Council
Advisory Council
The Council is an advisory tasks body created in 2020 to mark FAS’s 20th anniversary. It comprises people from different backgrounds related to teaching and research at the UAB, public authorities, third-sector enterprises, the communications industry and the business world in general with experience in and awareness of the social themes covered by FAS.
Arcadi Oliveres (Honorary President)
1945-2021. With an economics degree from the University of Barcelona and a PhD in economic science from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He was a professor at the UAB Department of Applied Economics for 36 years. And president of Justice and Peace from 2002 to 2014. He was one of the main visible faces of the defense of peace and social justice of the Catalan panorama. He was a referral for FAS, participated in the Solidarity Autonomy Committee (the forerunner to FAS) and in its constitution was made honorary chairman of the FAS Advisory Council.
Oriol Amorós
An agricultural technical engineering graduate from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia with a degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Lleida, Oriol Amorós holds a post-graduate qualification in agricultural economy and the European Union (University of Lleida) and in managerial function in public administrations from ESADE. He is currently secretary-general of Social Rights. He was a former member of the Catalan parliament and secretary for Equality, Migrations and Citizenship and among other tasks promoted the Refugee Housing Committee and equality policies for migration He is also an associate professor at the University of Barcelona’s Sociology Department.
Eduard Ballester
With a bachelor in veterinary medicine and surgery from the UAB, Eduard Ballester has worked in international cooperation for 20 years as a cooperative officer and technical director of the Catalan Federation of Development NGOs. He is presently head of the Catalan Association of Integration and Human Development (acidH), an organisation that seeks to tap ethic and moral commitments to contribute to people with an intellectual disability and their families being able to develop their quality of life and to promote their inclusion as full citizens in a fairer and more supportive society.
Lluís Baulenas
A life sciences graduate of the University of Barcelona and high school mathematics professor, Lluís Baulenas holds a diploma in managerial function in public administrations from ESADE and has engaged in the Innovation and Leadership Strategies for Public Management programme at IESE. He is currently secretary-general of Foreign Action and Open Government of the Department of Foreign Action and Open Government. He was previously secretary-general of the Department of Education. He has also worked as a high school maths teacher.
Júlia Betrian
A teaching graduate from the UAB with a master's in visual arts, Júlia Betrian has been linked to initiatives and people around intercultural education, feminism and film. She coordinates the Education Services section of the Filmoteca de Catalunya and is an advisor to the Jaume Bofill Foundation's Magnet project at the Pau Casal School in Rubí. She was a FAS volunteer in the 2008-09 academic year and subsequently formed part of the technical team, experiences she considers key to her personal and professional development.
Ricardo Esteban
A full professor of Labour and Social Security Law at the UAB, Ricardo Esteban is a member of the university’s Work Studies Institute (IET-UAB) and Centre for Studies and Research for an Inclusive Society (CERSIN-UAB). His research areas include work and disability, a field where he has spearheaded several research projects in addition to reports and expert opinions. He is currently the vice dean of academic organisation and a coordinator of the law degree at the UAB Faculty of Law.
Sonia Fuertes
A philosophy and education science graduate from the UB, Sonia Fuertes has a post-graduate qualification in political and administrative sciences from the Open University of Catalonia and a diploma in social education from the Ramon Llull University.
She has worked as a social educator in the field of drug dependency and criminal procedure.
She has been on the boards of the Third Sector Board, the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN Espanya) and Catalan Social Action Organizations (ECAS), of which she was president from 2017 to 2019. She is the Social Action Commissioner at Barcelona City Council.
Núria García
With a PhD in audiovisual communication, Núria García is a researcher in DTT content and formats in Europe and in audience studies. She was the Director of the UAB Audiovisual Communication and Advertising Department, where she currently works as a professor. She was the Vice-Chancellor of students and cooperation and also Chair of the FAS Trust. Núria García previously worked as a journalist for El Periódico de Catalunya and RTVE.
Ignasi Giménez
BA in journalism and philosophy, UAB. He worked as a journalist for Ràdio Barcelona and Badia del Vallès Town Hall. Ignasi Giménez has been the mayor of Castellar del Vallès since the May 2007 elections, leading a town hall that partners with the UAB Refugee Housing programme. He has also been the head of Vallès Occidental Provincial Council since July 2015.
David González
With a BA in political science and public management from the UAB in 2017, David González has been the technical secretary of the Platform for Fair Taxation and a business manager with CaixaBank. He has been teaching vocational training at Vitae since 2018, from where he is currently on leave. At present he is the city councillor for Education, Youth, Good Government and Democratic Quality, University and the Knowledge City at Cerdanyola City Council, where he has also been the spokesperson for the Socialist Party of Catalonia’s municipal group since June 2019.
Marta Lacambra
Marta Lacambra has an undergraduate degree in economic science and a master's in economic theory and quantitative measures from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, as well as a master’s in economics and regional and local tax management from the University of Barcelona. She has been the general secretary of the Culture and Environment departments at the Government of Catalonia. She is currently the general director of the Catalunya-La Pedrera Foundation.
Cristian Lago
He has a Degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Research in Health Psychology Research from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, a Master's Degree in Clinical Therapy from Institut Superior d'Estudis Psicològics and is currently completing an Executive MBA at the ESADE Business School. He has participated in the development or creation of different accessibility and inclusion plans for persons with functional disabilities in both the private and the public sector.
Gabriel Masfurroll
An economics graduate from the University of Barcelona, he has a master’s in Hospital Management from ESADE. A hospital industry company director, Gabriel Masfurroll is currently chair of the Clínica Mi Tres Torres board of directors. Within the world of nonprofits he is the founder of the Fundació Alex. He has also chaired the UAB Social Council since 2015.
Anna Palou
Journalist and broadcaster. Currently working at Lafede.cat - Organitzacions per a la Justícia Global in the communication and migrations area. She previously worked at Diari Jornada, Ràdio Rubí and Betevé, and has contributed content to Crític, La Directa, Público, Catalunya Ràdio and Betevé Ràdio. Anna Palou has been working with the Stop Mare Mortum platform since 2015. She is part of the Clownia Festival Conscious Space coordination team.
Estel·la Pareja
She has a Degree in Political Sciences and Administration from UAB and a Master's Degree in International Relations from Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals. She has worked as a professional in the fields of human rights, humanitarian law, development cooperation, and in the area of institutional reinforcement and observation of electoral processes. Since 2011 she has held the position of Director of the Catalan Refugee Aid Commission.
Jordi Plana
BA in geography and history, specialising in social anthropology, from the UB. Currently manager of the Political and Social Sciences Institute. He began his professional career in the IT field, working at the La Caixa and Barcelona City Council computer centres before switching to research and public management. He has also worked for Barcelona City Council and been a director of the Barcelona Observatory and the magazine Barcelona Societat.
Cesc Poch
Licenciado en Filosofía y Letras por la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona y en Historia por la UNED.Director del gabinete del secretario general de UGT en Cataluña. Ha sido director general de la Agencia Catalana de la Juventud. Vinculado a diversas manifestaciones del asociacionismo vallesano, entre otros el escultismo -fue responsable pedagógico de la Demarcación Vallès-Maresme y en los equipos generales de MEiGSJ- y los castillos -ha sido presidente de Minyons de Terrassa.
Victoria Reyes
An anthropologist who took her degree from the University of Florida in 2001, she is currently an ICREA research professor at the UAB’s Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB). Victoria Reyes studies indigenous and local knowledge and how it supplements science. She also co-manages the LASEG research group and a project on local perceptions around climate change impacts.
Laura Riba
Bachelor’s Degree in Translation and Interpreting from the UAB, Social Educator and Master’s Degree in International Development and Cooperation. She has worked in civil society organisations in Catalonia and the Global South. For seven years she has been part of the FAS team, where she has worked to promote the Asylum Seekers Reception Programme. She is a member of the Board of Directors of LaFede.cat and works at Irídia - Centre for the Defence of Human Rights.
Judit Rifà
With a BA in English philology from the UAB and the University of Cologne (Germany), Judit Rifà has a PhD in education sociology from the UAB. She is currently head of education projects and a gender projects expert at the Directorate of Global Justice and International Cooperation at Barcelona City Council. She previously worked at the Barcelona Education Consortium and the Barcelona Municipal Institute of Education (IMEB).
Montse Rifà
With a BA in fine arts, Montse Rifà has a PhD in education sciences from the University of Barcelona, specialising in curriculum studies, diversity and visual arts education. She has been the Serra Húnter professor in Visual Arts Education at the Department of the Teaching of Musical, Visual and Corporal Expression at the University of Barcelona since 2014. Montse Rifà is a member of the Studies and Research Centre for Migration, where she engages in the EMIGRA Education, Migration and Childhood group. She was director of the UAB Observatory for Equality from 2013-2015.
Marc Siscart
PhD in economics from New York University, master's in economics and business from Pompeu Fabra University and economics degree from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Marc Siscart has worked as an economics professor at the Queen's School of Business (Canada) and held several teaching positions at New York University and Pompeu Fabra University. He is currently president and chief executive of Establiments Viena.
Eulàlia Sot
A psychology graduate from the UAB, Eulàlia Sot has spent more than 20 years in the field of health promotion and addiction prevention. She has developed projects in this area for city councils, associations and organisations, including the FAS Health programme. She is currently head of the drug prevention area at the Drug Dependency General Sub-Directorate of the Public Health Agency of Catalonia.
Albert Sòria
Licensed in Psychology. RRHH Consultatory Training and Organized Development. He is a rapporteur on the subjects of Consultory, Organizations, Training, Development and Group Dynamics. He has been Director of the Internal Consultor of Human Resources in La Caixa and also Director of Human Resources and Deputy Director-General of the Fundació la Caixa until 2014. President of the UAB Friends Association from 2014 to 2018.
Gemma Xarles
A graduate of economic and business science from the UAB, Gemma Xarles has a master’s in political science and a post-graduate qualification in armed conflict resolution from the University of Los Andes (Colombia). She has a post-graduate qualification in international cooperation from CIDOB-UAB. Gemma Xarles is currently director of Globalisation and Cooperation at the UOC and a member of the Government of Catalonia's Cooperation Council representing CIC (the Inter-university Council of Catalonia), as well as a member of the Municipal Council on Cooperation at Barcelona City Council. She has also worked at UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) in New York and Colombia.