Galician Institute for International Analysis and Documentation

The Instituto Galego de Análise e Documentación Internacional (IGADI) — in English, the Galician Institute for International Analysis and Documentation — is an independent, non-profit Galician association and think tank dedicated to international studies. It was created in 1991 with a dual founding purpose: to reflect on the problems and trends of contemporary international society, and to press for a greater insertion of Galicia into the world at every level. Its founder is Xulio Ríos, and the institute describes itself as aligned with the principles of the United Nations. IGADI operates as a knowledge community with a public-service vocation. It receives and analyses press from numerous countries and archives books, newspapers, magazines and other documentary materials — statistical yearbooks, theses, colloquium and conference proceedings — concerning the economic, social and political situation of individual countries, regions and the world. These materials form the basis of its Centre for Contemporary International Information and Documentation. Alongside this documentation work, IGADI promotes research on a wide range of international problems. Its output is placed at the disposal of society: a support programme for educational communities at different levels, for companies and other social actors, complemented by active dissemination of information to the media, associations, parliamentarians, personalities and Galician institutions. IGADI also offers support and mediation services for companies and institutions, including sectoral studies, monographs, accompaniment of delegations, translation and interpreting, and foreign investment and trade work — part of a broader project to create an economic and sociopolitical external observatory in Galicia. To foster public debate it organises seminars, round tables and conferences, maintains permanent contact with media and institutions, and runs training courses. Over more than three decades IGADI has built a distinctive profile through projects such as the definition of the first White Book on Galicia's External Action, the journal Tempo Exterior, annual reports on international politics and Galicia's external action, the Observatory on Chinese Politics, the Galician Observatory of Lusophony, the Fundación Plácido Castro and the Galician Fund for Cooperation and Solidarity. It cooperates and exchanges with other state and international research centres and signs collaboration agreements with universities and administrations at different levels. It is funded by contributions from its members and collaborators, by remuneration for some of its activities, and by support from public administrations, financial entities and social organisations. IGADI continues the universalist and deeply humanist tradition of historical Galicianism, promoting an international system based on United Nations principles in which cooperation prevails over confrontation.

IGADI was created in 1991 as an independent, non-profit Galician entity for international studies, founded by Xulio Ríos. Its founding purpose was twofold: to reflect on the problems and trends of contemporary international society, and to work for a greater insertion of Galicia into the world at all levels. From the outset it combined documentation with research, receiving and analysing press from many countries and archiving books, newspapers, magazines, statistical yearbooks, theses and conference proceedings on the economic, social and political situation of countries, regions and the world. These holdings became the basis of the Centre for Contemporary International Information and Documentation. Over its trajectory — described by the institute itself as more than 30 years of activity — IGADI developed a distinctive profile through a series of projects. Among them are the definition of the first White Book on Galicia's External Action, the journal Tempo Exterior, annual reports on international politics and Galicia's external action, the Observatory on Chinese Politics, the Galician Observatory of Lusophony, the Fundación Plácido Castro and the Galician Fund for Cooperation and Solidarity. It also became a promoter of the Fundación Plácido Castro and participates in the annual award of the Plácido Castro Translation Prize granted by that foundation. IGADI has maintained cooperation and exchange relations with other state and international research centres, and is a signatory of collaboration agreements with universities and administrations at different levels. It offers support and mediation services to companies and institutions — sectoral studies, monographs, accompaniment of delegations, translation and interpreting, foreign investment and trade — as part of a broader project contemplating the creation in Galicia of an economic and sociopolitical external observatory. Public activities include seminars, round tables, conferences and training courses, alongside a policy of immediate intervention in current affairs through the media. Financing comes from contributions of members and collaborators, remuneration for some activities, and support from public administrations, financial entities and social organisations. The institute presents itself as a knowledge community with a public-service vocation and as a continuation of the universalist and deeply humanist tradition of historical Galicianism, promoting an international system based on United Nations principles in which cooperation and collaboration prevail over confrontation and conflict, in line with the 2030 Agenda. In the 2020s IGADI continued to run international projects and publications. Its journal Tempo Exterior reached issue 52 in July 2026, closing the stage of Celso Cancela as director and opening a new era under Diego Sande. In August 2026 the institute launched the third edition of its project 'A Unión Europea desde unha perspectiva Glocal', coordinated by Serafín Pazos, Patricia Coloret and Daniel González Palau, with a monograph and a programme on IGADI TV on 29 September, focusing on EU–Latin America relations in the framework of the XXX Ibero-American Conference to be held in Madrid on 4–5 November.

• 2026

  Tempo Exterior issue 52 closes Celso Cancela's stage as director and opens a new era with Diego Sande.

• 2026

  Third edition of 'A Unión Europea desde unha perspectiva Glocal' developed between August and September, with a programme on IGADI TV on 29 September.

• 1991

  IGADI is created as an independent, non-profit Galician entity for international studies, founded by Xulio Ríos.

• Definition of the first White Book on Galicia's External Action.

• Launch of the journal Tempo Exterior.

• Establishment of the Observatory on Chinese Politics and the Galician Observatory of Lusophony.

• Promotion of the Fundación Plácido Castro and participation in the annual Plácido Castro Translation Prize.

Independent, non-profit Galician think tank for international studies, combining documentation, research, public debate and international projection of Galicia, aligned with United Nations principles.

• Tempo Exterior

  IGADI's journal on international affairs; issue 52 (2026) marked a change of direction from Celso Cancela to Diego Sande.

• White Book on Galicia's External Action

  The first White Book on Galicia's external action, defined by IGADI.

• Annual reports on international politics and Galicia's external action

  Recurring IGADI reports on international politics and Galicia's external action.

• Observatory on Chinese Politics

  IGADI project focused on Chinese politics.

• Galician Observatory of Lusophony

  IGADI project on the Lusophone world.

• Centre for Contemporary International Information and Documentation

  Archive and documentation base built from press and documentary materials from many countries.

1. 1IGADI: Para comprender o Mundo desde aquí, para proxectar a Galicia no contexto internacional - IGADIigadi.gal
2. 2Sobre o IGADI - IGADIigadi.gal
3. 3Galician Institute for International Analysis and Documentationwikidata.org
4. 4Instituto Galego de Análise e Documentación Internacionalgl.wikipedia.org