José Vidal Beneyto

(Valencia, 1929 – Paris, France, 2010)

Sociologist and political analyst. Graduated in Political Science, Law, Philosophy and Sociology from the Universities of Valencia and Madrid, he obtained a doctorate in Law from the University of Malaga, to later expand his studies in Paris and Heidelberg. In 1965 he founded the Center for Sociological Teaching and Research (CEISA), better known as the Critical School of Sociology, which opened debate and critical reflection in the academic sphere of the social sciences. He was a professor of Sociology at the Complutense University of Madrid and director of the Miguel Servet College of Higher European Studies in Paris.

Among other institutional responsibilities Vidal Beneyto was director general of Education, Science and Culture of the Council of Europe (1985-1991) and principal advisor to the director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (1993-1999). He was secretary general of the European Agency for Culture of UNESCO, member of the European Academy of Arts, Sciences and Letters.

His academic work has revolved around communication, culture, human rights, European community development, globalization, the media and political sociology. His most recent works include “Global Power and World Citizenship” (2004), “Europe's Constitutional Challenge” (2005) and “Human Rights and Cultural Diversity” (2006).

He participated in Medialab Madrid within the conferences organized for “Cibervisión02. Winter Cycle of Science and Technology of the Complutense University of Madrid” (February 27, March 4-8, March 11-15, 2002). In the context of the I International Festival of Art, Science and Technology – Cibervisión 02, a cycle of 18 conferences was held in which prominent personalities from the world of science, art and thought participated. The cycle addressed the topic of flows from the most diverse angles and contexts: those related to fluid physics; the dynamics of complex and self-organizing systems; global and economic ecosystem models; energy and information flows; neural flows and educational processes.