Our team

Jorge Ramón Arosemena Román has been the Executive Director of FCDS since its inception, back in 1997. A Panamanian sociologist, he studied Civil Engineering at the University of Panama, got a degree in Classical Literature and Philosophy, and a master’s degree in Sociology, both from Saint Louis University, USA. He is a full professor of Sociology at the University of Panama, where he has taught since 1971 and held the positions of General Secretary and Academic Vice President.

Between 1987 and 1993, he was a project coordinator for CADESCA (SELA), where he promoted regional development projects (Central America), particularly with the European Union, North European countries, and the Inter­American Development Bank.

In the public sector, he has been General Manager of the Panama Tourist Bureau, Vice Head of the Cabinet, Vice Minister and Minister of Education.

He publishes journals and research papers related particularly to Education and Development

Magali Jurado Olivares has been a Program and Project Manager for the City of Knowledge Foundation (FCDS) since 1999, and she is also a Consultant for the National Sustainable Development Committee (CONADES) of Panama. This Panamanian architect has a postgraduate degree in Regional Development Planning from the Latin American Institute of Economic and Social Planning (ILPES) in Chile, and a master’s degree in Natural Resource Management, Recreation and Tourism from the University of Idaho, USA.

For over two decades, she has been an active participant in transdisciplinary work teams and public space projects, rural development and integrated regional management plans, with the aim of improving the quality of life and promoting a sustainable use of the natural and cultural heritage in Panama and Central America. She is a professor and academic coordinator in three Specialization Courses: Development of Marine Coastal Areas, at Instituto de Estudios Nacionales (IDEN); Public Space Design, at the University of Panama (UP) School of Architecture; and Virtual Scenery Design for Learning, at the Virtual Center of Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP).

She is a representative of UNESCO’s Culture, Tourism and Sustainable Development Chair for Central America, and a member of the Training and Evaluation Committees of the Institute for Higher Studies on Tourism of Sorbonne University, France. She is a member of the Panamanian Association of Women Citizens and a Secretary at the Central American and Caribbean Landscaping Society.

She promotes academic and development initiatives with an environmental, cultural and gender focus, as well as innovative use of the new information technologies for learning.