I’m very proud of it because it’s so hard for me to get up early. The other class is on Tuesdays at 9 am with about ten people; and the third group,

which I share with another instructor on Saturday mornings, is the largest class with about 35 people.

This is a non-profit-making associa-tion, isn’t it? What are your aims?Yes, it is. And as for our aims, we have four major objectives, which I can rattle off...

Something like “vision-mission”?Yes, yes (laughing), you could say so. The first aim is to give everyone the chance to discover and practice tai chi. The se-cond is to research and learn about the relationship between Taoist tai chi and health, which is precisely what distin-guishes other branches of tai chi, more focussed on the martial arts, from our type. The third aim is to promote cultu-ral exchange and finally, the fourth aim is compassion, not in the sense of “oh, what a shame” or being kind but in the sense of having empathy and putting ourselves in other people’s shoes in or-der to help them.

And to wind up, would you like to add anything else?Yes. I’d like to mention that this asso-ciation was created by master Moy Lin-shin, a Taoist monk who devoted his entire life to helping others. We have a principle of basic courtesy of always thanking the master for his legacy. Every year, for example, on the anniversary of his death, a great many of us gather in front of the cathedral to pay tribute and our respects to him.

These courtesy rituals are very cha-racteristic of eastern cultures, aren’t they?Yes, these cultures have great respect for teachers and the elderly and in ge-neral our ancestors. It is an acknowled-gement of their wisdom and experience, and also in gratitude for everything they have done for us. Generally speaking, these values have been lost a lot in the West but they still exist in many oriental cultures and in Africa.

Mode Guillén of Executive Education is an instructor and the vice president of the Taoist Tai Chi Association in Catalonia, an international volunteer association based in Canada with branches in 26 countries and a large following in Catalonia with premises in Barcelona, Sabadell, Badalona, Premià and Igualada, plus offices in Madrid, Andalusia, the Balearics and the Canary Islands.

Parallel lives...Mode Guillén, Executive Education

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Cyan Salon 13

Sant

Jor

di’s

Day

Spe

cial

The votes were counted up and straw polls held in ESADE corri-dors and cafeterias. The verdict was clear, even though changes of timetable made it difficult to track down some members of ESADE’s reading community.

And the winner is… John Boyne’s The Boy in Striped Pyja-mas, a contrived fable about a 9-year old kid who finds himself in Auschwitz con-centration camp. The Catalan and Spanish editions of the book are published by Empu-ries and Salamandra, respectively. We have selected three of the favourable comments on the book:“The child’s viewpoint is captured but the story is overworked and unconvincing.”“Quick and easy to read, entertaining but with a predictable ending.” “Moving, heart-wrenching , an absorbing read.”

Of the books that got the top 5 rating, we have 38%. Of these, we should like to highlight Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster, published in translation by Anagrama. A highly perceptive comment was:“A optimistic, highly personal novel that gi-ves good insights into Auster’s world.”

Obviously, another book featured was La ca-tedral del Mar a best-seller written by Ildefon-so Falcones, a Catalan lawyer specialising in Civil Law. The work is published by Grijalbo. A reader laconically commented: “An interesting tale of everyday Mediaeval life.”

There is also El cuaderno dorado by an au-thor of Nobel Prize fame. A reader said:“Essential for understanding what happened in 1950s Europe.”

What are we reading at ESADE? And the winner is…

Another book –Istanbul– this time by Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, published in Spa-nish by Debolsillo earned the following pithy comment: “Interesting recollections of the city’s history and the author’s biography.”

The blockbuster novel Las Benévolas (or Les Benignes in Catalan) by the French-American author Jonathan Littel, who lives in Barcelo-

na is published by Quaderns Crema. The following comment sum-med the book up in a nutshell:“A thrilling novel on absolute evil.”

ESADE’s increasing internationalisation means there is also a place for novels in German and French but oddly enough, not in English.

The German work is Geschichte eines Deutschen - Die Erinnerungen 1914 - 1933 by Sebastian Haffner (the nom de plume of Raimund Pretzel) [Translator’s note: published in English under the title Defying Hitler: A Memoir - Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002]. The reader’s com-ment was:“A well-written personal view of history. It has been translated into Spa-nish.”

In French, there is Dominique de Villepin’s new book suggestively ti-tled Hotel de l’insomnie, published by Plon. The reader’s comment was:“Poetic reflections by the former French Prime Minister, who spent his spare time writing poetry that ranges from the lyrical to the personal.”

But not all the comments are complementary. Let us end with a book rated just 2 on a scale of 1 to 5. The book is L’Illa dels 5 Fars by Ferran Ramon-Cortes, published by La Magrana. The reader noted: “The novel holds no surprises and is very contrived.”

This was the precise opposite of the view expressed in the ESADE staff survey: Unpredictable and spontaneous.

José María Álvarez de Lara

The comic

María José Marimon

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Cyan Salon14

Not to be missed > In Valdorba:Echano. Church of San Pedro ad Vincula de Echano. 12th CenturyRural church built in the second half of the 12th century with a highly de-corated entrance, capitals, and a wonderful range of decorative corbels, making it a unique example of Romanic architecture.Iracheta barn. 11th – 12th centuryThe oldest surviving early Mediaeval barn. It shows a clear Asturian in-fluence and probably dates from the end of the 11th century or the first half of the 12th.Hermitage and monumental complex, Katalaín. 12th – 15th centuriesKatalaín was the religious, social and cultural centre of the valley. Up until the 15th century it was a monastery and hospice for pilgrims on the way to Santiago. The Santo Cristo de Kataláin hermitage dates from the 12th century.Romanic crypt, Orisoaín. 12th centuryThe crypt, which was discovered in the 20th century, is sited beneath the altar of the Romanic church of San Martín.

> Near Valdorba:Eunate: Santa María church. 12th centuryEunate, which in Basque means “one hundred doors”, has an unusual oc-tagonal layout and cloister. Its origins are shrouded in mystery. Olite Palace: the site of the Navarre Royal Court.One can visit the restored Palace of King Carlos III “The Noble”. The buil-ding dates from the 15th century and is currently a Parador (State-owned hotel sited in a historical building).

> Further away: Artajona (Fortified hamlet dating from the 12th century. It was where Robin Hood was filmed, starring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn), Puente la Reina (an important stop on the pilgrim’s way to Santiago, a 11th century Romanic bridge), Andelos (the Romanic settlement of Andelos in Mendigorría) , Sierra de Urbasa…

Lodging and foodCasa Enara. Rural lodging in Sansomain, the entry point for Valdorba. We recommend it: Alba and Kike will make you feel at home.http://www.casaenara.com

La Valdorba is a valley in central Navarre, close to Tafalla and 25 km south of Pamplona. It takes its name from the Orba mountains, which border the eastern edge of the valley. It lies between la Ribera and the Pyrenees, which gives the valley a wide range of habitats and landscapes.

However, the valley’s real treasure is its architecture. Valdorba’s seven mu-nicipalities and twenty five villages contain Navarre’s biggest concentration of secular and religious Romanic buildings. These include rural churches, crypts, palaces and farm buildings. Many of them (like the Iracheta’s Romanic barns and the church of San Pedro de Echano) are unique in Europe.

The

Get

away

Destination:La Valdorba(Navarra)

Rural lodging in Valdorbahttp://www.valdorba.org/casas_rurales_valdorba_navarra.shtml“Príncipe de Viana” parador in Olite Part of the parador (State-owned hotel sited in a historical buil-ding) occupies the wings of a majestic 15th century palace-cum-castle. The building is a national heritage site.http://www.parador.eshttp://www.olite.es/es/dormir.htmRestaurants in Valdorbahttp://www.valdorba.org/servicios.shtmlBar Turbal and Restaurante Tubal in Tafallahttp://www.restaurantetubal.com

To find out moreBaldorba-Valdorba Development Associationhttp://www.valdorba.orgRomanic architecture in Valdorbahttp://www.valdorba.org/patrimonio.shtmlDiscovering Valdorba’s Romanic heritagehttp://www.amigosdelromanico.org/noticia/valdoba_conocer_navarra.pdfRomanic Art in Navarrehttp://www.romanicoennavarra.info/Tourism in the Midlandshttp://www.tafalla.es/es/visitenos/turismo%5Fzona/

How to get there

http://www.valdorba.org/comollegar.shtml

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Cyan Salon 15

BIRTHSCongratulations from the _untitled team to the new mothers and fathers at ESADE for their beautiful boys and girls. A big welcome to Dani (Cristina Espelta), Marc (Christina Komrowski), Gabriel (Jordi Trullén), Guillem (Natàlia Pérez), Martina (Claudia Chiane-se) and Carlota (David Fernández-Manzanos).

The

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ours

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teria

We hope you all like it because, after all, “the pleasure is yours”.

Tortiglioni con salsa di olive verdi e capperiTortiglioni with caper and green olive sauce Serves 4 Tortiglioni (or macaroni): 400 g.Pitted green olives: 200 g.Capers: a handful.Premium olive oil: half a glass.Parsley.Lemon: one.Salt and pepper

Finely chop the olives, capers and parsley. Put in an earthenware dish and add the oil and lemon juice. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.Cook the pasta al dente, drain and season with the olive and caper sauce.

This dish is also excellent chilled, particularly in summer.

Professor in the Marketing Management Department, executive manager of the University Programme Unit and the presenter of the E50 Christmas gala. Italian by birth and Catalan by adoption, he invites us to prepare an exquisite but simple dish.

Carlo Gallucci...

Carlota Martina Dani

Marc

Gabriel

Guillem

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16 The Portrait

Little by little, and without making a fussAntònia Rigo, a colleague we have known at ESADE’s Servei Lingüístic for many years, has recently taken semiretirement in order to spend more time on her own dreams and projects. From the pages of _Untitled, she bids us a fond farewell in her own words, “A poc a poc, sense fer soroll”.

Little by little, and without making a fuss, I came to ESADE one afternoon in January 1983, To teach Catalan to the School’s secretaries.Some of them I remember warmly;Others are now my friends.

Little by little, and without making a fuss, At the end of the 1983-1984 term, I turned my attention to other language-related areas, In a small, shared office, with no typewriter, And no dictionaries...

Little by little, and without making a fuss, In September 1988 I was taken on part time;My then boss believed my talents were in increasing demand.

Little by little, and without making a fuss, After a year, I joined ESADE full time,And became more involved with the institution.

Little by little, and without making a fuss, As the workload increased, I was joined by talented collaborators, Capable of responding to the high expectations of faculty and PAS,As I could no longer deal with the mounting workload on my own.And I chose the crème de la crème.

Little by little, and without making a fuss,The work continued to grow in volume and range, And our team develop and adapted accordingly:Catalan, Spanish, English...French, Italian, Portuguese..., Like a silent Tower of Babel.

Little by little, and without making a fuss, Now, more than thirty professionals provide language services through the Servei Lingüístic.

Recently, I turned 60. And, having spent the last 25 years working at ESADE,

I thought it was time to redirect my life.Because of that, I have taken a decision:To step back from my career, Little by little, and without making a fuss, Just as I started out, all those years ago.

I hope to turn my attention to those other things in lifeThat professional obligations keep us from doing;I’ve still got a lot of projects and dreams left to fulfil.

By semi-retiring, I’ll be able to reduce my contribution to the Servei Lingüístic Gradually; In the way I have always done,Little by little, and without making a fuss.

To those who have taught me so much: I thank you.To those who have placed their trust in me and in my work: I thank you.

Intimate and personal

To those who have appreciated my unconditional dedication: I thank you.To those who have given me support: I thank you.To those who have encouraged me in times of difficulty: I thank you.To those who have helped me provide the service required, And who have also done so without making a fuss: I thank you.

And to round off, I would like to quote a much-admi-red professor, Who one day told me: “You do such a discreet job that people don’t Notice you’re there; but one that helps enormously”.

Hopefully, I will have helped and will carry on helping Little by little, and without making a fuss.

Antònia Rigo

The colour you wouldn’t leave the house without I wouldn’t rule out any colour that’s in the rainbow.

The film or play you’d have liked to star in Life itself. My life; I’m the protagonist.

The song you’d most like to have composed (and sung) Any of the songs sung by the birds.

The famous person you’d like to have been The person that destiny’s carved out for me is just fine.

The book you’d like to have written One that’s useful to something important.

A place where you could lose yourselfOn the horizon.

The place that best suits your personality Any vast open space.