Barcelona, May 16-17. Barcelona hosted the World Higher Education Week 2022from May 16 to May 22, 2022. Crue Spanish Universities organised a series of activities on the previous days (May 16 and 17), before the UNESCO World Higher Education Conference 2022 (May 18 – 20).
On Monday 16, Crue collaborated with the Spanish Ministry of Universities, the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Economy, the Spanish Service for the Internationalization of Education (SEPIE) and the University of Barcelona in the organisation of the Conference «Universities and lifelong learning». The meeting aimed to promote the role of universities as lifelong learning institutions and featured the participation of relevant national and international speakers, who presented innovative policies and practices in relation to this topic.
The opening session was attended by the President of Crue and Rector of the Carlos III University of Madrid, Juan Romo; the Spanish Minister of Universities, Joan Subirats; the Spanish Secretary of State for Employment and Social Economy, Joaquín Pérez, and the Rector of the host university, Joan Guàrdia. The president of Crue’s Learning and Teaching Sectorial Commission and Rector of the University of Cantabria, Ángel Pazos, participated in the roundtable on the role of universities in lifelong learning in Spain.
On Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 May, Crue also collaborated in the organisation of the Ibero-American-European Union Meeting: «A Shared Look at the Futures of Higher Education», an initiative of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the Spanish Ministry of Universities, the Ibero-American University Council (CUIB) and the University of Barcelona that took place in the Historic Building of this academic institution.
The President of Crue and Rector of the Carlos III University of Madrid, Juan Romo, participated in the opening of this meeting together with the Spanish Minister of Universities, Joan Subirats; the Rector of the University of Barcelona, Joan Guàrdia; the Minister of Higher Education of the Dominican Republic, Franklin García, and the Ibero-American Secretary General, Andrés Allamand.
Finally, on Tuesday 17, at 4:30 p.m., the Seminar «Cities and universities: creating alliances for the social and economic progress of the territory» took place at Caixaforum Barcelona, promoted by the Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP), Crue, the Barcelona City Council, with the collaboration of the Department of Research and Universities of the Generalitat de Catalunya. This meeting aimed at opening a dialogue between local/regional institutions and universities that would facilitate shared work scenarios and collaborative projects for social progress, cultural vitality and sustainable economic development.
The President of ACUP and Rector of the University of Lleida, Jaume Puy, who is also a member of the Crue’s Standing Committee, participated in the opening session, together with Crue’s Deputy Vice President, José María Sanz. Subsequently, the Spanish Minister of Universities, Joan Subirats, participated in the roundtable «Universities as key institutions for the social, economic, and cultural progress of the territory. How to reinforce city-university synergies?», a debate together with the Rector of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Daniel Crespo, and the Counselor of Research and Universities of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Gemma Geis.
