Deputy Vice Rector for International Relations – Mobility Activities

África Martínez is an associate professor at the Miguel Hernández University from the area of Economics, Sociology and Agricultural Policy, and is a member of the Agro-Environmental and Rural Economy, Policy and Development Research Group. She has authored several papers in this area, and in the course of her research, visited universities abroad. Furthermore, África is the Faculty Board Secretary.

María de África Martínez Poveda is Deputy Vice Rector for International Relations – Mobility Activities. Her tasks in this role include:

• Promote student body mobility and coordinate and enhance the reception of Spanish and international students at the UMH.
• Coordinate and prepare calls for the various student mobility programs, drafting the corresponding reports (SICUE, Erasmus, Destino, Science without Borders).
• Coordinate searches for new mobility tools.

Contact information
+34 96 665 8522

Occupational information

Deputy Vice Rector for International Relations – International Projection

José Luis González is a journalist and an associate professor of journalism at the UMH, assigned to the Department of Social and Human Sciences. He teaches political journalism on the undergraduate level, as well as in the Master’s in Innovation in Journalism and the Doctoral Program in Social and Legal Sciences. He holds a master of community law from the University of Castilla-La Mancha and earned his doctorate in journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid.

José Luis González Esteban is Deputy Vice Rector for International Relations – International Projection. His tasks in this role include:

• Increase the presence and enhance the visibility and international projection of the UMH in Latin America and non-EU countries, establishing stable agreements and alliances that promote the interests of all university groups.
• Foster the incorporation of faculty and researchers from these areas.

Contact information
+34 96 665 8522

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Internationalization Director

José Manuel Blanes is an associate professor at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche from the Materials Science, Optics and Electronic Technology Department. He is also a member of the Industrial Electronics Research Group.

José Manuel Blanes Martínez is the Director of the Area of Internationalization. His tasks in this role include:

• Increase the university’s international presence, especially within European Union, North American, and Asian countries, formalizing agreements and alliances that promote the interests of all university groups.
• Promote linguistic mobility and training for university faculty and staff.
• Foster development of graduate-level training with an international profile, especially English-language instruction.
• Coordinate actions with the Vice Rectorate for International Relations aimed at planning internationalization of distinct UMH units, as well as managing related requests.
• Consolidate and support the establishment of dual undergraduate- and graduate-level education with universities, higher education institutions, and non-academic entities in conjunction with the Vice Rectorate for Academic Affairs.
• Coordinate proper management of communicating data in international rankings in collaboration with the UMH Registrar and the Vice Rectorate for Student Affairs and Coordination.
• Guide internal UMH policy in order to improve the positions of the UMH in international rankings.

Contact information
+34 96 665 8522

Occupational information

Development Cooperation and Volunteerism Director

Juan José Ballesta Payá is an associate professor at Miguel Hernández University of Elche.

Juan José Ballesta Payá is the Director of the Area of Development Cooperation and Volunteerism, and Co-Director of the UMH Headquarters in Rwanda Chair. His tasks in this role include:

• Manage volunteering activities by UMH community members in the area of social volunteerism.
• Organize the volunteer campaigns at the UMH site in Rwanda.
• Oversee development cooperation efforts by the UMH in Rwanda.
• Coordinate development cooperation agreements between the UMH and the Generalitat Valenciana.
• Foster the Sustainable Development Goals from the United Nations 2030 Agenda in university environments.

Contact information
+34 96 665 8473

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International Doctorate Director

María Pastor Valero is an associate professor at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, assigned to the area of Preventive Medicine and Public health. She is a member of the Group of Research in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Services (episaludpublicayglobal.umh.es & Group of Research in Global Health) and on the Academic Committee of the Doctoral Program in Public Health, Medical and Surgical Sciences offered by the Faculty of Medicine. María is also the coordinator of the Tordesillas Doctoral College of Public Health and History of Science at the UMH.

María Pastor Valero is the International Doctorate Director. Her tasks in this role include:

• Coordinate agreements for the acquisition of double and multiple international doctorates, and co-tutelage of international doctorates with universities and institutions in higher education.
• Manage, in conjunction with the Deputy Vice Rector for Doctoral Programs, the acquisition of and recognition for graduate-level qualifications (master and doctoral levels) for foreign students.
• Boost the establishment of joint master’s programs with foreign institutions of higher education.
• Design, promote, and collaborate in the implementation of graduate programs for students from Central & South America, Africa, and non-EU countries.
• Coordinate Tordesillas Doctoral Colleges.
• Support the agreement between the UMH and The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP; Brazil). Design, promote, and strengthen sponsorship of public and private cooperation to fund international research projects between the UMH and foreign academic and advanced research institutions.

Contact information
+34 96 591 9331

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Ibero-America Espejo Program Director

Joaquín Julián Pastor Pérez is an associate professor, assigned to the Department of Engineering at the School of Engineering of Orihuela (EPSO). He is also the director of the New Construction Materials research group.

Joaquín Julián Pastor Pérez is the Ibero-America Espejo Program Director. Tasks for this role include:

• Select universities abroad to implement the Ibero-America Espejo pilot graduate program.
• Work on planning Espejo master’s and doctoral programs to implement at universities abroad. Desarrollar.
• Plan nano masters at the Miguel Hernández University to implement jointly with selected Espejo master’s programs.
• Prepare cooperation agreements with universities abroad to regulate academic and economic aspects of the agreements for master’s and doctoral Espejo programs, as well as nano masters at the UMH.
• Represent the Vice Rector for International Relations in procedures related to the implementation and management of the Espejo program at academic institutions and governmental agencies abroad.

Contact information
+34 96 674 9640

Occupational information