<p>The Mayor of Jerez, María José García Pelayo, and the rectors of the University of Cádiz (UCA) and the International University of Andalusia (UNIA), Casimiro Mantel and José Ignacio García, presented today the program of seminars and parallel activities for the first edition of the Jerez Summer Courses, which will take place between September 15 and October 2, 2025, and whose content is specifically aligned with the purpose and objectives of Jerez’s candidacy for European Capital of Culture 2031.</p>
<p>Thus, the first edition of the Jerez Summer Courses, which reflect the successful The UCA autumn courses, a tradition in the city, will be held in the Hall of Arches of the Alcázar of Jerez and will feature a total of five seminars with themes specifically linked to the application process: Roma and Flamenco, History, Gastronomy, Sustainable Tourism, and Communication and Territory. The inaugural lecture will be given on September 13 by Vicente Vallés, journalist and news director for Antena3 TV.</p>
<p>Specifically, the academic program will consist of the following five seminars: Roma, Jerez, and Flamenco: The Great Equilateral Triangle of Inclusion through Culture (coordinated by UCA Communications Director and professor Francisco Perujo and Joaquín López Bustamante, writer and cultural manager); The Historical Construction of Traditional Cuisine (coordinated by Manuel J. Ruiz Torres, chemist, writer, and food critic); and Communication and Territory. Strategies for Rural Development and Local Identity in Jerez (coordinated by Lucía Benítez, professor at the UCA); History and Historical Novels (coordinated by José Calvo Poyato, writer and PhD in Modern History); and Tourism, Sustainability, and Innovation: Strategies for Responsible Development (coordinated by Antonio Rafael Ramos Rodríguez, professor at the UCA).</p>
<p>Interested participants can register today on the UNIA website. To facilitate registration for students and groups with fewer resources, the organization has announced a scholarship program that covers virtually all tuition fees. Each seminar offers 100 places.</p>
<p>Last February, Jerez City Council, UCA, and UNIA signed a collaboration agreement to jointly promote the launch of the Jerez Summer Courses, with the support of the regional government’s Department of University, Research, and Innovation. This initiative, with a shared commitment to align this initiative with Jerez’s bid to be European Capital of Culture 2031, is a collaborative effort.</p>