BBVA launches the first face-to-face event of the ‘Aprendemos juntos 2030’ (Learning Together 2030) international tour in Madrid
After seven years of giving a voice to more than 450 protagonists and having amassed a community of over 1 million followers, BBVA has celebrated these milestones by taking a further step forward in its education project for a greener and more inclusive future. The Palacio de la Prensa in Madrid recently hosted its first face-to-face event (open to everyone and with free entry) under the ‘Aprendemos juntos 2030’ (Learning Together 2030) international tour. The event was inaugurated by BBVA’s Chair, Carlos Torres Vila, who, together with prominent figures such as psychiatrist Marian Rojas Estapé, professor and writer Victor Küppers, and writer Daniel Habif, kicked off a series of events that will be held in Barcelona, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Lima and Montevideo throughout 2025.
Psychiatrist and writer Marian Rojas Estapé, professor and writer Victor Küppers, writers Hernán Casciari and Daniel Habif, neuroscientist and brain trainer Ana Ibánez, and psychologist and writer Walter Riso delivered a series of inspirational talks at this recent event held in Madrid which, over two morning and afternoon sessions, brought together around 1,000 attendees. With this new format, BBVA’s ‘Aprendemos juntos’ (Learning together) initiative offers its followers the opportunity to listen to the voices of renowned experts as they speak live.
‘Aprendemos juntos’ (Learning together) has become a flagship educational project which, through sustainability, inspires people, society and helps to build a greener and more inclusive future. Now, as an expression of our gratitude to our many followers, we are taking another big step forward by taking some great public speakers along with us on our international tour,” remarked Sofía Rodríguez-Sahagún, Head of Marketing, Digital Sales, Behavioral Economics and Design at BBVA.
Following the BBVA Chair’s opening address, the first protagonist of the day in Madrid was Marián Rojas Estapé. In her speech, titled ‘Do we love as we were loved?,’ she discussed childhood and how the bonds forged early in our lives influence the way we interact with our environment, friends, partners and co-workers. Meanwhile, Victor Küppers, in his talk titled ‘The importance of taking care of the spirit, our main resource,’ reflected on the concept of the spirit, one of the topics he has studied the most and which he considers “will help us live our lives to the fullest.”
Hernán Casciari was also on hand to tell an unpublished story—based on his real experiences—about those secondary characters that make stories work and life make sense.
The afternoon session was opened by Mexican writer and lecturer Daniel Habif, who in his talk titled ‘The time is now! Don't just wait for destiny to happen... take charge!’ offered us his vision on how not to become overwhelmed by fear and build our own destiny rather than waiting for it to happen. Because, in his words, “sitting back and waiting for opportunities to come our way is not good enough; we need to go out and create them, to forge our own path, on our own terms, in the conviction that the future is not a place to be reached, but something that is built with each day that passes.
Ana Ibáñez, with her talk ‘Secrets of neuroscience: the brain that makes us enjoy,’ explained the best ways we can get our brain working for us to improve our life: “We can train our brain to live better, just as we do with our body if we want to run a marathon, and we can do it to lower the frequencies of bad stress.” The neuroscientist, who performed a relaxation exercise with the audience, asked those present to remember some positive experiences or moments of high self-esteem: “We have to tell our brain that just as it was able to create that feeling of self-esteem back then, it can do it again right now.” Ana Ibáñez explained that it’s all about reassuring our prehistoric brain that dates back 200,000 years or so. “We have to tell it: take it easy, there’s no predator lurking around the corner.”
Walter Riso, a prominent figure worldwide when it comes to relationships, presented ‘My five principles for better living’ to help separate what is worthwhile from what is not, since “we often do, say and feel things that go beyond our true essence”.
Psychologist and writer Walter Riso, one of the six experts at the 'Apendemos juntos 2030' event in Madrid, during his talk.
Nearly seven years connecting society with inspirational stories
BBVA's ‘Aprendemos juntos 2030’ (Learning together 2030) project, recognized by the United Nations for its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has a community of more than 10 million followers and its videos currently boast more than 3.8 billion views and nearly 85 million interactions.
This initiative was born in January 2018 with the aim of making available to everyone—in a highly innovative way—the knowledge and insights of world-renowned experts from the worlds of psychology, science, entertainment and many other disciplines, to champion education and make the future greener and more inclusive. Since then, the project has been rapidly evolving to further amplify the importance of education as the backbone of an inclusive and planet-friendly society.
Aside from countless videos on inspiring stories that have resonated with mass audiences over the past seven years (especially Spanish-speaking audiences), the success of the initiative has led to the launch of ‘Aprendemos juntos México’ (Learning together Mexico) and the inclusion of additional courses to foster skills among young people. The program also features courses to promote dialog and reflection and to mainstream sustainability within the daily lives of the youngest members of the community.