History

An Institute that inherits a legacy of success

The IJL emerged from the transformation of the Carlos III–Juan March Institute (IC3JM), a joint institute funded by the Juan March Foundation and Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, created in 2013 through an agreement between the two institutions. In 2024, the IC3JM was recognized as the best Research Institute at UC3M. The IC3JM had, in turn, absorbed the activities, programs, and library of the former Center for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (CEACS) of the Juan March Institute.

CEACS began its activities in 1987 and for more than 25 years offered a Master’s in Social Sciences for Spanish students, as well as a four-year fellowship program covering the completion of the Master’s degree and the preparation of a doctoral dissertation. Some of the PhD graduates affiliated with the Juan March Institute are now internationally renowned scholars. Outside Spain, notable examples include Pablo Beramendi (Duke University), Víctor Lapuente (University of Gothenburg), Luis de la Calle (University of Warwick), Laia Balcells (Georgetown University), Rubén Ruiz Rufino (King’s College London), and Dídac Queralt (Yale University). In Spain, the list is much longer, including many names who today represent some of the best political scientists and sociologists of their generation. A total of 95 doctoral dissertations were defended as a result of this program.