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The Balmes University Foundation and Bages University Foundation renew the federation contract for an indefinite duration
At a ceremony that took place at the Ministry of Business and Knowledge of the Government of Catalonia, the presidents of the two foundations described this review of the federation contract as "transcendental." According to the document itself, it has been "a successful model that has succeeded in finding a formula for consensus based on the generosity of the parties involved and their institutional synergies and complementarities."
According to Àngels Chacón, the Minister of Business and Knowledge, "the renewal of the federation contract between the two foundations is excellent news for the country's university system, and an example of the desire to collaborate, the convergence of energy and the search for synergies that will be crucial in the construction of the knowledge-based Catalonia which we are aspiring to." The Minister also said that the agreement signed today is "the unequivocal demonstration of the success that the federation between the Balmes University Foundation and the Bages University Foundation has engendered," and that its indefinite term "will provide the stability and firm foundations that are essential for higher education in Central Catalonia."
According to the president of the Balmes University Foundation and mayor of Vic, Anna Erra, "the new agreement with Manresa entails the University's definitive consolidation within the university system." Erra also added that the federation "has made us a bigger city thanks to the growth of this institution, which works towards the territorial and social rebalancing of central Catalonia."
The president of the Bages University Foundation and mayor of Manresa, Valentí Junyent, emphasised the federation's potential as an instrument for consolidation and growth: for the consolidation of the UVic-UCC within the Catalan and European university system, and the growth of the capacity of action and influence of its two campuses. "The federation has enabled us to undertake projects that require an institutional dimension, such as the Faculty of Medicine, And moreover, it has done so successfully, nourishing and encouraging the specific initiatives by the two foundations that have led them to reach more groups, with more academic and social significance. Thanks to the federation, the Bages University Foundation is today a larger campus, with more activities, in a university with an international profile."
The rector of the UVic-UCC, Josep-Eladi Baños, believes that "the new federation contract is a major achievement for the University, which enables us to move forward on a coordinated and collaborative basis in order to become stronger."
A new roadmap based on 7 points
This renewal of the federation contract takes place after five years of growth of the university structure, which requires "the formulation of a new roadmap for the coming years that establishes the areas to be addressed together" and excludes "those which we do not want to work on." The new agreement stipulates various areas of action in which the prospects for working together will be determined, with a period of six months given to present them. These areas are the academic programme for bachelor's degree and master's degree programmes, continuing education, semi-distance; blended and online learning, research and knowledge transfer, internationalisation, communication and marketing and common services.
In addition, the agreement also anticipates examining the adaptation of the Organisational and Operational Regulations to each federated institution, and changes to the expanded standing committee of the federation's General Council, allowing the rector to speak and vote, and appointing two people to lead the process for the reformulation of the new roadmap that will coordinate the implementation of UVic-UCC corporate policies and the assistant to the General Directorate of the Bages University Foundation.
The agreement makes no provision for its resolution, and does not establish a term, but it does state that in the event of a serious breach of commitments or a serious lack of agreement concerning its objectives and purposes, notice must be given of these at least three years before the resolution date. In addition, if necessary, the parties undertake to seek the appropriate solutions and ultimately, seek mediation from the General Secretariat of Universities of the Government of Catalonia.
A territorial University with a consolidated growth
The UVic-UCC has 8,981 students on its official study programmes in the 2018-2019 academic year - 10% more than the number registered last year. Since the federation agreement was signed, student registration figures have increased and the demand for bachelor's degree studies, official master's degrees, doctoral courses and high level training cycles taught at Vic, Manresa, Granollers and Barcelona has become consolidated. For the last two years, the University has had a Faculty of Medicine, a degree course that would have been impossible without the federation agreement, and this course now has 180 students according to the registration figures presented last November. This is a unique and pioneering range of courses, which from next year will have two active teaching units - one in Vic, located at Can Baumann, and one in Manresa on the Althaia Foundation campus.