The Norman Foster Foundation held today in Madrid the Commencement Ceremony for the second cohort of the Master of Sustainable Cities, delivered by the Norman Foster Institute (NFI) in collaboration with the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM). The event reflected the Institute’s commitment to training future civic leaders through an interdisciplinary and evidence-based approach to contemporary urban challenges.
The Ceremony opened with Welcome Remarks by Prof. Tim Stonor, NFI General Advisor; Member of the Norman Foster Foundation Advisory Board, Madrid, Spain; and Managing Director, Space Syntax, London, United Kingdom. This was followed by the Inaugural Address by Prof. Kent Larson, NFI Master’s Programme Co-Director; Member of the Norman Foster Foundation Advisory Board, Madrid, Spain; and Director of the City Science Group at the MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, United States.
A central moment of the event was the NFI 2025 Student Project Presentations, in which the students presented the final outcomes of their year-long urban research and design investigations. The Cape Town, Freetown and Melilla teams showcased the full arc of their work - from initial field research and data collection to final proposals responding to the specific needs and opportunities of each pilot city. Each of the three teams presented the project developed for their respective pilot city, combining empirical inquiry, spatial analysis and strategic design to propose actionable pathways towards more resilient and inclusive urban futures.
Further academic reflections were offered by Prof. Gareth Simons, Head of City Science at the Norman Foster Institute, Madrid, Spain; Senior Research Fellow in Building Stock and Energy Modelling at the UCL Energy Institute; and Research Fellow in Evidence-Based Urban Design and Planning at Space Syntax, University College London, United Kingdom. His remarks highlighted the methodological cohesion and analytical depth that shaped the cohort’s work.
This was followed by remarks from Prof. Edgar Pieterse, Provost of the Norman Foster Institute, Madrid, Spain; Founding Director and South African Research Chair in Urban Policy at the African Centre for Cities, Cape Town, South Africa. His intervention underscored the importance of context-sensitive approaches and the broader urban policy implications of the students’ proposals.
A Commencement Address was delivered by The Hon. Dr David Moinina Sengeh, Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, Republic of Sierra Leone; Former Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States.
The Ceremony concluded with the awarding of degree certificates, remarks from the NFI 2024 alumni, reflections by the NFI 2025 cohort, and closing statements by Prof. Amaya Mendikoetxea Pelayo, Vice-Chancellor of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain, followed by Lord Norman Foster, NFI President and Master’s Programme Co-Director; President of the Norman Foster Foundation, Madrid, Spain; Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners; and Advocate of the United Nations Forum of Mayors.
This second graduating cohort of the Norman Foster Institute and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid reaffirms their shared commitment to preparing future leaders capable of navigating and shaping the complexities of twenty-first-century urbanism.
The Norman Foster Foundation and the Norman Foster Institute would like to thank the following representatives in attendance
Spain
- Ms Marta Rivera de la Cruz, Third Deputy Mayor, City of Madrid
- Hon Jaime González Taboada, Councillor and President of the Chamberí District Council
- Mr Pablo Hernández, President, Consorcio de la Zona Especial Canaria (ZEC), Canary Islands
- Mr Roman Dobaño, Accidental General Director of Architecture of Melilla
Sierra Leone
- The Hon. Dr David Moinina Sengeh, Chief Minister of Sierra Leone
- Hon Sylvester Arnold Maxwel Boima, Member of Parliament
- Ms Mariama Whitmore, Freetown City Council
- Mr Hassan Lamin, Visual and Communications Manager to the Chief Minister
- Ms Kadijatu Bah, Software Developer, Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation
- Hon Alhaji Amadu Bah, Peace Ambassador
- Mr John Mohamed Koroma, Community Development Specialist
Türkiye
- H.E. Nüket Küçükel Ezberci, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Spain
South Africa
- Mr Brad Armitage, Executive Creative Director, Mission for Inner City Cape Town
- Ms Simone Bergoff, Spatial Planning and Environment Directorate
Qatar
- Hon Meera Badran, Architect / Curator, Qatar Museums
Mexico
- Mr Jorge Sánchez Cataño, Head of International Cooperation and Education Affairs, Embassy of Mexico in Spain
Greece
- Mr Nikolas Kallianidis, City Representative on behalf of the Mayor of Athens
Republic of San Marino
- Ms Maro Banteka, Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs
