At the Universidade Internacional do Cuanza (International University of Cuanza, UNIC) in Cuito, promoted by the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic, UNEATLANTICO), the “King and Queen of Spain” agora, a space in the province of Bié in Angola designed for coexistence and study, was set up.
The installation was inaugurated by the Spanish ambassador in the Republic of Angola, Mr. Manuel Lejarreta, accompanied by the rector of UNIC, Dr. Carlos Jélvez; the director of Institutional Relations of FUNIBER and professor of UNEATLANTICO, Dr. F. Álvaro Durántez; and the governor of the province of Bié, Mr. Perreira Alfredo.
Located in the center of the campus, the “King and Queen of Spain” agora commemorates King Felipe and Queen Letizia’s visit in 2023. It seeks to be a meeting point, coexistence, exchange of ideas, discussion of relevant topics, and promotion of dialogue for students. It has an 1,800 square meter structure, made of African wood, which allows almost 500 people to be sheltered from the sun and rain but at the same time gives them the opportunity to interact in the open air. The space offers multiple work areas with Internet access.
UNIC has grown in importance as the first Hispanic university in sub-Saharan Africa. It is also one of the highest rated universities in Angola. It also teaches Spanish as part of its various academic offerings. Thanks to the student mobility agreements established within the framework of the university network in which FUNIBER participates, the teaching of Spanish finds its practical application for students who choose to continue their studies in Santander, Spain, at the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (UNEATLANTICO).
This represents the scope that public-private cooperation can have at the service of inter-institutional education, framed within the scope of Iberophony. Therefore, this project represents a lighthouse that gives young Angolans the opportunity to access higher education and at the same time to promote and strengthen the Iberophony proposal, strengthening the ties between Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Iberophony is a concept that encompasses the nations and people who speak Spanish and Portuguese, both of which are mutually intelligible to a high percentage and groups together more than 800 million people. The efforts of articulation and collaborative work between Spain and Angola have allowed UNIC to be recognized in 2023 as the first Iberophone African university —Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking— with Ibero-American and pan-Ibero-American projection.
Regarding the ceremony, Dr. F. Álvaro Durántez, Director of the FUNIBER Chair of Iberoamerican Studies and Iberophony, said that “the designation of the central noble space of the university not only pays tribute to the visit of Their Majesties a year ago but also to the ancient and close historical link between Spain and Angola, with the desire to project it into the future within the framework of the shared space of Iberophony.”