On 27 and 28 May, the University of Barcelona will host the First International Research Congress in the Aula Magna of the Historic Building. The sessions will bring together more than 100 members of the UB community, along with representatives of other public institutions and international experts, to analyse the present and future role of universities as generators of knowledge, especially research-intensive ones such as the UB.
This conference, to be inaugurated on 27 May at 4.00 p.m. by the rector of the UB, Joan Guàrdia, and the Catalan Minister for Research and Universities, Núria Montserrat, aims to serve as a space for critical reflection on the roles, missions and challenges of universities in today's changing world. The opening lecture will be delivered by Kurt Deketelaere , Secretary-General of the League of European Research Universities ( LERU ), who will delve into the European Union's research and innovation policy and the influence of research-intensive universities at a continental level.
The discussion will then turn to the role of universities as drivers of innovation and the impact of research on economic and social development. On 28 May, the sessions will focus on topics such as the memory of historic universities and its significance in shaping institutional identity; international academic networks; and European policies and initiatives aimed at fostering researchers' mobility and improving the attraction and retention of talent in the European Research Area.
The conference will be closed by Rector Guàrdia, the Vice-Rector for Research, Jordi Garcia; the Vice-Rector for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Transfer, Mercè Segarra; the Vice-Rector for Doctoral Studies, Trainee Research Staff, Talent Attraction and Dissemination, Maria Feliu; and the Vice-Rector for Internationalization Policy, Raül Ramos.
The conference, organized by the UB's Office of the Vice-Rector for Research, is one of the most prominent activities marking the UB's 575th anniversary.
