Barcelona opens space to promote intercultural exchange with the United States

Barcelona (CNA).- The Ignasi Iglésias-Can Fabra Library in Barcelona inaugurated this Monday American Space Barcelona, a place to promote cultural exchange with the United States through a series of free activities, programmes and workshops. The space is part of a global network of over 750 centres in 169 countries, which last year attracted 16 million users. In American Space Barcelona, ​​technology plays a leading role to promote informal learning and encourage professional development through various activities and by utilising cutting-edge technologies. The programme of activities of the centre is organised into four pillars: providing information on the North American country, teaching the English language, giving academic advice to study in the US and also programming cultural events. Currently there are two American spaces in Spain (apart from the one in Barcelona), one in Valencia, opened in December 2013, and one in Madrid, opened in March 2015.

This Monday’s inauguration was attended by Barcelona’s Deputy Mayor for Business, Innovation and Culture, James Collboni; Sant Andreu District Councillor, Carmen Andrés; Consul General of the United States to Barcelona, ​​Marcos Mandojana, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the US Department of State, Benjamin Ziff.

Collboni stressed that the space will allow “to overcome stereotypes, prejudices and preconceived ideas” about the United States, especially among young people because they have an “approach to American culture [which is] really influenced”. “American society is also plural and has an enterprising, creative, open and innovative part”, he said in reference to the recent election results in the US.

A cultural programme to promote the use of high tech

The priority areas of the cultural programme will be the promotion of entrepreneurship, boosting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and art studies among young people, and the promotion of the use of the latest technological innovations and all that they involve, from robotics and programming to 3D printing and activities related to the makerspace movement, which allows students to discover, invent and understand through ‘making’.

This service is aimed particularly at secondary and university students, but also toward citizens interested in these subject areas. It will have the latest technological equipment in order to develop the technology programme, including Apple devices (iPad, iMac ...), 3D printers, and Lego Mindstorm (a series of kits containing software and hardware to create customisable, programmable robots), among others.