Conference 2016

SOCIAL SCIENCES CONFERENCE

Conference 2016

The 4th International Academic Conference on Social Sciences 

Barcelona, Spain –  July 28-29, 2016

CONFERENCE THEMES

Anthropology,  Economics & Finance,   Education, Psychology,  History, Law, Management,   Political Science, Tourism

HOST CITY – BARCELONA

The city of Barcelona was founded by the Romans who set up a colony called Barcino at the end of the 1st century BC. The colony had some thousand inhabitants and was bounded by a defensive wall, the remains of which can still be seen in the old town.

For over 200 years, Barcelona was under Muslim rule, and, following the Christian reconquest, it became a county of the Carolingian Empire and one of the main residences of the court of the Crown of Aragon. The fruitful medieval period establishedBarcelona’s position as the economic and political centre of the Western Mediterranean. The city’s Gothic Quarter bears witness to the splendour enjoyed by the city from the 13th to the 15th centuries.

From the 15th to 18th centuries Barcelona entered a period of decline, while it struggled to maintain its economic and political independence. This struggle ended in 1714, when the city fell to the Bourbon troops and Catalonia’s and Catalans’ rights and privilegeswere suppressed.

A period of cultural recovery began in the mid-19th century with the arrival of the development of the textile industry. During this period, which was known as the Renaixença, Catalan regained prominence as a literary language.

The 20th century ushered in widespread urban renewal throughout Barcelona city, culminating in its landmark Eixample district, which showcases some of Barcelona’s most distinctive Catalan art-nouveau, or modernista, buildings. The Catalan Antoni Gaudí, one of the most eminent architects, designed buildings such as the Casa Milà(known as La Pedrera, the Catalan for stone quarry), the Casa Batlló and the Sagrada Família church, which have become world-famous landmarks.

The freedoms achieved during this period were severely restricted during the Civil Warin 1936 and the subsequent dictatorship. With the reinstatement of democracy in 1978,Barcelona society regained its economic strength and the Catalan language was restored. The city’s hosting of the 1992 Olympic Games gave fresh impetus to Barcelona’s potential and reaffirmed its status as a major metropolis.

In 2004, the Forum of Cultures reclaimed industrial zones to convert them into residential districts. An example of the renewed vigour with which Barcelona is looking towards the 21st century

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Prof. Oriol Miralbell

Oriol Miralbell holds a PhD in Information and Knowledge Society and a Master degree in Management Information Systems. Dr. Miralbell is President of the Spanish chapter and member of the Board Committee of IFITT (International Federation for IT and Travel and Tourism). He is professor and researcher of CETT. He has lectured at the UOC and UAB.
He has also was responsible for tourist information systems of the Generalitat de Catalunya, creator and coordinator of the Network of Tourist Offices in Catalonia, and has participated in various technological tourism projects at European and Spain level. He has advised the Spanish government in technological innovation projects for tourism and has participated in the strategic plans for tourism Barcelona and of Catalonia. He is the author of several books on management of these tourist destinations and on technologies for travel and tourism.

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS