Founded in December 2019 by former interns at the Elcano Royal Institute, the Elcano Alumni Network is open to all students who have completed internships at Elcano, either as part of a formal course or on their own initiative. Its goal is to maintain and strengthen ties between the Institute and the alumni community as part of the Institute’s mission to contribute to public debates on global affairs and the effects on Spain’s position in the world. It organises public debates, meetings and events, in partnership with other institutions and universities.
The Elcano Alumni Network is legally established as an association under Spanish Law 1/2002 (22 March). It was founded by seven students, which make up its Board, chaired by Anna Fiorelli Sánchez. It was registered in the Ministry of the Interior Register of Associations on 16 October 2020, is domiciled at the offices of the Elcano Royal Institute and is supported by the Institute.
The network’s roots date back to 2013, when the ties fostered by the Institute with universities throughout the world were strengthened by a programme to provide internships for masters and final-year undergraduate students. Over 150 students have participated in internships at the Elcano Royal Institute. Supporting this network helps the Institute further its objective of promoting knowledge of international relations and foreign policy among Spanish society, while expanding its reach in society and its projection.