Biography of Manuel Castells
- Born in Hellín (Albacete) in 1942.
- Professor of Research at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) in Barcelona.
- Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Professor Emeritus of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, where he taught for 24 years.
- University Professor and Wallis Annenberg Chair in Communication Technology and Society at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
- Distinguished Visiting Professor of Technology and Society, Marvin and Joanne Grossman Chair at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Distinguished Visiting Professor in Internet Studies at Oxford University.
- Professor of Sociology at the École des Hautes Études en Sciencies Sociales (1967-1979).
- Chair and Director of the Instituto de Sociología de Nuevas Tecnologías at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (1988-1993).
- Professor of Research at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Higher Council for Scientific Research) in Barcelona (1997) and Professor of Sociology and Urban and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley (1979-2003).
- Visiting Professor at 15 universities around the world and guest lecturer at hundreds of academic and professional institutions in 43 countries.
- Author of 19 books, including "La era de la información: cultura, economía y sociedad" (The Information Age) which has been published in 23 languages. He is also the co-author and editor of 22 books.
- Among other distinctions he has received the Guggenheim Fellowship, the C. Wright Mills Award from the American Society for the Study of Social Problems; The Robert and Helen Lynd Award from the American Sociology Association; The Ithiel Sola Pool Award from the American Political Science Association; The Narcís Monturiol medal from the government of Catalonia; The Gabriela Mistral Award from Chile, the Santiago Award from the President of Portugal and the Saint George Cross of Catalonia. He has been awarded an honorary degree by 12 universities. He is also honorary professor and has received honorary medals from different universities.
- Member of the European Academy, the British Academy and Permanent member of the Real Academia Española de Ciencias Económicas y Financieras.
- Among other distinguished appointments, he has been advisor to the United Nations Secretary General on Information Technology and Global Civil Society. In 2005 he was appointed a founding member of the European Research Council's Scientific Council by the European Commission.