The University of Barcelona opens the academic year of the university system as part of its 575th anniversary
News
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Institutional
(30/09/2025)
The University of Barcelona will host the inauguration ceremony for the 2025–2026 academic year on Tuesday 7 October at 12 noon, which this year will have a markedly institutional and commemorative character. The UB is hosting the event that marks the start of the academic year for the entire Catalan university system, in the presence of the rectors of the other universities and the highest institutional authorities, led by the president of the Government of Catalonia, Salvador Illa. This responsibility coincides with the celebration of the University’s 575th anniversary, which gives the event a special symbolism and reinforces the institution’s mission to be a benchmark in education, research and service to society.
News
|
Institutional
30/09/2025
The University of Barcelona will host the inauguration ceremony for the 2025–2026 academic year on Tuesday 7 October at 12 noon, which this year will have a markedly institutional and commemorative character. The UB is hosting the event that marks the start of the academic year for the entire Catalan university system, in the presence of the rectors of the other universities and the highest institutional authorities, led by the president of the Government of Catalonia, Salvador Illa. This responsibility coincides with the celebration of the University’s 575th anniversary, which gives the event a special symbolism and reinforces the institution’s mission to be a benchmark in education, research and service to society.
One of the central moments of the ceremony will be the choral reading of the text Laconic Sophomachia, or war of science against Ignorance , written in 1612 by the Scottish academic, bishop and politician John Leslie (1571-1671). That year, he was commissioned by the Consell de Cent of Barcelona to deliver the inaugural speech for the academic year, on 15 November before the town councillors, the rector and the academic authorities, as well as a large number of civil and ecclesiastical representatives. The text, which is full of allegories, presents science and knowledge as weapons to combat ignorance and human vices. Four centuries later, the UB brings him back in this institutional act, in a global context marked by uncertainty and democratic challenges, showing the relevance of his arguments. The reading will be choral and multilingual, with the participation of the rectors of Catalan, Spanish and European universities.
Four centuries after Leslie, the opening lecture of the university year will look to the future with a young, female voice. Yaiza Moreno, a graduate in Law and Philosophy, pre-doctoral student and student representative on the drafting committee of the new Statute of the UB, will give the lecture. Her academic trajectory and institutional commitment symbolize the generation of students who will lead the great political, social and cultural challenges of the 21st century. The ceremony will also include a hologram show that will highlight key episodes and figures in the history of the University while projecting the institution towards future challenges, and the presentation of the Jaume Vicens Vives awards and the Maria Encarna Sanahuja Yll awards, which recognize teaching quality and the incorporation of the gender perspective in Catalan universities.
The ceremony, which is open to everyone, will end with institutional speeches by the Student Council, the president of the UB’s Board of Trustees, the rector of the UB and the president of the Government of Catalonia. The ceremony will conclude with the traditional Gaudeamus Igitur. The university community and the general public can follow the ceremony live on UBtv.
Four centuries after Leslie, the opening lecture of the university year will look to the future with a young, female voice. Yaiza Moreno, a graduate in Law and Philosophy, pre-doctoral student and student representative on the drafting committee of the new Statute of the UB, will give the lecture. Her academic trajectory and institutional commitment symbolize the generation of students who will lead the great political, social and cultural challenges of the 21st century. The ceremony will also include a hologram show that will highlight key episodes and figures in the history of the University while projecting the institution towards future challenges, and the presentation of the Jaume Vicens Vives awards and the Maria Encarna Sanahuja Yll awards, which recognize teaching quality and the incorporation of the gender perspective in Catalan universities.
The ceremony, which is open to everyone, will end with institutional speeches by the Student Council, the president of the UB’s Board of Trustees, the rector of the UB and the president of the Government of Catalonia. The ceremony will conclude with the traditional Gaudeamus Igitur. The university community and the general public can follow the ceremony live on UBtv.