08 / 04 / 2026 | News
The Awards Jury Casa Asia 2026 has unanimously decided to award the following nominations in its four categories, after evaluating all the proposals submitted and in accordance with the provisions of its rules:

In the category of Economy and Business, the Prize Casa Asia is granted to Claudio Feijóo  For his outstanding contribution to building stable bridges between the innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship ecosystems of Spain and China, as well as for his decisive role in strengthening bilateral relations in the academic and business spheres. An engineer, professor, and leading researcher in the socioeconomic impact of emerging technologies, Feijóo has spearheaded high-value-added projects from Asia, primarily through his position at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. These include more than forty joint research initiatives, international dual degree programs, shared research centers, and the only incubation program for Spanish startups in China.

In the category of Education and Science, the Prize Casa Asia is granted to Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS) In recognition of its key role in fostering scientific cooperation between Spain and Asia, especially through its strategic alliance with the RIKEN Center for Computational Science in Japan. As an internationally renowned institution in supercomputing and advanced research, the BSC has promoted exemplary collaboration in areas such as artificial intelligence, the simulation of complex phenomena, and modeling applied to major global challenges. Its work strengthens scientific ties between Europe and Asia-Pacific and positions Spain prominently in the field of science diplomacy and innovation.

In the category of Politics and Society, the Prize Casa Asia Is granted to Miriam Coronel-Ferrer In recognition of his exemplary leadership in peacebuilding and his decisive role in the negotiation and signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro between the Government of the Philippines and the Front Moro of the Islamic Liberation Movement, a historic milestone in the resolution of armed conflicts. The first woman in the world to sign a peace agreement with an armed group as chief negotiator, Coronel-Ferrer has consistently promoted the participation of women in international mediation and peace processes, establishing herself as a global leader in the defense of dialogue, inclusion, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

In the category of Culture, the Prize Casa Asia is granted to Saeed Nouri For his contribution to independent and academic cinema, as well as for his documentary and research work that has significantly contributed to the critical analysis and international projection of Iranian cinema. A director, producer, and researcher trained in Iran and France, Nouri has developed a valuable career focused on the study of Iranian transnational cinematographies. His works include Women According to Men and, more recently, Tehran, An Unfinished History—premiered at the 2025 Rotterdam International Film Festival and also programmed at the Asian Film Festival Barcelonby 2025—, reinforce a trajectory committed to cultural memory and historical reflection on Iranian cinema.

The jury for these awards has been composed of José Pintor Aguilar, CEO Casa Asiaand by the heads of the following areas: Economy and Business, Amadeo Jensana; Culture, Menene Gras Balaguer; Media Library, Oihana Montilla; Diversity and Interculturality, Gaëlle Patin-Laloy; Politics and Society, Yasmin Paricio; and Communication, Josep Casaus de la Fuente.

This award was first established in 2004, and its main objective is to recognize and publicize the work of people, entities or projects that have stood out in their respective fields of activity or have contributed to promoting dialogue and relations between Spain and the Asia-Pacific region.

The winners in previous editions have been, among others, the philosopher and thinker Raimon Pannikar, the China-Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai, the Spanish Network for the Coordination of NGOs for Development, the Nagasaki Prefectural Museum of Art, the journalists Rosa Mª Calaf and Miguel Frau Rovira, the Malaysian NGO "Sisters in Islam", the sinologists Xulio Ríos and Dolors Folch, activist Fawzia Koofi (Afghanistan), the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), the Barcelona Manga Fair-Ficomic, the Kairós publishing house, the Center for Asian and African Studies of El Colegio de México, the Spanish Museum of Abstract Art Cuenca or the Association of Afghan Women in Spain (AMAE).

The Awards Ceremony Casa Asia 2026 will be held in the last quarter of the year.

More information about the award winners

Jury's Considerations

Claudio Feijóo stands out as a bridge between the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems of Spain and China, as well as for his significant contribution to strengthening bilateral relations in the technological and business sectors. As an academic and business leader in the technology sector, Feijóo has demonstrated an exceptional ability to lead high-impact international projects in Asia and Europe. His track record in research and management of startup-related initiatives positions him as a renowned expert in this field, capable of understanding and navigating the complexities of both markets.

Biography

Claudio Feijóo is a Telecommunications Engineer with a PhD in the same field, as well as a degree in Economics. He is currently a professor at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM). Between 2014 and 2020, his main responsibility was to establish cooperation agreements and launch joint research and innovation projects with leading technological universities in Asia, a period during which he resided in Shanghai, China. He also created the first—and only—incubation program for Spanish entrepreneurs in China, XiJi Incubator (winner of the El Mundo University Internationalization Award, 2020).

He currently coordinates, for the European Commission, the European expert group on digital technologies in China. He is a member of the Spanish technology transfer expert group and a member of the investment committee of the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT), the leading public deep-tech fund in Spain and among the largest in Europe. He is also a member of the Advisory Board/Ideas Lab of the Spanish Agency for the Supervision of Artificial Intelligence (AESIA).

Between 2022 and 2025, he directed the Jean Monnet Chair in Technological Diplomacy and Digital Sovereignty. From 2020 to 2024, he also served as Director of Entrepreneurship at the UPM, leading training, launch, and acceleration programs for technology startups and spin-offs. The UPM was named the top university in Spain for innovation and entrepreneurship by El Confidencial in 2024, and in 2025 it led the Spanish ranking for spin-off creation (Mobile World Capital).

Her professional experience includes positions at the European Commission (mobile content and applications, universal service) and at the Spanish Ministry of Industry (broadband deployment in rural areas, information society strategy). She has also worked on missions across five continents for some of the world's leading international institutions.

Among the various international projects in which he participates, he has led AI4Gov, a European project on artificial intelligence for public services (European Digital Skills Award, 2023) and currently co-directs two of its continuations, AI4Gov-X and AI Skills Hub Academy, which extend its impact from artificial intelligence to data spaces, the digital transformation of the public sector and the acquisition of digital skills in companies and vocational training.

He is also a frequent speaker at international seminars and postgraduate courses, and a guest editor for academic journals. He has published over 300 works, including books, articles, and lectures. In his two most recent books, he analyzes, respectively, the role of technological innovation in international geostrategy, with a special focus on China (“China’s Great Dream,” KnowSquare Prize, 2023), and the past, present, and future of society in the same country (“The City Before the Sea,” Tecnos, 2025).

Jury's Considerations

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) stands out for its significant contribution to scientific cooperation between Spain and Asia, especially through its strategic collaboration with the RIKEN Center for Computational Science in Kobe, Japan. The expansion of the collaboration agreement between the two institutions strengthens the exchange of researchers and the development of joint projects in supercomputing, artificial intelligence, and the simulation of complex phenomena. This framework allows for comparative studies and cross-optimizations between leading infrastructures, such as the MarThe BSC's eNostrum and RIKEN's Fugaku supercomputer are driving advances in fields such as personalized medicine, materials science, and climate modeling. The alliance is based on the technological and scientific complementarity of both centers, which share a commitment to cutting-edge research. The combined impact extends beyond academia, generating solutions to global societal challenges and demonstrating the role of science diplomacy as a tool for strengthening international relations in an interconnected world. This collaboration establishes a stable bridge between the innovation ecosystems of Europe and Asia-Pacific, thereby consolidating the BSC's position as a key node in the global computational research network.

Brief description of the entity

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center – National Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS) is Spain's leading supercomputing center and an internationally renowned scientific institution. Founded in 2005, it combines the management of high-performance infrastructures such as the supercomputer MareNostrum is a leading center of multidisciplinary research in advanced computing, artificial intelligence, and data science. Designated a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence, its activities are structured around four main areas: Computing, Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Computational Applications. The center is distinguished by its focus on cutting-edge research with social and technological impact, addressing challenges such as climate change, personalized medicine, and the development of new materials. Through strategic collaborations with leading institutions in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, the BSC not only pushes the boundaries of knowledge but also strengthens Spain's position on the global map of advanced science and technology, while training high-level specialists in a field that is strategic for digital sovereignty.

Jury's Considerations

Miriam Coronel-Ferrer served on the UN Reserve Mediation Team for three years, where she supported mediation efforts in UN missions in countries including Afghanistan, the Maldives, Iraq, and Georgia. Previously, she led the government team that negotiated and signed the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB) with the Front. Moro of Islamic Liberation. He continued in this capacity overseeing the implementation of the CAB until the end of President Simeon Benigno Aquino III's term in June 2016.

A prolific advocate for peace in her country, she co-led the drafting, driven by civil society, of the National Action Plan (NAP) on UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The Philippine NAP was adopted by the government in March 2010. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer made history as chair of the government panel, becoming in 2014 the first woman in the world to sign, as chief negotiator, a peace agreement with an armed group. This was also a significant achievement for women in the Philippines, as three of the government signatories to the peace agreement were women. This experience motivated her to work to ensure that more women participate in and lead international peace processes.
Recent awards he has received include the Rotary Pro- AwardPaz 2024 awarded in the Philippines, the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award awarded in Asia by the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation, and the 2015 Hilary Rodham Clinton Award for the Advancement of Women in the Paz and Security, awarded by the Institute for Women, the Paz and Georgetown University Security. She was included among the five Filipina women on the 2024 Forbes Asia 50 Over 50 list, and nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literacy. Paz in 2005.

Biography

Miriam Coronel-Ferrer is a founding member of Southeast Asian Women Peace Mediators, a member of the board of directors of the International Crisis Group, and a member of Interpeace, based in Geneva. She serves on the advisory boards of the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders. Paz in New York, the Treaty Initiative Paz from the Institute for Integrated Transitions in Barcelona and the Institute for Negotiation Strategies at Harvard University. Professor Ferrer has published several books and articles in academic journals on democratization, civil society, human rights, and peace processes in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
She was a founding co-chair of the Non-State Actors Working Group of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines between 1999 and 2004. A retired professor of politics at the University of the Philippines (UP), she was director of the Center for Third World Studies and coordinator of the Program of PazDemocratization and Human Rights at UP. She was also a visiting professor at several Asian universities.

Jury's Considerations

Saeed Nouri has developed a significant career in independent and academic filmmaking, with productions that have participated in numerous international festivals and documentary projects on Iranian cinema. He is the author of short films and documentaries that have been screened at more than thirty festivals worldwide, most notably WomenAccording to Men (2019), a collage on the representation of women in Iranian cinema between 1932 and 1979, which premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Nouri has produced numerous works of both fiction and documentary, and his film research—which includes interviews with Iranian filmmakers in exile and workshops in Iran and France—has contributed to the critical analysis of transnational Iranian cinema.

Biography

Saeed Nouri (1974) is an Iranian producer and director. He holds a degree in film studies from the Sooreh Institute and a master's degree in film directing from the Iran University of Arts (Tehran). He continued his studies in France, earning a doctorate in film from the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ). He combines his career as a film researcher with writing articles and participating in the Cannes Film Festival every year. His most recent work, Tehran, An Unfinished History (2025), premiered at the 2025 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). This film has also been part of the program of the Asian Film Festival Barcelonand 2025.

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