Empire Rising: Spain

Chapter 99: Chapter 91: Candidate for Principal

The Steward Loren also noticed Carlo’s expectation and urgency for the construction of the Royal Physical Chemistry College.

Upon receiving orders from Carlo, Steward Loren promptly began planning the school’s location and conducting some preliminary work.

The Royal Physical Chemistry College was certainly to be built around Madrid, so the site was naturally chosen in the outskirts of Madrid.

The good news is that there is a place in the outskirts of Madrid that once housed a private university, although it ultimately went bankrupt. The buildings here could still be used after repairs, with only a few laboratories needing to be added to meet the basic early requirements of a university.

Although Carlo had high expectations for the Royal Physical Chemistry College, he did not expect it to become a world-renowned science university in the initial years of construction.

Carlo’s expectation was that within five years, the Royal Physical Chemistry College could stably cultivate more than 500 talents related to physics and chemistry each year.

Through accumulation, Spain could still make up a significant gap in talent reserves, at least in certain research areas there wouldn’t be as much of a shortage of personnel as there is now.

After handing over the construction of the Royal Physical Chemistry College to the Steward Loren, Carlo turned his attention to how to select a suitable headmaster for the college.

Although it is a college specialized in physics and chemistry, this does not mean the headmaster must be proficient in physics and chemistry.

After all, teaching knowledge is the job of university teachers and professors; the university president should focus more on the development of the school, thinking about how to cultivate more talents for Carlo and Spain.

Considering the busy affairs of Steward Loren, Carlo delegated the task of selecting suitable candidates within Spain for the college headmaster to Kadir.

Kadir did not disappoint Carlo’s trust and, after a week of investigation, submitted a specific list of candidates to Carlo.

“Jose Echegaray?” Carlo glanced at the name on the list, seeming to have some impression but couldn’t quite recall.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Mr. Echegaray was born in Madrid and has Basque ancestry. He currently works at the Madrid Academy of Precision Science, having published ’The Theory of the Physical Unity of Current Material Force’ and ’Analytical Geometry Problems.’ His teaching ability is outstanding in Spain,” Kadir explained.

Carlo nodded, looking through the detailed information about Echegaray.

Based on the current investigation results, although Echegaray has Basque lineage, he was born in Madrid and is more supportive of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain’s rule.

Just from this standpoint, Echegaray already has certain advantages. Appointing him as the college’s headmaster can also show the Basque people that Carlo’s attitude towards Spaniards and Basque is consistent, as Spaniards would not exclude the presence of Basque.

As Carlo continued to review, he finally remembered who Echegaray was. Echegaray is quite renowned in Spain, being one of Spain’s few Nobel Prize laureates and the first Nobel Prize winner in Spain.

But the question is, in Carlo’s memory, none of Spain’s Nobel Prize winners are related to physics and chemistry, and Echegaray seems to have won in the field of literature.

Having a literary figure serve as the headmaster of a physics and chemistry college, isn’t that rather strange?

“Jose Echegaray?” Carlo asked somewhat surprised: “If I recall correctly, wasn’t he also the Director of Public Works during the Provisional Government period?

Are you sure he is suitable to serve as the headmaster of the Royal Physical Chemistry College?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Kadir quickly explained, “Although Echegaray often contributes to ’Economist,’ ’Truth Newspaper,’ and even our ’Spanish Sun,’ his major at university was mathematics.

I can only say Mr. Echegaray’s interest in literature is no less than his achievements in mathematics, but he is indeed more renowned for his accomplishments in mathematics and municipal engineering so far.”

Carlo nodded, dispelling his internal surprise.

If Echegaray hails from mathematics, then it wouldn’t be strange for him to serve as the headmaster of a physics and chemistry college. After all, math as a discipline is closely connected with physics and chemistry; they are somewhat inseparable.

After dispelling his surprise, Carlo couldn’t help but also feel some admiration for Echegaray. Being able to achieve substantial accomplishments simultaneously in mathematics, public engineering, and literature is at least akin to achieving excellence in multiple fields.

Although he hasn’t received any major awards in mathematics, his career as a math educator is also quite famous in Spain.

And his passion for literature has earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature, which is one of the highest accolades in the field.

Praising someone as a flower in both literary and scientific fields is truly not an overstatement, especially considering in history he also served as Trade Minister, Finance Minister, and Public Education Minister in government positions, Echegaray is one of Spain’s few versatile talents.

Looking at Echegaray and then at the other candidates on the list, the gap is quite apparent.

Currently, Spain does not have any top talents in the fields of physics and chemistry, and candidates suitable to serve as the dean of the Royal Physical Chemistry College are extremely rare.

Among the many candidates, Echegaray is indeed a relatively suitable choice, both in terms of his resume and personal ability.

After rubbing his forehead, Carlo finally made a decision: “The candidate for the dean of the Royal Physical Chemistry College is tentatively Echegaray. Have him come to see me tomorrow.

The construction of the academy could be completed as early as next year, and I hope the formation of the academy can also start early. The earlier the formation, the better for Spain’s key talent cultivation work.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Kadir nodded and went to inform Echegaray.

Speaking of which, Echegaray’s life had some changes due to Carlo’s intervention.

Historically, Echegaray should be holding a ministerial position in the Spanish Government during this period. However, because Prime Minister Prim was not assassinated, the Spanish Government has not undergone substantial changes, and besides serving as the Director of Public Works during the Provisional Government period, Echegaray did not delve too deeply into officialdom.

Although the upcoming position of the dean of the Royal Physical Chemistry College does not have an administrative rank, it does not mean that its influence is not high.

If he can gain Carlo’s trust and complete his term as dean, he may still have the opportunity to enter the political arena afterward.

Moreover, the talents cultivated by the Royal Physical Chemistry College have a greater hope of entering the Royal Academy of Sciences and could even be knighted through their own research.

If it really gets to that point, the influence of the dean of the Royal Physical Chemistry College would increase, making it easier to enter the political arena.

Early the next morning, Echegaray came to the Royal Palace to seek an audience with Carlo.

Carlo, having just risen and washed with the help of the maid, heard from the guards that Echegaray had been waiting for quite a while.

Amused by Echegaray’s early arrival, Carlo decided to invite Echegaray for breakfast together, while also discussing the future construction of the Royal Physical Chemistry College.

Led by the guards to Carlo’s favorite small dining room, Echegaray felt somewhat nervous and uneasy.

Although he was born in Madrid and had achieved significant success in his teaching career, being invited by the King to have breakfast was a first for him.

Indeed, not only had he never had breakfast with the King, but he had also never privately met with the King. Although he was quite supportive of the Spanish Government, Queen Isabella would not be interested in someone involved in academia.

“Your Majesty!” The moment he saw Carlo, Echegaray performed a standard Spanish salute and nervously greeted Carlo.

“Good morning, Mr. Echegaray.” Carlo nodded, gesturing for Echegaray to sit and talk.

As an advocate of the Spanish Government, Echegaray was both nervous and expectant about meeting the King. However, upon sensing Carlo’s kind and approachable demeanor, Echegaray’s mood relaxed slightly, and he wasn’t as nervous.

“Mr. Echegaray, has Kadir informed you of my decision?” Carlo inquired with a smile on his face.

Facing talents who could be useful to him, Carlo was quite willing to treat them with kindness.

To Carlo, his identity as a king was the best card for attracting talents. When a king presents a kind and approachable attitude, it would be impossible for people, not only those who grew up in monarchies but even those nurtured under republican ideals, not to be moved.

“Mr. Kadir has already informed me, Your Majesty. Serving as the dean of the Royal Physical Chemistry College is an honor, and I will do my utmost to build the Royal Physical Chemistry College to not betray your trust, Your Majesty,” Echegaray nodded, speaking gratefully and honorably.

An ordinary college of physics and chemistry wouldn’t have such a strong allure for Echegaray. But if you add the word “Royal” to it, the attraction for Echegaray increases substantially.

Becoming the dean of the Royal Physical Chemistry College is not only an addition to his resume but also allows Echegaray to enter Carlo’s radar.

If he does well as the dean, there may be further possibilities in the future. Although the Spanish Cabinet is appointed by the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister is elected by the House of Representatives.

Still, for Carlo as the King of Spain, if he wanted to promote someone, helping them enter the political arena wouldn’t be difficult at all.

“Mr. Echegaray, do you have any plans for building the Royal Physical Chemistry College?” Carlo nodded, smiling as he posed his test.

Although being the dean of the Royal Physical Chemistry College does not require top-notch knowledge, one must at least be proficient in operating an academy and understand Carlo’s objectives.

If you compare the Physical Chemistry College to a company, the dean as the general manager must have a reasonable development plan for the entire company and meet the expectations of its behind-the-scenes stakeholders, which, for Carlo, includes laying out the company’s developmental projects appropriately.