Fundación RIA has begun a three-year collaboration with Yale University, one of the world’s leading academic institutions, to deliver a series of educational programmes focused on the challenges and opportunities facing Galicia. The first edition will take place throughout June and will focus on the Eume Natural Park. Over three weeks, second-year architecture students will take part in an academic residency coordinated by Professor Ana María Durán and Fundación RIA, based at Casa RIA in Santiago de Compostela.

The programme is embedded within the process that Fundación RIA is currently advancing in the Eume region, a protected natural area of more than 9,000 hectares facing significant governance and environmental, economic and social sustainability challenges. Through research, workshops and field visits, students will explore issues including biodiversity protection, mobility, extensive livestock farming, forest management, tourism, heritage enhancement and the integration of renewable energy systems, engaging directly with the territory and the stakeholders involved.

The collaboration will also provide an opportunity to share with students the methods and processes developed by Fundación RIA in the fields of strategic planning, governance and territorial development. Alongside guidance from the foundation’s team, the programme will feature contributions from architect Manuel Bouzas and other specialists in architecture, landscape, ecology and territorial planning, offering complementary perspectives on ecological transition and land management.

This initiative further strengthens the role of Casa RIA as a meeting place between academia, territory and society, fostering knowledge exchange and learning through direct experience. At the same time, it reinforces Fundación RIA’s commitment to connecting international academic institutions with the real challenges facing Galicia, using academic programmes as a tool to explore new ideas, build capacity and contribute to more sustainable futures.