The Spanish Public Policy Network (SPPN) was born out of a shared vision in May 2022. Juan Luis Manfredi, then Chair of the Prince of Asturias Chair at Georgetown University, and Lidia Guzmán, a student in Georgetown’s Master in Public Policy program, identified a gap: while nationals from other countries had established strong networks in the United States to promote collaboration and knowledge exchange in public policy, the Spanish community lacked a similar structure. Spanish talent was present in every top-tier university in the U.S., in major global institutions, and in influential transatlantic spaces – yet it lacked a community, a place to connect and grow together.
Motivated by this need, Lidia spent the summer of 2022 reaching out to Spanish talent based in the U.S. – young professionals and graduate students – who would soon form the foundation of this emerging community. She connected with peers at institutions such as Tufts, Columbia, the University of Chicago, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Georgetown, as well as with professionals working at the Spanish Embassy, the World Bank, the IMF and the UN.
The first in-person gathering took place in Washington, D.C., during the first weekend of November 2022. Participants visited multilateral institutions, engaged in private roundtables with senior Spanish officials, and took part in academic discussions at Georgetown University. It was during this event that a group of talented and enthusiastic young acquaintances became friends – laying the foundation for what would become a priceless and enduring network.
