The Association of Friendship and Talent between the Youth of Spain and China (ATJEC) held its official constitutive ceremony at the Institute of Engineering of Spain (IIES) in Madrid, bringing together nearly 150 attendees, including young professionals, businesspeople, academics, and institutional representatives from different fields and nationalities.
The ceremony was inaugurated by ATJEC President Alejandro Chen (陈鹏宇), accompanied by a speech in Spanish by Adrián Pérez Benito. During the event, the Promoting Members, the Advisory Council, and the Board of Directors were officially presented, establishing the structure through which the association is formally commencing its activities.
The speakers included José Enrique Díaz, Vice President of the Advisory Council; Kui Binxian (隗斌贤), Counselor to the Government of Zhejiang Province and representative of ATJEC’s advisors in China; Yang Kaiyu (杨凯宇), President of the China Chamber of Commerce and Investment in Spain and General Manager of ICBC (Europe), Madrid Branch; Rafael Benigno Belmonte Gómez, Member of the Congress of Deputies for Seville; and Soumaya Akbib, President of the ACWB Foundation.
The event was also attended by Javier Úbeda, Mayor of Boadilla del Monte; representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Argentina in Spain; and a broad representation of institutions and organizations associated with various Arab countries.
Business and Institutional Participation
Business participation was equally significant, with professionals and executives associated with companies such as BYD, PwC, EY, CBRE, GRI Renewable Industries (FIHI), SUNMI & SUNMAX, Celonis, Cofinimmo, Pylontech, Solaria, GOFO Logistic, Ebury, Comen Medical, Main Paper Group, Aigostar, Partilandia, EMB FOOD, Fertieuropa S.L., Rehatrans, and Iberochina Group, among others.
ATJEC’s Advisory Council, chaired by Paco Chen (陈晓耕), brings together profiles from the institutional, academic, business, and professional fields. Its members include José Luis Portela López, CEO of Magtalent and Director and Professor at IE Business School; José Trigueros Rodrigo, President of the Association of Civil Engineers, Channels and Ports and of Civil Engineering; Antonio González Terol, former Member of Parliament; Francesco María Autolino, associated with the university and international relations fields; Luis Ignacio Gordillo Pérez, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Deusto and holder of a Jean Monnet Chair; Kui Binxian (隗斌贤); and Soumaya Akbib, among others.
Leadership and Founding Members
One of the symbolic moments of the ceremony was the presentation by Kui Binxian of a Chinese calligraphy artwork dedicated to friendship between China and Spain, created by a Vice President of the Association of Calligraphers of Hubei Province. The artwork was presented to ATJEC as an expression of the cultural and friendship ties between the two countries.
ATJEC’s Board of Directors consists of Alejandro Chen, President; William Yu, Vice President; David Olmo, Secretary General; Francisco Díaz, Treasurer; and Board Members Adrián Pérez, Lucía Díaz, Norberto Sanjurjo, and Alejandra Sánchez.
The Promoting Members of ATJEC, young professionals from different nationalities and sectors, were also officially presented and appointed. They include Dora Jiang, Chief Strategy Officer at Facto; Jesús de la Fuente, Transaction & Development Manager at Cofinimmo; Xiang Ma, Deputy Director & Strategic Purchasing at GRI Flanges Iraeta (FIHI); Carlos Castrejón, Sr. Analyst – Strategy & Operations at CBRE Group; and Jorge Soriano, Business Development Representative at Celonis, among others.
A New Platform for Young Talent
The various speakers agreed on highlighting the importance of providing the new generations with more opportunities for development, responsibility, and direct connections with companies, institutions, universities, and international professional networks.
With its official establishment, ATJEC is entering a new phase as a platform connecting young talent, businesses, universities, and institutions, with particular attention to relations between Spain and China and an open outlook toward Europe, Latin America, the Arab world, and other international environments.
The event concluded with an official photograph and a networking cocktail, which provided an opportunity to continue the exchange among young professionals, institutional representatives, businesspeople, and members of the association.
Madrid · www.atjec.org
