The Cultural Management MA programme is continuing its monthly open morning seminar series, held on Fridays in an informal, coffee-scented atmosphere. Each session features an experienced cultural manager invited to share their professional journey and insights.

Our upcoming meeting on 22 May, from 9:00 to 10:00 in room A-207, will focus on cultural diplomacy. Our guest is José Carlos Esteso Lema (Madrid, 1976), Deputy Head of Mission at the Spanish Embassy in Estonia, who joined the Diplomatic Service in 2011.

Previously, he served as Senior Advisor at the Consular Emergency Unit, Deputy Director of the  Diplomatic School, Advisor at the Cabinet of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and  Deputy Assistant Director at the Directorate-General for EU Common Foreign and Security Policy  (CFSP).

Abroad, he served as Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Spanish Embassy in Reykjavik, Head of  Consular, Administrative, and Consular Affairs at the Spanish Embassy in Norway, where he was  also in charge of the consular and cultural activities in Iceland. He was previously assigned to the  UN organizations based in Rome at the Spanish Embassy in Italy, and to the Permanent  Representation of Spain to the OSCE (Vienna).

During his professional career, he has been awarded the following recognitions: the Officer’s  Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, and the  2020 Zaragoza Faculty of Education Award for the consular assistance provided to the Erasmus  students who suffered an accident in Norway. In June 2025 he was honoured with the Medal of  Honour, Silver Category, of the Icelandic Foreign Service in recognition of his contribution to  stehnghening bilateral relations between Iceland and Spain.

All those interested in cultural diplomacy – students and faculty alike, regardless of their field of study – are warmly welcome to join! The seminar will be held in English.