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The Rector of the University of Granada and the team from the Talent Incubator participate in the opening of T-Systems’ new headquarters in Granada.

Pedro Mercado, Rector of the University of Granada, and Blanca Delgado, Alumni Manager of the University of Granada’s Talent Incubator, have taken part in the official opening of T-Systems’ new headquarters in Granada. The opening of the new headquarters signifies the opportunity to further strengthen the strategic relationship that the University of Granada and T-Systems have already established regarding the first Chair in Spain on Digital Sustainability Innovation, directed by Alberto Aragón, Professor of Business Organization.

T-Systems is a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, the largest telecommunications company in Europe and one of the largest in the world. T-Systems provides digitization services for businesses and public administration, and the new headquarters strengthens the company’s Value Center. During the event, T-Systems announced that this opening allows them to advance their commitment to reach one thousand employees in Andalusia by 2024, one year ahead of the previously announced timeline.

In addition to the representatives of the University of Granada, the inaugural event was attended by the Counselor of the Presidency of the Andalusian Regional Government, Antonio Sanz; the Mayor of Granada, Marifrán Carazo; Rosa Rodríguez, Vice President of Sales at T-Systems Iberia; and Aitor Vinós, Senior Advisor of T-Systems Iberia, among others.

The recruitment of talent has been a fundamental element in driving T-Systems’ projects in Andalusia. Supported by their close collaboration with the University of Granada, the Deutsche Telekom subsidiary has also promoted other projects to foster sustainability as a business driver among its clients. This includes the first Chair of Digital Sustainability Innovation, promoted in partnership with the University of Granada, which has already graduated its first class with 80% of the students joining T-Systems’ workforce in the city.

The new facilities of the Value Center in Granada cover almost 5,000 square meters and are used for professional activities related to disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Spaces, and Big Data. The Granada Value Center is part of a national network of innovation centers with two other locations in Reus and Valencia, and it plays a key role in providing big data services, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence, as well as the development of Data Spaces for T-Systems clients internationally.

On July 7th, the closing ceremony of the first edition of the Young Talent Programs took place at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, organized by the Talent Incubator of the University of Granada in collaboration with the multinational company Leroy Merlin. A total of 16 students from various undergraduate programs have successfully completed a high-performance training in soft skills, which are highly sought after by companies and considered essential for their professional future. The students participated in experiential seminars to enhance their professional skills, such as leadership, teamwork, negotiation, active listening, fear management, and goal achievement.

Participating in these programs, in addition to the innovative training sessions in skill development, has resulted in all 16 students being offered permanent employment contracts with the company and future participation in internal training and professional development pathways. With the Young Talent Business and Young Talent Digital Tech & Data Programs, the Talent Incubator has achieved a significant objective: connecting talented young students from the University of Granada with one of the most important companies globally in their sector.

The closing ceremony featured a speech by Alberto Aragón, Professor of Business Organization and Director of the Talent and Leadership Chair at the UGR, who expressed his gratitude to the students for their participation in the programs and their high appreciation of them. He also expressed his appreciation to Leroy Merlin for their collaboration with the Talent Incubator and the University of Granada, as well as their commitment to the professional development of students.

Representing Leroy Merlin, Juana Herráiz, the Director of Human Resources for the Southeast Region, expressed her gratitude for the successful organization of the programs and congratulated the students on completing their undergraduate studies and joining the company in September.

Following the speeches and the presentation of diplomas, the ceremony concluded with an informal talk and a reception at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.

The Chair of Innovation in Digital Sustainability at the University of Granada will hold the Future and Sustainability conference on June 13th at the Faculty of Economics and Business.

This conference aims to be a meeting point and exchange among a selection of the best researchers who are developing their doctoral theses or have recently defended their theses on topics related to sustainability.

It will be an interdisciplinary event involving eleven different PhD programs, including the three Doctoral Schools of the University of Granada: the Doctoral School of Sciences, Technologies, and Engineering, the Doctoral School of Health Sciences, and the Doctoral School of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Law. The conference will address the multiple technological, social, scientific, and economic perspectives of sustainability.

The Chair of Innovation in Digital Sustainability is an initiative jointly created by the University of Granada and the multinational company T-Systems to enhance the capabilities of university students so that they can become a fundamental driving force for sustainability on the planet. All activities of the Chair are completely free for participants.

Students who have participated in the Young Talent Programs have had the opportunity to improve their communication and leadership skills in decision-making.

“Effective and assertive communication skills will contribute to your personal and professional success”

Currently, using communication effectively, knowing how to communicate and transmit correctly, is one of the most demanded competencies by companies. Adequate communication is a skill that can make a big difference and increase the chances of success in any situation, both personal and professional.

In the seminar developed within the Young Talent Programs, participants have experienced and learned through dynamics and practical activities to enhance their assertive and effective communication. They have worked on key aspects of effective communication such as emitting clear and concise messages, appropriate tone of voice, body language, looking into the eyes of the receiver, etc., and also understanding better the importance of taking into account the other person’s point of view, calmly dialoguing and conveying respect for the ideas of others.

The workshop, sponsored by multinational Leroy Merlin, took place on Wednesday, May 10th, at the Faculty of Economics and Business and was taught by Luis Ortega, an expert in communication and negotiation techniques.

Our Talent Incubator is excited to collaborate with the Arqus Alliance in organizing the third edition of the Arqus PhD Week for Careers Outside Academia. This initiative, developed under the framework of the Arqus PhD Pursuit, aims to bridge research and education to prepare early-stage researchers for existing and emerging grand societal challenges, enhance their international competitiveness both inside and outside academia, and contribute to regional and European innovation strategies.

The event will take place in Granada from May 9th to May 12th, 2023, and will bring together 40 PhD candidates and early post-docs from the nine member universities.

Titled “Granada Arqus PhD Week: PhD, and now? Explore new professional opportunities beyond the world of academia,” this 4-day intense training course will bring together over doctoral researchers, recent PhD graduates, and career development experts to explore new professional opportunities beyond academia.

We are proud to announce that Alberto Aragón-Correa, Professor of Management and Co-Director of the Talent Incubator at the University of Granada, will chair the round table discussion titled “The impact of the incorporation of doctoral profiles on organizations and institutions. Companies and organizations testimonies.” During the round table, Professor Aragon-Correa will discuss the initiatives in the Talent Incubator for talented young people and participate in a dialogue with corporate executives to explore the potential of doctoral profiles in organizations.

Aitor Vinos, Senior Advisor of T-Systems and member of the steering committee of the T-Systems-University of Granada Chair of Innovation in Digital Sustainability, will also participate in the round table. He will share his views on how doctoral competencies can be extremely useful in the corporate world and discuss the T-Systems vision for innovation, research, and professional opportunities.

In addition to the round table discussion, the Talent Incubator is excited to announce that the T-Systems Chair of Innovation in Digital Sustainability will host an event to provide a forum for discussion and interaction among doctoral students focusing on sustainability from multiple perspectives.

The T-Systems – University of Granada Chair for Digital Sustainability designs and delivers a course on Sustainable Strategies for employees of the company in Germany.

The headquarters of the multinational T-Systems in Germany annually hosts a program for its employees with high potential for the future. This program includes training and mentoring for a group of employees from various departments, focused on topics of special strategic interest. Different professors from the University of Granada who are also members of the T-Systems – UGR Chair for Digital Sustainability have designed and delivered a course on Environmental Strategy in the 2022-2023 edition of this program for young employees of the company.

The course has been structured and developed entirely by the Chair, incorporating five thematic blocks related to sustainability in businesses and its implications. Specifically, the topics addressed aspects such as the advantages and challenges of environmental innovation in companies, the implications and requirements of the circular economy, the necessary organizational changes for its implementation, or the most effective indicators of sustainable management in the company, among others. This course on Sustainable Strategies was conducted entirely online in this edition, with multiple synchronous sessions for all participants. It is planned that in the future, the experience can be repeated with in-person developments.

The course concluded with the selection of the best final projects presented by the participants. This year’s edition included a case study focused on the global automotive industry, in which some of the sustainability challenges that the industry must address were discussed, and where digital innovations could play a key role.

Photo: Guillaume de Germain on Unsplash

UGR Talent Incubator presents New Programs in collaboration with multinational Leroy Merlin.

The programs that the Talent Incubator is going to organize in collaboration with multinational Leroy Merlin are aimed at final-year students with the best academic record in Bachelor’s degrees from five faculties: Faculty of Sciences, ETS of Computer Science and Telecommunications Engineering, Faculty of Economics and Business, Faculty of Labor Sciences, Faculty of Translation and Interpretation, and a selection of Master’s degree students from those same fields.

These programs aim to connect university students with great potential, with interesting professional trajectories suitable for their profiles (“Business” or “Tech&Data”), offering them high-level training in management skills and soft skills, and an opportunity to start a professional career aimed at high-level positions within the company.

The training program consists of three blocks: participatory seminars with a very innovative methodology based on principles of neuroeducation with accompanying dynamics; a second block with individualized coaching sessions; and mentoring where each student accesses a mentor from the sponsoring company’s management, Leroy Merlin.

The company Leroy Merlin, which belongs to the ADEO Group, a leader in its sector worldwide, sponsors these two programs completely free of charge. After the training period in the seminars, Leroy Merlin will offer participants a professional career plan that begins with a permanent contract to join the company in September and enter internal promotion programs where there are training itineraries for their professional development.

A strong personal brand online is crucial if you want to have a successful business, be a leader, or a freelance professional looking to enhance their services. Developing a strong personal branding is a long-term goal that the participants of the Acceleration Program worked on in this intensive workshop.

The way people and your target audience perceive you determines your personal brand, and that is based on the actions you take in your daily life, both online and offline, personally and professionally.

In the digital realm, having a successful brand means that people follow you, engage with you, interact with you, and trust you. Therefore, the communication strategy that you implement online is key to creating a strong community of followers.

These concepts, among others, were covered in the workshop “The Key to Success: Building a Strong Online Presence”, taught by Daniel Soler, a community manager and expert in communication and networking. Specifically, in the workshop, participants worked on developing their personal brand on LinkedIn, the world’s largest B2B professional social network, where high-quality contacts and numerous job opportunities can be found.

The workshop, sponsored by the multinational company Alight Solutions, took place on Friday, April 21st, from 9:00 to 12:00, at the Faculty of Business at the UGR.

The female participants of the third edition of the Women Talent 4.0 Program improve their communication skills with a workshop on “Keys to Good Communication”.

“Communication is key to professional success.” That’s something we all know, but how to do it is another story…

Controlling nerves, breathing properly in moments of tension when speaking in public, managing the “pulse” of the moment, active listening, avoiding repetitive phrases, making eye contact, smiling, nodding, being aware of non-verbal language, intonation… All of this is what was covered in the intensive 4-hour workshop attended by the women of Talent Mujer, led by Luis Ortega, an expert in communication and negotiation techniques.

Effective communication and transmitting messages correctly, both personally and professionally, is one of the most sought-after competencies by companies today. Adequate communication is a skill that can make a big difference and increase the chances of success in any situation, especially when in leadership roles.

The art of communication also has a positive impact on personal self-esteem and decisively influences how others perceive us, which is why the Program includes this seminar where participants have the opportunity to experience and learn, through dynamic and practical activities, how to enhance this essential competency for their future careers.

The workshop, sponsored by the multinational company Alight Solutions, took place on Thursday, April 20th, from 16:00 to 20:00, at the ODS seminar room at the Escuela de Caminos of the UGR.

The T-Systems-University of Granada Chair in Innnovation in Sustainable Digitalization and the Talent Incubator have developed a leading program for training in sustainable strategies and management.

The participants will be a selected group of  T-Systems employees in Germany. The participant employees are part of a group of talented young individuals whom T-Systems has offered to be in an internal training and mentoring plan to boost their professional careers.

This course is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the relationship between business strategies and the natural environment, with a particular focus on activities connected to digitalization activities. The course will include three intensive days: April, 25^th, 26^th, and 28^th and it will provided online. The contents explore key concepts and frameworks for thinking about sustainability, including the triple bottom line, the circular economy, the environmental performance, and the sustainable business models. Participants will also learn illustrations about the specific environmental challenges faced by the tech industry, including e-waste, energy consumption, and data centers.

Throughout the course, the participant will examine key concepts, updated corporate data about environmental impact, case studies, and real-world examples of companies that have successfully integrated environmental considerations into their business strategies. The participants will also have the opportunity to engage in discussions and exercises that will help them to apply these concepts to their own organizations.

 In addition to providing a solid foundation of knowledge and skills, this course aims to inspire and motivate participants to take action on environmental issues within their own organizations or in operations with customers. By the end of the course, the participants will have a better understanding of the role that businesses can play in creating a more sustainable future and will be equipped with some of the tools and strategies needed to drive sustainable corporate changes.