Quim Salvi: "The brand 'Girona, university city' is not being sufficiently exploited"

GironaIn the final stretch of his eight-year termQuim Salvi, the parish priest of the University of Girona (UdG), receives ARA in the beautiful Les Àligues building—a former military barracks in the Barri Vell (Old Quarter) that exemplifies the university's transformation of the historic center—eager to take stock but also with a long-term vision. Currently, the UdG has four campuses in the city: the Barri Vell campus, the city center campus, the Montilivi campus, and the Research and Innovation Park in La Creueta. And unlike other universities, it is finding that more and more students are choosing it as their first option: a direct consequence of the cost of living in Barcelona and the difficulties students face in finding affordable housing. The next parish priest's challenge will be the creation of the new Health Campus on the border between Girona and Salt, where the new Trueta stadium is to be built. The elections will be held on November 27, and the new parish priest is expected to take up his post around Christmas time.

If you had to summarize your term as parish priest in one sentence, how would you do it?

— We are an institution at the service of the country, and therefore all our activity—be it research, teaching, knowledge transfer, or innovation—must serve to change society. And what I have done is focus on innovation and modernization at the university, putting people at the center, because ultimately they are the only ones who make things happen—the talent.

In practice, in concrete actions, has the Health Campus become the main action for the future of the UdG?

— We have managed to integrate the entire hospital component with the academic aspect of research and knowledge transfer that is the university, all within a single project. The 46,000 square meters will house the faculties and research centers, along with a branch of the business incubator. Creating this entire complex in one space is a leading European model. Synergies are generated because the space is shared. This fifth campus will represent significant growth for the University of Girona (UdG).

How will this new campus impact the size of the university and the number of places offered?

— We are undoubtedly talking about the most important project of the first half of the 21st century in the Girona region, and certainly one of the most transformative of this century. Currently, medicine and nursing are housed in the Old Normal School building on Emili Grahit Street. Two years ago, we increased the number of nursing places with a new group, and now we are discussing whether to increase the number of medicine places in our current space. We have also proposed offering 60 places in the new pharmacy degree program starting in the 2027-2028 academic year.

Is this growth compatible with the lack of university funding? In eight years as rector, he has dealt with five different councilors.

— The government's instability means policies don't have time to take hold. And this situation is a problem for universities. For example, we don't have a university investment plan. At the University of Girona (UdG), we've managed to do things with our own resources for the past eight years, but the period of growth we experienced when the university was founded was dramatically interrupted in 2008. Now we're in a new context. The university has a very resilient structure: in eight years, we've gone from attracting €15 million for research to €26 million in 2024.

Universities are also taking on the challenge of declining student numbers. How is the University of Guadalajara experiencing this?

— In our case, more and more families are choosing the University of Girona (UdG) to send their children to university. We're practically full in all degree programs, and we're seeing an increase in the number of first-choice applicants who want to study here. We have a very good university, which is becoming increasingly well-regarded, and it's also true that it's becoming more and more difficult for families to send their children to Barcelona because it's so expensive.

Are there also families from outside the area who choose Girona because of the prices?

— Yes, we have an increasing number of international students coming to Girona and settling here, including those enrolled in international master's programs, who choose us over Barcelona. In the doctoral program, 50% of students are international, and in the master's programs, they make up 25%. This also leads to increased research and greater funding opportunities.

We talk a lot about Girona, but has the city done enough to earn the label of university city, or is it just a sign at the entrance to the municipality?

— I believe we could go further. I have an obsession, a dream: that Girona can be much more of a university city. With this model, classic cities like Oxford, Cambridge, Bologna, Maastricht, or Salamanca come to mind. These are cities where the lines between university and non-university are blurred. We are everywhere and work in networks with all institutions, but we continue to focus heavily on tourism and not enough on talent. The "Girona, University City" brand is not being fully leveraged.

Finally, what will he do starting in January?

— I have been director of the Higher Polytechnic School for six years and rector for eight; now I will return to my department of architecture and computer technology, where they are already waiting for me with open arms.