Last Friday, June 13th, the closing ceremony of the third edition of the MINDS Master’s Program took place — a gathering for reflection on the students’ journey through this program.
The event opened with remarks by Marisa Tejedor Botello, Senior Science Area Manager at the Botín Foundation. This was followed by David Beas, Director of Government Affairs & Market Access at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine (J&J), who highlighted the “contagious enthusiasm” of the program directors for their motivation in developing a program of such scale and transformative vision. David also emphasized his company’s full commitment to the program, guaranteeing its continuity and future prospects.
Following J&J’s words of support, the event continued with a roundtable discussion led by César Pascual, Minister of Health of Cantabria; Juan Abarca, President of HM Hospitales and the IDIS Foundation; and Mercedes Navío, Assistant Manager of Hospitals at the Madrid Health Service. The conversation focused on the present and future of healthcare innovation in Spain, both in the public and private sectors, addressing topics such as waiting lists, professional profiles, leadership, and other key issues.
Afterwards, Margalida Darder and Ana Cristina Bandrés, alumni and representatives of their graduating class, delivered a speech reflecting on their time in the program — a journey marked by learning, synergies, and experiences that have stimulated their critical thinking and sparked a drive to promote change within their healthcare organizations.
Gregorio Rodríguez-Boto, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Nebrija University, officially closed the event on behalf of his institution with a few words of thanks to the master’s program, its leadership team, and all the partners who have made it possible.
Year after year, the MINDS community continues to grow and establish itself as a national network of innovation experts. The need to move in the same direction to tackle healthcare challenges underscores the added value of programs of this scale. A heartfelt thank you to all the participants, speakers, and institutions who have supported this project since its inception.
