REPRESENTING OBREAL
Appointed by the General Assembly, the President is the highest authority of the association and represents it in all its political and operational functions
Ramon Torrent
Executive President
Oscar Domínguez
Vicepresident
INTERREGIONAL COUNCIL
Vidya Yeravdekar
Symbiosis International University
Olusola Oyewole
Association of African Universities
Ursula Kilkelly
University College Cork
THE TEAM
The members of the Obreal Secretariat are based in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. The Secretariat is led by the President and the Board of Directors and is responsible for the development, implementation, and execution of the organization’s strategy
Nicolás Patrici
Strategy and Development Director
Elizabeth Colucci
Director of Projects and Education Policy
Agustina Calabrese
Director of Finance, Administration, and Human Resources
Marina Larrea
Senior Higher Education Policy Coordinator
Jaume Fortuny
Senior Project Manager
Ángel Rafael
Senior Project Manager
Apiyo Okwiri
Project Manager Africa
Nicole Font
Project Manager
Kibrome M. Haile
Project Manager Africa
Petya Mitova
Project Manager
Laura Sentís
Project Manager
Juan G. Hoyos
Expert in Innovation and Education
Florencia Bergez
Coordinator of Obreal’s office for South America
Eloi Espósito
Communication and Digitalization Manager
Georgina Boixereu
Communications Officer
Mirjam Milohanic
Administrative Officer
THE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Fernando Albericio
Durban RSA – Innovation as tranversal issue in National and International HE
Wail Benjelloun
Rabat – HE Policy and Management of HEIs
Angelina Cotler
Baltimore – Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Gioconda Herrera
Quito – Inequalities, Migrations and Gender Issues
Mónica Marquina
Buenos Aires – Comparative HE Policies
Beatriz Padilla
Tampa – Migrations and Gender from a comparative and transnational perspective
Rada Tirvassen
Mauritius and Pretoria – Issues of Language in HE
N. V Varghese
New Delhi – Educational Planning and Administration in HE
Fernando Albericio
Durban, South Africa
Wail Benjelloun
Rabat, Morocco
Angelina Cotler
Baltimore, USA
Gioconda Herrera
Quito, Ecuador
Mónica Marquina
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Beatriz Padilla
Tampa, USA
N.V. Varghese
New Delhi, India
Charmaine Villet
Wyndhoek, Namibia
Carl-Gustaf Jansson
Stockholm, Sweden
REPRESENTING OBREAL
Appointed by the General Assembly, the President is the highest authority of the association and represents it in all its political and operational functions
Ramon Torrent
Excutive President
Between 1988 and 1998, Ramon Torrent was a member and later Director of International Economic Relations at the Legal Service of the EU Council. He is one of the five EU-nominated members on the list of arbitrators for the EU’s agreements with Central America, Peru and Colombia, Chile, CARIFORUM, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, Korea, SADC, and Central Africa.
Until his retirement in September 2017, Ramon was a Professor of Political Economy and International Economic Law at the University of Barcelona. In 2008, he launched and directed for 10 years the former Master of Laws in International Economic Law and Policy (IELPO LL.M.), a top-tier program that brought together leading professors and talented students from more than 84 nationalities, whose graduates now hold leadership positions around the world. He also designed and led online and blended training programs on Regional Integration for the UNCTAD Virtual Institute and other international organizations.
He has coordinated numerous international projects —mainly EU-funded—focused on higher education cooperation with Latin America, the Mediterranean, the EU’s neighboring countries, and Africa. He initiated the Arab–Euro Conferences on Higher Education (AECHE) process. Until 2020, he served as the scientific coordinator of the Horizon 2020 project EULAC Focus (“Giving Focus to the cultural, scientific and social dimension of EU–LAC relations”).
Oscar Domínguez
Vice President
Oscar Domínguez is Obreal’s Vice President of Obreal and the Executive Director of the Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN). As Vice President, he takes part in Obreal Council meetings and chairs the Interregional Councils.
An Agricultural Engineer specialized in Environmental Education and Strategic Management, he also holds a Master’s degree in Education. He has extensive experience in academic management and university leadership, having held senior positions in both the public and private sectors, including serving as Rector of the University of Los Llanos (2009–2015). In addition, as Executive Director of ASCUN, he chaired the ENLACES Governing Council during his last term.
INTERREGIONAL COUNCIL
Vidya Yeravdekar
Symbiosis International University
Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar is the Principal Director of the Symbiosis Society and Pro-Chancellor of Symbiosis International University (India), a university with more than 45,000 students from 85 countries. Holding a PhD in the internationalization of higher education, she has served as a member of the University Grants Commission and currently chairs the Higher Education Committee of FICCI. Recognized among India’s most influential women, she is a leading voice in promoting a more open, innovative, and global higher education system.
Olusola Oyewole
Association of African Universities
Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole is a Nigerian academic specialized in Food Science and Technology, with a focus on Food Microbiology and Biotechnology. He currently serves as the Secretary General of the AAU. He was formerly the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta, Nigeria, and has also worked as a senior higher education expert for the African Union Commission in Ethiopia. Professor Oyewole’s professional experience, developed at national, regional, and continental levels, has provided him with extensive knowledge in coordinating multinational research and development programs.
Ursula Kilkelly
University College Cork
Professor Ursula Kilkelly is a Professor of Law at University College Cork, Ireland, and currently serves as Vice President for Global Relations. Her research focuses on international children’s rights and juvenile justice. She has served as Chair of the Oberstown Children Detention Campus and held the Rotating Chair in the Implementation of Children’s Rights at Leiden University. Professor Kilkelly has worked with governments and international organizations around the world, bringing extensive experience in promoting and implementing children’s rights policies at both national and international levels.
THE TEAM
The members of the Obreal Secretariat are based in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. The Secretariat is led by the President and the Board of Directors and is responsible for the development, implementation, and execution of the organization’s strategy
Nicolás Patrici
Director of Strategy and Development
Nicolás oversees policy functions and guides the organization’s strategy, growth, and policy development. He also works on internal team coordination. Nicolás provides hands-on oversight across all aspects of the organization, serving as a senior higher education policy expert for specific projects. He plays a crucial role in project implementation and budget planning. Over the past 17 years, Nicolás’s role has evolved alongside the organization’s growth. Originally from Argentina, he has lived, worked, and studied in Europe for two decades. He has studied in Spain, the Netherlands, and France, and holds a PhD in Classical Philosophy. Nicolás speaks Spanish, English, and French.
Elizabeth Colucci
Director of Projects and Education Policy
Elizabeth has been working at Obreal since 2014, although she had previously collaborated with the organization through her professional roles in Brussels. She currently leads strategy and organizational development, project development, management, and strategic oversight; she also supervises daily operations and represents the organization in various international projects and activities. Her areas of expertise and experience include higher education in development cooperation, regional integration policy, quality assurance in higher education, regional development policy, innovation, and the internationalization of teaching and learning. Born in the United States, she has been living, studying, and working in Europe for over 20 years, and speaks English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Agustina Calabrese
Director of Finances, Administration and Human Resources
Agustina oversees the financial and legal management of all Obreal activities, as well as the organization’s overall operational budget. She also manages human resources, contracts, and service providers, in addition to the general administration of the office. Her role has evolved over her 15 years at Obreal. Today, she supports the implementation of all projects and their budgets, also contributing to project proposal development. She plays a key role in the transition toward a more data-driven association, helping to better assess the impact and growth of activities, as well as opportunities for diversification of actions and funding. Agustina speaks English, Spanish, and Catalan.
Marina Larrea
Senior Higher Education Policy Coordinator
Marina supports Obreal’s policy development, specifically analyzing the interregional aspects of higher education and their link to development. In addition, she manages Obreal’s projects and initiatives in Africa and Latin America, aligning them with the organization’s broader interregional strategy. Before joining Obreal, Marina first served as the coordinator of the internationalization program at Argentina’s Ministry of Education and later as the National Director of International Relations at the same ministry, where she represented Argentina in multilateral organizations such as the IMF, UNESCO, and MERCOSUR, among others. Marina speaks English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Jaume Fortuny
Senior Project Manager
Jaume manages projects throughout their entire life cycle, from conceptualization and proposal development to partnership management and implementation. He also designs training programs related to European Union project management. He has specific expertise in the field of digitalization and represents the association at major international conferences and events. Jaume builds relationships with partners on the ground and provides cross-cutting support to the team in management-related areas. He speaks Catalan, English, and Spanish.
Ángel Rafael
Senior Project Manager
Ángel is a Project Manager specialized in the internationalization of higher education and the implementation of European projects. With extensive experience in higher education, Ángel manages and monitors the entire project life cycle — from creation and implementation to evaluation. His expertise also includes delivering comprehensive training and information sessions on calls for proposals, funding opportunities, and project life cycles for Obreal members. Currently, Ángel streamlines the organization’s global project portfolio, aiming to enhance management processes. He speaks English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German.
Apiyo Okwiri
Project Manager Africa
Apiyo plays a strategic role in Africa for Obreal, coordinating projects and building relationships with stakeholders since 2019. Based in Nairobi, Apiyo coordinates actions, initiatives, and strategies, and supports project management for Obreal, particularly in East Africa. With a long history of cooperation in higher education, Apiyo has served as President of the Erasmus Mundus Alumni Association. She speaks English and Swahili.
Nicole Font
Project Manager
Nicole provides cross-cutting support to Obreal-funded programs and manages the SPHERE Initiative, a project aimed at modernizing higher education in the EU’s neighboring countries. Specialized in international relations and higher education, she has extensive experience in project management and communication, implementing strategies to improve outcomes and achieve meaningful impact. Nicole Font holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Barcelona Institute of International Studies (IBEI) and a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). She speaks Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
Kibrome M. Haile
Project Manager Africa
Based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Kibrome is responsible for developing and implementing projects in Africa and for providing guidance on capacity-building programs and engagement related to African higher education and research development, particularly in connection with data policy and regional integration. Kibrome plays a key role in representing and connecting Obreal with African institutions. He is fluent in English and Amharic.
Petya Mitova
Project Manager
Petya is a multilingual professional with an academic background in Political Science and Human Rights from the University of Exeter (United Kingdom) and the Global Campus of Human Rights (Venice, Italy). Passionate about education and international cooperation, her master’s research focused on migrants’ access to mother-tongue language acquisition classes—a key area that shaped her commitment to promoting inclusive and equitable education. Petya has gained valuable international experience through her work with organizations dedicated to human rights and development cooperation, including UNESCO. More recently, at the European Commission, she worked on the implementation of EU education policies and projects focused on skills development and innovation. Currently at Obreal, Petya leads higher education capacity-building initiatives, fostering collaboration between European and African partners. She speaks Bulgarian, English, Spanish, French, and Italian.
Laura Sentís
Project Manager
A graduate in Translation and Interpreting from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Laura is a professional deeply committed to social justice, particularly in the areas of migration, refugee rights, and international cooperation. She brings extensive experience in project management, international development, and policy advocacy, having led and contributed to initiatives across Europe and the Middle East. During her time at the FC Barcelona Foundation, she coordinated programs supporting Syrian refugee children in Lebanon and young migrants in Europe, using sport as a tool for social inclusion through strategic planning and multi-stakeholder coordination. More recently, she worked as a project officer for the EU-Belong project within the Directorate General for Migration, Refuge, and Anti-Racism of the Government of Catalonia, where she led the planning and implementation of European-level initiatives to promote intercultural and anti-racist policies. Laura speaks Catalan, Spanish, English, French, and Arabic.
Juan Guillermo Hoyos
Expert in Innovation and Education
Based in Colombia, Juan Guillermo is is Obreal’s higher education policy expert for Latin America and the Caribbean, where he coordinates strategic projects and initiatives across the region. Before joining Obreal, he worked for more than 15 years at the Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN), where he served as Secretary General, and was also Secretary General of the Latin American and Caribbean Higher Education Area (ENLACES). A medical doctor and surgeon from the Pontifical Xavierian University, with a Master’s degree in Public Health from the National University of Colombia, he brings strong experience and a regional perspective to higher education policy development.
María Florencia Bergez
Coordinator of Obreal’s office for South America
Florencia works closely with Obreal staff based in Argentina, Colombia, and Panama, serving as the main liaison with international organizations and university associations in the region. Before joining Obreal, she served as an advisor to the National Directorate of International Cooperation and as coordinator of the International Scholarship Program at Argentina’s Ministry of Education, where she fostered strong ties with higher education stakeholders in the region and organizations such as DAAD, Campus France, Fulbright, and Fundación Carolina, among others. She also worked in the private sector as Head of the International Relations Office at Fundación H. A. Barceló, where she was responsible for developing and monitoring the university internationalization strategy. Florencia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Buenos Aires and studied International Relations at the University of San Andrés. She is fluent in Spanish, English, and French.
Eloi Espósito
Communication and Digitalization Manager
Eloi has been part of Obreal’s secretariat since 2019 and has driven a major digital transformation within the association. He manages Obreal’s digitalization processes and communication channels. Acting as a catalyst for the organization’s diverse operational needs, he introduces new digital tools and supports the implementation of the association’s communication strategy. In addition, he oversees the design and implementation of Obreal’s Training Platform. Eloi speaks Spanish, English, and Catalan.
Georgina Boixereu
Communications Officer
Since she joined Obreal in 2023, she has been developing and reshaping the association’s communication activities. She manages the development of communication tools and key messages and serves as Obreal’s liaison with the media in Catalonia and Spain. She also supports the coordination of the association’s projects and the implementation of Obreal’s communication strategy. Georgina has worked for over six years in Spanish and Catalan media as a journalist. She speaks Catalan, Spanish, English, French, and Swedish.
Mirjam Milohanic
Administrative Officer
Mirjam Milohanic joined Obreal in January 2025 as Administrative Officer, supporting the organization’s administrative processes and event logistics while ensuring compliance with internal policies. She has experience in administration, customer service, and document management, having worked across various sectors, including finance and retail. She holds a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka, Croatia, and participated in the Erasmus+ program at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Fluent in Croatian, Spanish, English, Bosnian, and Serbian, with basic knowledge of Italian, she brings to the team strong organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.