Andreu Mas-Colell: "The governance model of the UVic-UCC facilitates the internationalisation of university studies"

The University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) inaugurated its first educational facility in Barcelona at midday on Tuesday. It did so with a lecture by the economist and former Minister of the Government of Catalonia, Andreu Mas-Colell, who gave a lecture entitled "Reflections on the future of higher education." Mas-Colell referred to the UVic-UCC, saying that "its governance model facilitates the internationalisation of university studies, which is a challenge, especially for private universities."

According to Mas-Colell, the future of higher education will involve striking a balance between an increased emphasis on information and communication technologies (ICTs) as they gradually replace lectures, and their reinforcement with face-to-face classes in seminar formats, "because nothing can replace personal contact between a student and the teacher." The speaker also said that "the difference between formal training and continuing education will tend to disappear" due to the considerable increase in the need for constant training in new jobs.

A meeting point between the network of university cities

The event was chaired by the rector of the UVic-UCC, Jordi Montaña, who said that the Barcelona facility reinforces the "regional university" model to which the UVic-UCC is committed, and he described the new base as "a centre for communication, training and personal relationships, and symbolically, a meeting point between the network of university cities of central Catalonia, or in other words, the city as a territory and the country's capital." According to the rector, the facility which was inaugurated today meets current needs and "can be expanded without too much difficulty if they become too small."

Jordi Montaña reviewed the various factors that made the opening of the new facility necessary and justifiable: first, "we are opening it while thinking about international students from all over the world, who want to have one foot in Barcelona because of the city's great appeal" and second, "thinking about students on master's degree and specialist postgraduate courses, most of whom are from Barcelona and towns in the metropolitan area." Third, according to the rector, "the UVic-UCC needs a fixed information point in the capital to raise its profile and provide guidance for prospective students and their families" and finally, "because the University's growth called for an expansion of its existing facility in Barcelona."

Reinforcement of the project of the University of Central Catalonia

The inauguration was attended by the President of the Balmes University Foundation and the mayor of Vic, Anna Erra, who said that the inauguration of the Barcelona facility "reinforces the commitment that Vic has made for the last 20 years to transferring the university's knowledge, research and training for young people, which is now further consolidated with the new Faculty of Medicine." The vice-president of the Balmes University Foundation and the mayor of Manresa, Valentí Junyent, also spoke at the event, and said that "the growth and consolidation of the university project for central Catalonia takes another step forward with the inauguration of this facility." The Secretary of the Inter-University Board of Catalonia (CIC), Mercé Jou, expressed her thanks for the UVic-UCC maintaining a "constant commitment to the CIC, which allows all the universities in the country to speak with one voice." Finally, Albert Pérez, secretary of the School Board of Barcelona City Council, welcomed the UVic-UCC and stressed that "Barcelona's objective is to make the transition from being a city with universities to being a university city."

The new UVic-UCC facility in Barcelona is located at number 123, Via Augusta, and it is designed to accommodate the range of continuing education that the University offers to the Catalan capital, in the form of master's degree and postgraduate courses well as institutional events, lectures and talks. Until now, the UVic-UCC has had a small office in Barcelona that has been focused on personal attention rather than on teaching. With the new facility, the University has centralised its entire range of training that was previously taught in different parts of the city in one place.

After the inauguration, one of the first activities that will take place there will be the lecture series on "Health and Society, 7 visions" given by speakers of international renown in the field of healthcare and people. The series will start on 23 February with a lecture on the integration of the healthcare and social fields by Marina Geli, coordinator of the Centre for Social and Health Studies (CESS) at the UVic-UCC, and it will continue until 1 July.