Irene Blázquez-Navarro appointed as the new Director of IE University's Center for the Governance of Change

IE University has announced the appointment of Irene Blázquez-Navarro as the Director of its Center for the Governance of Change. In her new position, Irene Blázquez-Navarro will be promoting and strengthening the applied research conducted at the CGC, which studies the political, economic and societal implications of the current technological revolution and advances solutions to overcome its unwanted effects.

This IE University centre, which is a pioneer in its field in Spain, conducts research to disclose and analyze the transformations generated by the implementation and development of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, blockchain and robotics, and explores their potential threats and contributions to society.

Since its inception in 2018, the Center for the Governance of Change has delivered a series of analytical papers, presentations and reports that have involved not only researchers from IE University but also from other international educational and business organizations such as Oxford University, Cambridge University, UCL, King's College and IBM.

"The appointment of Irene Blázquez-Navarro will further cement CGC's position as one of the world's leading centres in its field."

Manuel Muñiz, the Provost of IE University and Dean of its School of Global and Public Affairs. He is the Co-Chair of the Center for the Governance of Change

Irene Blázquez-Navarro is a jurist and international lawyer by training, specializied in strategy, security, defence and technology. She has been an adviser to the Secretary of State in Global Spain, an agency reporting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.

From 2012 to 2020, she was Head of the Strategic Planning Office in the National Security Department at the Spanish Prime Minister’s Office.

Irene Blázquez-Navarro has a PhD. in Law from the Universidad Autónoma in Madrid, was awarded the best Ph.D thesis prize and is Senior Lecturer in International Public Law. She holds diplomas in National Defence from the Spanish Ministry of Defence, in National and International Security from Harvard Kennedy School, and in Common Security and Defence Policy from the European Security and Defence College. Irene has extensive teaching experience and has been Visiting Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg  and the Center of European Legal Studies in Cambridge University and visiting professor at the China-EU School of Law in Beijing. 

Irene is member of the Editorial Board of Política Exterior and founding member of the European Society of International Law’s interest group The European Union as a Global Actor. She was decorated with the Cross of Naval Merit (white badge) for her services to the Prime Minister’s Office.