With this reopening, the Consulate General in Edinburgh, as a part of the Spanish Embassy in the United Kingdom, fulfils two important objectives. Firstly, it is once again present in a vibrant city with a large Spanish community and many links with Spain. Secondly, it reinforces its network of honorary consulates, which also includes Glasgow, Aberdeen and Belfast.
Santiago Fouz Hernández is a professor of Hispanic and Film Studies in our School of Modern Languages and Cultures where his research focuses on Spanish cinema. Born in Galicia, in North-Western Spain, he moved to the UK in 1993 and has dual citizenship.
Santiago is currently working on a book about the late Spanish filmmaker, Bigas Luna, and his research has led to a series of international events dedicated to the work of the celebrated film director with nearly 70 screenings in 15 cities across seven countries including Spain, the USA, Australia, Mexico and Costa Rica.
Honorary Vice-Consuls are selected on the basis of their relevant professional experience in areas such as culture, education, economy or law to enable them to act on behalf of the Consulate.
Spain opened a Consulate in Newcastle in 1851, which became an Honorary Vice-Consulate in 1943. With the appointment of Professor Fouz-Hernández, the Honorary Vice-Consulate in Newcastle will be fully operational again in early summer.
At Durham, we’re very proud to have staff and students from over 130 countries, creating an outward-looking, globally-minded and inclusive University. Our research spans the globe with partnerships, collaborations and projects on every continent.
This global outlook was recently recognised by the Times Higher Education, which named Durham as one of the world’s most international universities.
In our School of Modern Languages and Cultures, we have wide-ranging research and teaching in Spanish and Latin American art, language and culture through the Zurbarán Centre for Spanish and Latin American Art - a partnership with The Auckland Project.
In the latest Complete University Guide, the School of Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University is ranked 2nd for French, Hispanic Studies and Arabic and 3rd in Russian, Italian and German.