UAB opens the 2015–2016 academic year

29/09/2015

The official opening of the academic year at the UAB took place on 29 September, in the Rectorat building. María Josefa Yzuel, emeritus professor in the Department of Physics, will give the opening lecture entitled "The science of light and light-based technologies".

The UAB secretary general, Judith Solé, presented the 2014-2015 annual report with the aid of a video made for the occasion, and paid a heartfelt tribute to the members of the university community who passed away last year. Following her speech, staff and student representatives staged a protest in relation to the closure of the kindergarten, the court action deriving from the occupation of the Rectorat building in 2013, and the implementation of the 3+2 curricular model.

Then, María Josefa Yzuel, emeritus professor in the Department of Physics, delivered the opening lecture entitled "The science of light and light-based technologies". She explained why 2015 has been declared International Year of Light and spoke about the importance of light in research and the applications of light technologies in fields like medicine, communication and renewable energy sources.

After the opening lecture, there was a musical performance by the UAB Choir, led by Poire Vallvé, singing Tú no sabe inglé, by Nicolás Guillen, and Insalata italiana, by Richard Genée.

Gabriel Masfurroll, president of the UAB Social Council then began the round of institutional addresses. He stated that, since taking office, he had discovered "a university full of talent", and that "the different rankings are proof of the quality of the UAB". Masfuroll insisted on the university's ability "to contribute to a better society in the future" and ended his address by reading a passage by Bertrand Russell on the need for solidarity if the human race is to survive.

In his address, Carles Escolà, mayor of Cerdanyola del Vallès, expressed his satisfaction on attending the opening of the academic year for the first time. He emphasised the role of the university as "a basic tool for achieving social and territorial cohesion" and went on to criticise strongly "the cutbacks that have affected public universities". The Mayor expressed the pride that Cerdanyola takes in being home to the UAB: "We want the university to form part of the town's day-to-day affairs".

Regaining university autonomy

Finally, Rector Sancho took the floor. In his speech he assured the audience that, as a society, "we cannot afford to let the university cease to be the educational force that has served historically to break down the inequalities inherent to a stratified society", and he requested a return, at the very least, to the funding levels of 2010, with adequate, stable public funding as "the only way to plan for the future realistically and sensibly".

The Rector cited some of the external distinctions achieved by the university's academics and faculties, and recalled that "year after year, and ranking after ranking, the UAB is well positioned and has established itself as one of the leading universities in the country". He also expressed his concern, however, for the fact that "entering university has become more costly and more difficult, especially for the those sectors of society that most need public support", and he insisted that "we need to open the door, once and for all, to the Career Plan for our teaching and administrative staff".

He advocated "recovering the autonomy lost through arbitrary budget cuts" with the aim of "continuing to build a university that serves society, is participative and stands at the forefront of the international scientific community".

The ceremony ended with the traditional rendition of Gaudeamus Igitur by the UAB Choir.

More information: Annual Report