Emilio Botín is President of Banco Santander, a worldwide financial institution of reference, and someone who has always given great importance to higher education, assuming as his own the idea that the best investment for the future is investing in education. In accordance with this focus on talent and innovation, Banco Santander maintains a corporate strategy committed to supporting the improvement and internationalisation of higher education. Examples include projects such as Universia and the Miguel de Cervantes Online Library. Botín holds undergraduate degrees in Economics and Law and has been President of Banco Santander and the Fundación Marcelino Botín since 1986. Through these two institutions he carries out intense activity in the Spanish and Ibero-American university and scientific spheres.

Awarded on May 10th, 2011