Radio Gandia Group has announced the winners of the fifteenth edition of its annual awards,
Gandia, October 20, 2025.
The day has arrived. The Radio Gandia Group has announced the winners of the fifteenth edition of its annual awards, which recognise individuals and organisations from the region who stand out in social, cultural, and economic fields.
In the Economics category, the award has been granted to Pau Rausell, economist and Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Valencia. Founder, in 1999, of the Research Unit in Cultural Economics, Rausell has been a pioneer in consolidating this discipline as a key field of study and action for understanding the relationships between culture, creativity, and economic development. The unit he leads has become a benchmark at both national and European levels.
The jury highlighted Rausell’s dedication to cultural economics as both a scientific discipline and a form of social commitment, inspired by the vibrant cultural scene of Gandia in the 1980s. His intellectual journey has been deeply influenced by his parents —writer and journalist Josep Rausell and photographer Bigit Köster— and by his collaboration with Pascual Lucas, a Gandia-born gallerist and a key figure in Valencia’s contemporary art scene.
Beyond academia, Rausell stands out for his strong public engagement. He has contributed to public debate through outlets such as SAO, Levante-EMV, El País, Infolibre, and eldiario.es, offering insightful analyses on communication, culture, and creativity. His ability to translate scientific knowledge into accessible, socially engaged ideas has made him a reference voice at the intersection of economics and culture.
Throughout his career, Rausell has combined research with the strategic management of cultural and urban projects. He served as strategic director for Valencia World Design Capital, a globally acclaimed success, and authored the Valencia UNESCO Creative City candidacy.
He currently leads AISECRETT, a European consortium of more than sixty researchers from twelve universities studying the relationships between artificial intelligence and creativity, aiming to understand how emerging technologies transform cultural and artistic processes in Europe.
With this award, the Radio Gandia Group honours over three decades of work linking economics, culture, and society, highlighting the role of knowledge, creativity, and communication as drivers of progress and social cohesion.
-
The jury acknowledges Pau Rausell’s pioneering contribution to cultural economics.
-
Over 30 years of research, outreach, and management of international cultural projects.
-
Founder of Econcult, a leading European research unit in cultural economics.
-
Currently director of the European project AISECRETT, focused on artificial intelligence and creativity.
Links:
