Miguel Alfonso Martínez-Echevarría, Rafael Alvira, Manuel Casado, Jaime Nubiola and Alejo J. Sison, during the Convocation Ceremony for academic year 2004-05, for the Master's and Doctorate Programs.

Knowing How to Govern Means Knowing How to Serve Well

After nearly two decades of research, during the 2003-04 academic year the Institute initiated its School of Administration through which it imparts its graduate programs. Currently it imparts a Master's Degree in Organizational Administration and Culture, which is oriented towards professional development, and a Doctoral Degree in Organizational Administration and Culture, oriented towards those who will perform research in the academy.

The School of Administration is inspired by the following principles: those persons who wish to have executive responsibility in the different institutions of society, either political or commercial, after completing their university studies, nearly always attend programs which provide formation in organizational and administrative techniques. Nevertheless, it is difficult to encounter programs which have deep humanistic and interdisciplinary foundations, along with a solid scientific and philosophical grounding. There is thus an educational deficit in fundamental and universal dimensions in regards to administration and government of the various institutions of society, whether they be political or commercial institutions. It is necessary to educate future administrators and executives to have a capacity for vision, practical wisdom and the habit of basing their actions on deeper principles.

The principal characters of the human being are the capacity for understanding and of learning, and, above all, self-knowledge. Given that we are human being in society, we must understand society in order to understand ourselves; we must understand its unity and diversity. Without a certain unity of knowledge -the humanistic ideal par excellence- the human person is lost. This means that in the absence of a link between the various areas of theoretical and practical knowledge, the development of both the person and society will remain limited. The labor, therefore, of all government, is to generate social unity so that each person may encounter within society his or her full development.

Given that society is a complex system, interdisciplinary, involving mutual service, understanding its origin, evolution and problems is a basic necessity for understanding the purpose of service which defines human action.