The college in Lisbon where Infanta Sofía will study

Last Thursday, the Spanish Royal Household confirmed that Infanta Sofía will begin studying Political Science and International Relations at Forward College in September . This three-year program includes the first year at the college's Lisbon campus, followed by a second year in Paris and a third in Berlin. Thus, Princess Leonor's sister becomes the first member of the Spanish royal family to pursue a university degree abroad —Felipe VI, for example, studied law at the Autonomous University of Madrid and only later earned a master's degree at Georgetown University in the United States. But what can the second-in-line to the Spanish throne expect?

Forward College was founded in 2021 by Boris Walbaum , who served as a financial advisor to the French government between 1999 and 2002 and was an education consultant for 15 years. Co-founders include Céline Boisson , who has worked at tech companies like YouTube and Google, and Jeffrey Sampson , who worked for 11 years at Apple and has worked on teams at other major brands like Christie's and Gap. The project is funded by billionaires such as the Meyer Louis-Dreyfus family , telecommunications entrepreneur Xavier Niel, who is the partner of Dior CEO Delphine Arnault, Agnès Ifker, former president of Galileo Global Education, a private education company, and her husband Stéphane Ifker , of the Antin investment fund, and Corinne Vigreux , the founder of TomTom, a multinational company that develops GPS and navigation systems for cars and creator of the Codam School, a programming school. In 2023, the school announced a €12 million investment in the project, which enabled the opening of the Berlin campus, which Sofía plans to attend in the third year of her degree.

When it was announced in 2021, Forward presented itself as an institution with a holistic approach to education , prioritizing not only reasoning skills but also social, emotional, and digital skills. In its promotional materials, it highlights its small class sizes of up to 15 students , personalized and individualized lessons, and programs that provide immersive and multicultural experiences , in which each of the three years of college are completed in a different country.

Bachelor's degrees in economics, political science, international relations, data science, psychology, and management are developed by the London School of Economics or King's College London and accredited by the University of London. Programs can also include a leadership and entrepreneurship component, making it possible to complete the equivalent of two bachelor's degrees in three years . Prices range from €18,500 to €22,500, but the school says financial aid is available. This is because Forward College ensures that students are selected based on academic performance and social and political involvement . The first class, in September 2021, consisted of 28 students from 12 European countries, chosen from the 450 applications the school claims to have received. And, according to Forward College, the candidates had a wide range of interests and social and cultural experiences : the range included a festival founder, a children's book writer, a young local political leader, a charity volunteer, and even a singer who was shortlisted to participate in The Voice.

The only headquarters is in Lisbon

Starting in September, the school can also claim to be selecting members of royalty. Sofía must study between the institution's two centers in Chiado and Bairro Alto . The headquarters, on Rua das Flores , is Forward's only dedicated physical space (in other European cities, the school is located in shared spaces). Next door to the comic book store BdMania, on the first floor of a historic building, is the structure with study rooms, a kitchen, a terrace, and meditation rooms. In April, the school also announced another space within the Bairro Alto Creative Hub , on Rua Luz Soriano, where the Teatro do Bairro is located, and the same location that housed the Diário Popular newspaper until 1990, as well as the Observador editorial office during its first years after its founding. The third important geographic location for Forward students in Lisbon is the Xion student residence in Benfica, where students stay in rooms measuring between 13 and 20 square meters and pay between 590 and 690 euros per month — although it is not yet certain whether the daughter of the Spanish King and Queen will live in the same place as her classmates.

But the routine shouldn't be limited to strolls between Benfica and Chiado. Forward College's holistic approach includes activities such as surfing lessons and yoga on the beach , so the Infanta may occasionally be seen on the sands of Guincho or Costa da Caparica; but also in cooking competitions, ceramics workshops, or documentary production sessions, especially in the first two weeks, during which students are introduced to the new lifestyle in Lisbon, which the college classifies as "one of the best cities in Europe for learning." "Lisbon was an obvious choice to move forward with this project because it offers the ideal context for our students: a dynamic and cultural experience in an accessible, safe, charismatic city with a high quality of life. Furthermore, it combines historical richness with characteristics that make it an international magnet," explained Céline Boisson, co-founder of Forward College, in a 2023 statement published by the newspaper Eco.

Academic path involves cities near Spain

In the second year, the course moves to the French capital, more specifically to the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris , where Forward is based alongside hundreds of other French and international universities. It is the largest accommodation for students and researchers in the region, welcoming young people of 150 nationalities each year in its more than 40 houses, while classes are taught in study rooms or the library. The school estimates that students can spend between 16,000 and 20,000 euros on accommodation, food, and general services during their year studying in Paris. The third year of studies takes place in Berlin, at the Forward College center, located within a coworking space in Kreuzberg . In the German capital, the college has partnerships with four student residences, with prices ranging from 550 to 1,200 euros per month.