MACC, a gastronomic campus unique in the world

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Cooking is not only about mixing ingredients in an original way to obtain delicious dishes. It is also business management and knowledge of the environment, knowledge of the agri-food industry and an understanding of gastronomic culture. All of this will be combined in the Madrid Culinary Campus (MACC), an innovative university project combining training, creation and gastronomic exchange unlike any other in the world, promoted by Comillas and Vocento, and in which two of the greatest references in contemporary cuisine, Ferran Adrià and Andoni Luis Aduriz, are taking part.

During the presentation of the new centre, Enrique Sanz, Rector of Comillas Pontifical University, stressed that this degree is an official qualification that is unique in the world. "Thanks to the excellent training that we are going to offer at MACC, gastronomy can act as an engine for economic and social growth", he said. For his part, Ignacio Ybarra, president of Vocento, emphasised that "with MACC we continue to pave the way in a strategic sector for us and, furthermore, we do it with Comillas, a partner that guarantees us excellence".

Top level chefs
Ferran Adrià, the chef who led the last great revolution in gastronomy, and Andoni Luis Aduriz, one of the most disruptive chefs at international level, take an active part in the development of the project, characterised by its innovation and creativity. Not surprisingly, the academic projection of all the work of the elBulli Foundation, with the Sapiens methodology, is part of the academic heart of the MACC. Ferran Adrià confessed that he has great confidence in this project and defined it as "a place for thought and debate" because "the university must make professionals think and with Comillas a very important work can be done".

Mugaritz is also working on the development of a pioneering master's degree in which students will be trained in a creative and innovative context. Andoni Luis Aduriz, creator of the restaurant and mentor of innovation and creativity at the MACC, stressed that "Mugaritz has had, since its beginnings, a clear vocation to share knowledge and expand it. Participating in this new project is an exciting way of continuing to nurture the future of gastronomy".

Cross-cutting training
In this first Bachelor's Degree in Gastronomy and Culinary Innovation -which will start next September- students will not only learn how to cook: they will receive, as well, training in business management at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (Comillas ICADE) and they will learn agronomy and sustainability concepts at the School of Agricultural and Agro-environmental Engineering (INEA). In addition, it will also offer a complete range of programmes with dual degrees and five master's degrees, as well as an important proposal for specialised training aimed at improving the skills of working professionals.

MACC's final location, two newly constructed buildings, will be located on a smallholding in the vicinity of Chamartín's station, in northern Madrid, the capital's most important urban development project.