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Professor Antonio Ariño receives the 2026 Sociology and Political Science National Award
Antonio Ariño at the Nau, where he acted as the Culture vice-principal
Professor of Sociology Antonio Ariño Villaroya of the Universitat de València has been granted the 2026 Sociology and Political Science National Award, as stated in the resolution published this 3 July in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado). This award, granted by the Sociological Research Centre (CIS), acknowledges the professor’s academic career and his contribution towards social research.
The jury for this award, led by CIS president José Félix Tezanos, agreed to present him with the award by a majority vote during the event carried out on 9 June 2026.
Antonio Ariño Villarroya is a Professor Emeritus of Sociology of the Universitat de València. He was a professor and the director of the Sociology and Social Anthropology Department from 1997 to 2003. Between 2003 and 2020, he acted as vice-principal of the Universitat de València in different department, taking on many responsibilities.
He has a degree on Geography and History (1985) and a PhD on Sociology (1990) with this thesis “Fiesta y Sociedad en la Valencia contemporánea”. His main lines of research are related to the fields of culture sociology, social welfare politics and the voluntary sector. He is currently focused on researching the field of disasters and catastrophes as part of different research groups.
Besides his outstanding work as the author of several scientific books and articles, he was also the director of the Social Sciences and Culture Institute of the Institution Alfons el Magnànim and the vice-president of the Spanish Sociology Federation.
The highlight among the different accolades Antonio Ariño has received during his academic career is the National Research Project. This award, which he received on 1992 for his work “La ciudad ritual”, consolidated his research record. Besides that, he was also granted the decoration as Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French Government in 2014 for his contribution towards academic and cultural cooperation, as well as the Valencian Literature Critics Award along with Joan Romero for their book “La secesión de los ricos” in the Essay and Critique category, among other awards. Furthermore, he was the director of the University Students Participation and Life Conditions Observatory (ECoViPEU).
Throughout his career, Ariño has also been a key figure in the defence of the cultural role played by the UV as part of his third mission, which is to project knowledge towards society and make the institution more committed to culture as public service.
The Sociology and Political Science National Award, which was created by the CIS, aims to promote and stimulated applied social research, in agreement with the rules established by this organisation. This is the second consecutive year in which the award has been granted to a professor from the Universitat de València, since in 2025 it was Professor of Sociology Capitolina Díaz Martínez who received it.
The award ceremony will be announced soon. The jury was formed by José Félix Tezanos Tortajada; Silvia García Ramos; Rosario H. Sánchez Morales; Constanza Tobío Soler; Rafael Pardo Avellaneda; Luisa Carlota Solé i Puig; Almudena Moreno Mínguez; Javier de Estaban Curiel; Antonio Francisco Alaminos Chica; Capitolina Díaz Martínez, as well as María Asunción Garzón Martínez, who acted as the jury secretary but did not vote.
