The Royal European Academy of Doctors (READ) and the Pro Royal European Academy of Doctors Foundation launched the new series of “READ Discussion Forums” on 11 May, inaugurated with the session “Europe before power: sovereignty, innovation and international positioning”. Moderated by the Numerary Member Fernando Pedro Méndez, founder and first president of the European Land Registry Association and former Dean of the Association of Registrars of Spain, the event was held in the Boardroom of the Royal Academy and brought together a group of academics who took part enthusiastically in a debate in which numerous points of view were exchanged on the emerging new geopolitical scenario, the impact that new technologies may have on it, and the need for Europe to reinvent itself as a model of democracy, coexistence and dynamism in a new economy.
“What must we Europeans do if we want to be a power equivalent to our economic weight? What must we do if we do not want to fall behind in terms of technological innovation?” These were the questions that Méndez, the promoter of this new academic series, posed to his fellow participants to open the reflection, which approached the topic from the multidisciplinary perspective characteristic of the Royal Academy. Indeed, “READ Discussion Forums” was created as a stable space for shared reflection, interdisciplinary exchange and active participation by its academics, with the aim of consolidating a continuous dynamic of collective thought to complement the solemn ceremonies and major institutional sessions that form part of the Academy’s tradition and prestige, as the moderator himself explained in his presentation.
Taking part in this first session were the academics Montserrat Casanovas, Joaquim Gironella, Esther Subirá, José Antonio Lejárcegui and Víctor Canivell, in addition to Méndez himself and the President of the Governing Board, Alfredo Rocafort, who thanked those involved for the initiative and announced that one such session would be held each month, accompanied by a dinner in a relaxed atmosphere with the participation of around twenty academics and guests at each debate. The event was held with the collaboration of the Department of Justice and the Democratic Quality of the Government of Catalonia and the Association of Manufacturers and Distributors–AECOC.
