The UPC has opened the 2020–2021 academic year at Catalan universities, on the occasion of the University’s 50th anniversary
The opening ceremony of the new academic year at the UPC has taken place on 30 September at noon. The ceremony has been broadcasted live through the UPC’s YouTube channel and UPCtv.
Sep 30, 2020
The opening ceremony of the 2020–2021 academic year at Catalan universities has been hosted remotely by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC). It has featured speeches by the secretary for Universities and Research, Francesc Xavier Grau; the rector, Francesc Torres; the chair of the Board of Trustees, Ramon Carbonell; and the general secretary of the UPC, Margarida Espona, who has presented a report on the 2019–2020 academic year at the University. The event has also be attended by the general secretary for the Interuniversity Council of Catalonia, Josep Ribas i Seix.
Afterwards, there has been a debate on the ethics of technology with Elisenda Bonet-Carne, the scientific head of BCNatal Fetal, and Jordi Sellas, the director of IDEAL Barcelona, the Digital Arts Centre, moderated by the La Vanguardia journalist Miquel Molina.
The event has been broadcasted live and open on the UPC’s YouTube channel and UPCtv and also on Twitter (@la_UPC). It has marked the beginning of the UPC’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
50 years with no limits
The opening ceremony of the academic year has marked the beginning of the UPC’s 50th anniversary celebrations, a year-long programme of events that will end in December 2021. It will include institutional, academic and recreational events for the entire university community that aim to raise awareness of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to demonstrate the University’s commitment to society.
The anniversary website shows the updated programme of activities. It also includes a photographic exhibition that showcases the most important milestones in the history of the institution: from its creation as the Universitat Politècnica de Barcelona in 1971 to the consolidation of the UPC with its network of schools within Catalonia.
