The Colegio Mayor Nuestra Señora de África, in Madrid, hosts on Monday October 28, at 7 p.m., the conference “125 years since the end of the Spanish political presence in Asia and Oceania (1898-99)”, which will be delivered by Rafael Rodriguez-Pongapresident of the Spanish Association for Pacific Studies (AEEP) and rector of the Abat Oliba-CEU University, where he is a professor in the education and journalism programs.
Spanish sovereignty over five territories in Asia and Oceania completed in the years 1898 and 1899: Philippines, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau Islands and Federated States of Micronesia. How do we see ourselves 125 years later? Speaker Rafael Rodríguez-Ponga visited these five territories this summer and participated in some academic activities in the Philippines and the Marianas.
Rodríguez-Ponga received the award Tanglaw Prizeawarded by the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Spain, in recognition of its contribution to relations between the two countries. The word “Tanglaw”, which gives its name to the award, sums up its philosophy, since it means “the light that guides”.
The speaker will be introduced by the director of Colegio Mayor, José Ramón Guerrero. Entrance to the conference is free and the address of the Colegio Mayor Nuestra Señora de África is: c/ Ramírez de Maeztu 8University City, Madrid.
Every March 6, humanity finds itself facing the anniversary of a historic event. On this same date, in 1521, the first meeting between people from five continents of which there is documentary evidence took place. Was in the Pacific, on the island of Guamencountered by the ships that made up the Magellan-Elcano expedition. For this reason, March 6 is known as Pacific Day.
According to Rodríguez-Ponga, the Pacific still has countless areas of study to explore. For this reason, it will take place in 2025 a conference on the Pacificas a prelude to the fifth centenary of the death of Juan Sebastián Elcano (1526). The congress will succeed the I International Congress “500 Years of the Pacific”, organized at Abat Oliba-CEU University in September 2021.
