University of Toronto professor Yolanda Iglesias, associate professor in the Department of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies, has been awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic by the Government of Spain, an honour conferred in the name of the King of Spain.
“I receive this distinction with gratitude and with the conviction that academic work is never an individual effort. It is always built through dialogue: with colleagues, students, institutions, and the communities to which we are accountable,” she said in her acceptance remarks during the award ceremony held April 24 at the Embassy of Spain in Ottawa.
Established in 1815 by King Ferdinand VII, the Order of Isabella the Catholic recognizes outstanding civil merit and contributions by Spanish and foreign individuals who promote cooperation and relations between Spain and the international community. The honour is considered one of Spain’s most prestigious civil distinctions.
Yolanda Iglesias was recognized for her contributions to Hispanic studies and for her role in promoting Spanish language and culture internationally, particularly in Canada. “From Canada, Hispanic studies take on a particular dimension. It is a space for encounter, mediation, and bridge-building. In this sense, my work has sought to contribute to a better understanding of the presence of the Spanish language outside its traditional territories, while also strengthening academic and institutional ties between Canada and the Hispanic world,” she stated.
Professor Yolanda Iglesias received the award from Spain’s ambassador to Canada, Alfredo Martínez Serrano, and thanked those who supported her work in Hispanic studies in Canada, including the University of Toronto, Asociación Canadiense de Hispanistas (the Canadian Association of Hispanists), colleagues, students, collaborators, friends, and her family.