Meeting between the Rector Joan Elias and the President of Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont
The Rector of the University of Barcelona, Joan Elias, met the President of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Carles Puigdemon, within a cordial institutional framework. During the meeting, the rector expressed his worry for the sub-funding of the Catalan universities, which is proved when comparing Catalan centers to the European ones. Elias, noted that the university is a “State issue”, he warned that with the current funding system, the reference position in research and social of the University of Barcelona -highly productive if taking into account its resources- is at risk.
The Rector of the University of Barcelona, Joan Elias, met the President of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Carles Puigdemon, within a cordial institutional framework. During the meeting, the rector expressed his worry for the sub-funding of the Catalan universities, which is proved when comparing Catalan centers to the European ones. Elias, noted that the university is a “State issue”, he warned that with the current funding system, the reference position in research and social of the University of Barcelona -highly productive if taking into account its resources- is at risk.
The problem of the generational relief among the staff of the universities was an important part of their conversation. Elias told the President that the average age of the teaching staff is 59 and that over the next five years a great part of professors and tenured lecturers will retire. The rector defended the need to take measurements to train future lecturers and researchers and overcome the adverse effects on the successive replacement taxes at the University since 2010.
The rector put emphasis on the “singularity” of the UB, a university that apart from working on research and education, contributes decisively to knowledge transfer with activities such as the Science Festival, cultural activities -such as exhibitions and concerts- and having a unique heritage like the Historical Building, its archives or the documentary collection.
Joan Elias told President Puigdemont that this country can count on the University of Barcelona in fields such as promotion of research and knowledge transfer or to promote certain training skills, but he also asked for support to strengthen the role of the University of Barcelona as a generator and disseminator of knowledge.
The meeting between Elias and Puigdemont is part of a series of contacts and visits the rector does to the main institutions of the country.