On 17–18 December 2025, representatives of Spanish scientific associations from around the world gathered in Madrid for the “Somos RAICEX” event, celebrating seven years of the Red de Asociaciones de Investigadores y Científicos Españoles en el Exterior (RAICEX). The meeting took place at the Fundación Ramón Areces and brought together around 200 researchers representing the 22 associations that form the RAICEX network, including SRAP.
RAICEX connects Spanish researchers working abroad and promotes collaboration between the scientific diaspora and institutions in Spain. Over the past seven years, the network has grown into an important platform supporting international collaboration, science diplomacy, and the global visibility of Spanish research.
The event programme included keynote lectures, panel discussions, and networking sessions bringing together representatives from associations across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania. Among the keynote speakers were Rafael Yuste, neurobiologist at Columbia University in New York, and Susana García López, Director of the Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering at Heriot-Watt University.
Participants also discussed the achievements and future challenges of the network through several roundtable discussions, highlighting the importance of strengthening collaboration between Spanish researchers abroad and institutions in Spain. SRAP President Ángel López-Sánchez also participated as a speaker in two sessions, representing the Asia–Oceania region and contributing perspectives from the Spanish research community in the Australia–Pacific area.
SRAP within the RAICEX network
SRAP continues to play an active role within the RAICEX network. The association is currently represented in the RAICEX Board by two SRAP members: Sergio Leon-Savala, who contributes to the RAICEX Industry Commission, and Miguel Ángel Berrocal Rubio, who is part of the RAICEX Organising Commission.
Their participation reflects SRAP’s growing involvement within RAICEX and reinforces the connection between the Spanish research community in the Australia–Pacific region and the wider global scientific diaspora.
Events such as “Somos RAICEX” highlight the strength of the international Spanish research community and the important role that associations like SRAP play in fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and scientific diplomacy across borders.
