Javier Sainz de los Terreros introduces students at the National School of Fine Arts ( School of Humanities and Social Sciences ) to the Prado Museum’s “ Digital Communication ” strategy

On October 30, students from the " subject " Digital Transformation program— subject , a required course in the Diploma in Artificial Intelligence, Technology, and Ethics (IATE) at the School of Humanities and Social Scienceshad the opportunity to gain an inside look at how a cultural institution reference letter such as the Prado Museum tackles the challenges of communication in the digital environment.

The session was led by Javier Sainz de los Terreros, head of Digital Communication at the Prado Museum, and former student of Humanities and advertising , as well as the University of Navarra’s Public Relations Office. During the meeting, he shared with the students the Prado’s experience and the key elements of a strategy that has successfully conveyed the identity of an institution with more than two centuries of history on social media.

The " meeting " was conceived as a conversation about the real challenges of digital transformation. The students had prepared their questions in advance, which were organized into five broad areas: " knowledge dissemination , and rigor"; "platforms, audiences, and algorithms"; "measuring success"; "strategy and decision-making"; and "future challenges," with a special focus on artificial intelligence and the role of Humanities.

Humanizing Without Losing One's Identity

One of the key points of Javier Sainz de los Terreros’s presentation was the need to view technology as a tool for communication rather than an end in itself. “All of these are tools, but what really lies behind them is communication: who you are, what your communication topic is, and where you want to go,” he explained.

Using examples from the Prado Museum, he demonstrated how an institution traditionally associated with rigor, heritage, and great masterpieces can find new ways to engage with its audiences without compromising its identity. Live videos, short-form content, spontaneous conversations, and formats tailored for social media help bridge the gap between the museum and its audiences, including those who cannot physically visit its galleries.

Authenticity thus emerged as one of the central themes of the talk. In the face of overly polished communication, Javier Sainz de los Terreros defended the value of content capable of conveying warmth, naturalness, and truth, even when it is not technically perfect. This strategy is reflected, for example, in the live videos that the museum produces on a regular basis, which have helped it foster habits and build a community among its followers.

From the Prado Museum to Rosalía, Ibai, or TikTok

The conversation also allowed us to move beyond the strictly museum-based context. Examples such as Rosalía, Ibai Llanos, and various formats that have emerged on TikTok served as a basis for analyzing how the rules of communication are changing and what a cultural institution can learn from them. The core topic, as noted by speaker, does not consist of copying formulas, but rather of understanding why they work and then assessing whether they align with the organization’s identity.

There was also time to discuss reputation management and crisis situations. Using a real-life case study from the Prado, Javier Sainz de los Terreros highlighted the importance of transparency and, above all, of maintaining the initiative in public discourse: “In communication, the most important thing is to ensure that the conversation focuses on what you want it to—it’s about having the ‘ diary.’”

This reflection allowed students to see how Digital Communication ’s decisions are directly related to issues of identity, credibility, and reputation. Platforms and formats change, but an organization needs to know what it stands for and to what extent it can transform the way it communicates without losing what makes it recognizable.

Humanities in the midst of a digital transformation

The session concluded by addressing an issue particularly relevant to students' " training ": what " Humanities " can contribute to a professional environment increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and new technologies.

For Javier Sainz de los Terreros, growing access to technological tools makes skills such as creativity, judgment, and the ability to craft good stories even more valuable. “What will clearly set people apart is their drive, their imagination, and their creativity. And that’s where humanism comes in— Humanities. Everything else is just a tool,” he said.

It is precisely this dialogue between humanistic “ training ” and technological transformation that forms one of the cornerstones of theDigital Transformation “ subject ,” led by Professor Andrés Sáenz Magdalena: to expose students to real-world professional experiences so they can understand that digitization is not merely about mastering new tools, but also about developing the judgment to decide how and for what purpose to use them.

The session with Javier Sainz de los Terreros provided an opportunity to see this firsthand through the lens of an institution like the Prado Museum: platforms, algorithms, and formats may change, but the fundamental questions of communication remain the same—what we want to convey, whom we want to reach, and, above all, who we are.