Inside the Lisbon College Where Spain's Princess Sofía Will Study: A Royal First and Innovative Education

A Royal Choice in the Heart of Lisbon

We walked up Rua das Flores from Cais do Sodré, navigating the smooth, sloping cobblestones and dodging tourists searching for cafes, wine shops, and concept stores. After passing Largo Camões, we turned left, crossed the top of the Bica elevator—where people were photographing the (now stationary) tram—and crossed the street to climb a quieter alley. This is a path that the youngest daughter of the King and Queen of Spain may frequently take in the coming months, as it leads to where she will attend most of her first-year university classes. Sofía is pioneering a foreign university path in her family: she will study Political Science and International Relations at Forward College, a school with a three-year program where the first year is in Lisbon, the second in Paris, and the third in Berlin.

Exploring the Campuses

The college currently has two campuses: one on Rua das Flores in Chiado and another, newly opened, on Rua Luz Soriano in Bairro Alto. The building, which once housed the Diário Popular in the 1950s and 1960s, is on a side street with little commerce or restaurants. It is exactly on the floor where Observador's newsroom once was that Forward students, including Sofía, now study. Upon arrival, you see a spacious, open area with meeting tables, a space for student socializing—as well as a sunny terrace offering views of neighboring buildings' windows and roofs. We entered and followed a long corridor decorated with paintings alluding to Lisbon and featuring motivational quotes. "How you talk to yourself matters. Stop seeking perfection and be yourself," says one image. On the other wall, we see the doors to four classrooms. The first is labeled "Belém" at the entrance—inside, the walls are lined with original Portuguese tiles. The others, named Santos, Estrela, and Marvila, are simpler with white walls. Each has capacity for approximately 15 students, one of the college's "differentiators," which values small classes.

Leaving the corridor, we found stairs leading to facilities where Observador had a photo and video studio—the necessary silence now serving a new purpose. In the meditation room, with floor cushions and softly lit lamps, students can read, relax, or even take a nap. The goal is to provide tools for young people to develop social and emotional skills. "With Artificial Intelligence becoming increasingly sophisticated, cognitive intelligence is being replaced by machines, and there is a greater need to prepare students holistically to develop emotional, social, and practical intelligence. This holistic approach is at the core of the college," explains Céline Boisson, co-founder of the college, established in 2021. Meditation is just one element of this pedagogical strategy. In the first two weeks of orientation, students engage in surf and yoga classes at the beach, cooking competitions, or cinema, among other activities representing the Lisbon lifestyle.

Caption: The entrance to the Forward College campus on Rua Luz Soriano. Credit: DIOGO VENTURA/OBSERVADOR

Caption: The college features a terrace for social gatherings. Credit: DIOGO VENTURA/OBSERVADOR

Growth and Founding Vision

In four years, the college has increased its student body fivefold. When it started in 2021, it had one class of 25 students—it now prepares to welcome 115 for the first two weeks of integration in Lisbon. Forward College was founded by Boris Walbaum, who worked as a financial advisor in the French government from 1999 to 2002 and was an education consultant for 15 years. The co-founders are Céline Boisson, who has worked at tech companies like YouTube and Google, and Jeffrey Sampson, who spent 11 years at Apple and was on teams at other major brands like Christie’s and Gap. The project is funded by multimillionaires such as the Meyer Louis-Dreyfus family, telecommunications entrepreneur Xavier Niel—partner of Dior CEO Delphine Arnault—Agnès Ifker, former president of private education company Galileo Global Education, and her husband Stéphane Ifker from investment fund Antin, or Corinne Vigreux, founder of TomTom and creator of Codam School, a programming school. In 2023, the college announced a €12 million investment in the project, enabling the opening of the Berlin campus, which Sofía is expected to attend in her third year.

The idea that sets this college apart, according to Céline, is that traditional teaching methods are not the most suitable for our times. "It's basically a transfer of knowledge from a teacher in front of many students in a kind of amphitheater. This transfer, we know from neuroscience, is not the strongest way for students to learn. With AI, knowledge is everywhere. Our method is innovative due to the aspect of having small classes where we apply an active learning pedagogy, where students need to prepare for classes. We want them to develop critical thinking skills."

Caption: The space was designed to encourage a sense of community. Credit: DIOGO VENTURA/OBSERVADOR

Caption: Classrooms are smaller, with space for about 15 students. Credit: DIOGO VENTURA/OBSERVADOR

Academic Recognition and Programs

Forward College already has a bachelor's degree recognized by the French Ministry of Education, in addition to a partnership with the University of London. Programs in economics, political science, international relations, data science, psychology, and management are developed in collaboration with the London School of Economics or King’s College London and accredited by the British university. Courses can also include a leadership and entrepreneurship component, making it possible to complete the equivalent of two degrees in three years. Prices range from €18,500 to €22,500, but the college says financial aid is available.

No Special Treatment for High-Profile Students

Leonor's sister was selected from about 2,000 applicants of various nationalities, highlighting Germans, French, Italians, Portuguese, and Americans. "We believe in a small community, which is important for everyone to get to know each other. We invest a lot in building this community," explains Céline. The school admits it has never had high-profile students in the past but ensures that "everyone is treated the same way. Confidentiality, of course, is an essential element of our policy, but there is no special treatment."

According to Céline, students are chosen based on academic potential and a personal statement. "Depending on the program, we look at specific subjects. In the Politics and International Relations course, we look at performance in history and geography," highlights the co-founder, speaking about the course the Spanish infanta will take. "Our students share curiosity and openness to the world," she adds, noting that students learn Portuguese, French, and German throughout their academic journey. Sofía already speaks the official languages of Spain (Catalan, Basque, and Galician) from childhood and learned English, Mandarin, French, and Arabic in high school—but she likely already knows Portuguese due to the close relations between the two countries.

Caption: Céline Boisson is one of the college's co-founders, established in 2021. Credit: DIOGO VENTURA/OBSERVADOR

Student Life and Housing

The student residence is located in Benfica, with rooms between 13 and 20 square meters costing between €590 and €690 per month. The building also has a gym, laundry, lounge, study room, private garden, and garage. There is no confirmation on whether the infanta will reside with her classmates, although the college's co-founder emphasizes the importance of the community living experience for the university's pedagogical approach. "Our students live and study together for three years, and we believe this is very important for our holistic approach and skills development. We believe it will make a difference in their future to have lived with a community composed of people from 40 nationalities for three years, in three different countries, with the need to adapt to different cultures," says Céline.

Breaking Royal Tradition

By choosing this academic path, Sofía breaks with some royal traditions. Until now, the youngest daughter of the King followed her sister, Princess Leonor, and completed the International Baccalaureate at UWC Atlantic College in Wales. However, the heir to the Spanish throne underwent training in the Army and Navy and is now starting an internship in the Air Force, while Sofía, for now, is not expected to undergo any military training. The infanta is also the first to seek a bachelor's degree outside of Spain. Felipe VI, for example, studied Law at the Autonomous University of Madrid and only later did a master's at Georgetown University in the U.S.

According to sources close to the royalty heard by Vanitatis, the decision for Forward College was not easy and involved much discussion between the King and Queen and the infanta. Sofía wanted an international destination where she could experience new cultures and still have some privacy, which is nearly impossible in Spain. But the infanta's first choice was a course in the arts, with which the King and Queen did not agree, considering that for the second person in the line of succession to the throne, the Political Science and International Relations program would be more appropriate. Felipe and Letizia ended up accepting the final choice due to geographical proximity—since Lisbon, Paris, and Berlin allow for quick travel of up to two and a half hours to Spain when necessary.

Caption: At 18, Sofía begins to participate more frequently in official commitments of the Spanish royalty. Credit: WireImage

The Journey Ahead

In the second year, Sofía's course moves to the French capital, specifically to the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, where Forward is based alongside hundreds of other French and international universities. It is the largest accommodation for students and researchers in the region, hosting young people from 150 nationalities every year in its over 40 houses, while classes are held in study rooms or the library. The school estimates that students may spend between €16,000 and €20,000 on accommodation, food, and general services during the year they study in Paris. In Berlin, the third year of studies takes place in Forward College's center located inside a coworking space in Kreuzberg. In the German capital, the college has partnerships with four student residences, with prices between €550 and €1,200 per month.