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.

We live in very turbulent times that also affect scientific progress and the generation of knowledge. How do we confront future pandemics? How do we mitigate climate change? How do we search for new energy sources? The role of science is a subject of debate around the world precisely when global challenges demand joint responses based on scientific evidence. And, paradoxically, science and the scientific community are under severe attack.