Universities: the difference that makes us strong
Every start of the academic year is a good time to renew commitments and look ahead with ambition. This year, more than ever, is an opportunity to reaffirm what makes the Catalan public university system an essential engine of progress: its diversity.
Catalonia's public universities are not interchangeable. Each one, with its size, history, specialization, and intensity in teaching and research, makes a unique contribution that makes a difference. Each is unique in itself, and together they form a plural system, capable of responding to the diverse and changing needs of our society.
This heterogeneity is an added value that we must know how to preserve and promote. I have been teaching in the field of biomedicine for over twenty years, and I research how living organisms adapt to changes in their environment. It is probably for these reasons that I tend to view the university as a living system—an ecosystem—that, to advance, must know how to anticipate and respond to challenges based on the strengths inherent to each institution.
However, the value of our public system does not lie solely in its diversity. We are also one of the main guarantors of equity and social cohesion. At a time when private options are growing, especially in Spain, public universities must continue to be the space that opens its doors to everyone, regardless of their origin or resources. A diverse system requires equally diverse students, and this is only possible if we maintain and strengthen access policies, salary grants, housing assistance, and inclusion to attract the best talent, offer the best training, and promote the best research.
In this context, we must also respond to future strategic challenges: internationalization, a commitment to transfer and innovation, and the implementation of a flexible teaching program that takes into account the current digital revolution—driven by the emergence of generative artificial intelligence—and adapts to social challenges and demands. It's not about all universities doing it the same way, nor is it my responsibility to outline each one's strategy. Rather, it is important to reflect on the need to take advantage of the richness and diversity of perspectives and experiences we have.
In his report on European competitiveness, Mario Draghi noted that universities are "central players in the initial stages of innovation, generating leading research and creating new professional profiles for the labor market." This ability to generate knowledge and transform it into social well-being and economic growth is fundamental. The Regional Minister of Research and Universities, Núria Montserrat, expressed a similar idea a few months ago at the Europa Forum Tribuna Catalunya. In that speech, the Minister defended Catalonia's commitment to a model of shared prosperity, based on talent and innovation, with the goal of achieving European leadership and ranking among the fifty most innovative regions in Europe by 2030.
Well, this horizon will only be possible if we strengthen our public university system and know how to leverage its diversity as a driver of innovation and territorial balance. Therefore, we celebrate the start of this academic year by remembering that investing in public universities is not an expense, but a commitment to the future. Investing in our diversity also means, and above all, investing in a Catalonia that is more competitive, fairer, and more open to the world.
