Professor Lorenzo Vilches leaves us
The Faculty of Communication Sciences mourns the passing of Lorenzo Vilches, emeritus professor and international reference in the field of audiovisual communication studies. His academic and research career, shaped by the analysis of television, semiotics, and digital narratives, leaves a profound mark on generations of students and communication professionals.
The Faculty of Communication Sciences expresses its condolences for the death of Lorenzo Vilches, emeritus professor of the Department of Journalism and Communication Sciences and a key figure in the development of audiovisual communication studies both at the UAB and in the Ibero-American field. His academic and intellectual career leaves a deep imprint on several generations of students, researchers and communication professionals.
Doctor in Information Sciences and graduate in Philosophy from the UAB, Vilches was linked for decades to the Faculty of Communication Sciences, where he worked as a teacher and researcher since the late 1970s. From the classrooms of the University he contributed decisively to consolidate studies on television, image analysis, semiotics and audiovisual narratives, at a time of profound transformation of the media.
Recognized for his ability to anticipate technological and cultural changes, Lorenzo Vilches was the author of reference works that have been part of the essential bibliography in communication faculties around the world. His most influential works include La lectura de la imagen (1983), Manipulación de la información televisiva (1989) and La migración digital (2001), a pioneering work in reflecting on the impact of the Internet and digital convergence on media ecosystems.
In recent years, his research focused especially on transmedia narratives, contemporary audiovisual fiction and new forms of cultural production linked to the digital environment. Publications such as Convergencia y transmedialidad: la ficción después de la TDT en Europa e Iberoamérica (2013) and Diccionario de teorías narrativas (2017) reflect their constant desire to analyse and understand the evolution of audiovisual and digital languages.
Beyond his scientific production, he also contributed to the improvement of teaching. Vilches promoted academic training and innovation spaces at the UAB, among which the International Master's Degree in Writing for Cinema, Television and Transmedia stands out, and maintained an intense collaboration with universities and international research centers.
The Faculty of Communication Sciences will retain the memory of its commitment to critical thinking, teaching innovation and the rigorous study of the media. His legacy will continue to live in research, in his publications and in the formation of new generations of students and communication professionals in universities around the world.