The UB has received twice as many researchers from the United States in one year.

BarcelonaThe University of Barcelona (UB) has doubled the arrival of researchers from the United States in the 2024-2025 academic year. According to Rector Joan Guardia, 14 researchers joined last year, compared to seven in the previous two. He admitted that "quite a few applications" have been received to work at the center, but some were not "viable"; a situation that Guardia linked to the progressive exodus ofAmerican researchers harmed by Donald Trump's policies, which withdraws funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and censors lines of research related to gender perspectives and the climate crisis, among other topics.

Most of those interested in working at the UB are Catalans or people previously linked to the university, either because they had written their thesis or because they maintain active collaborations. In these cases, they were the ones who wanted to return, and the process was "more comfortable and easier," Guardia added. On the other hand, for those who come from Europe or the United States without previous ties, there are more administrative difficulties. "If we want to attract talent, we should try to convince the authorities that the immigration processing mechanisms are easy, fast, simple, and efficient," the UB rector insisted.

On the other hand, and following the creation of Faculty 18, an initiative to support Gaza, Guardia has stated that they are prepared to welcome Palestinian professors and students when they are able to leave the Strip, with a system similar to that applied to Ukrainians. The rector of the UB explained that they are in contact with researchers in the West Bank and that the "priority" is to maintain this in order to "respond to the needs of the university community in Gaza." Thus, he indicated that they are working on two fronts: welcoming professors and students from Gaza when they are able to come to Catalonia and "identifying how to be loyal and powerful collaborators" in the reconstruction of Gaza.

A new center at the Mundet Homes

The rector also announced the intention to create the Barcelona Center for Applied Neurosciences (BCAN), the first research center for neuroscience applied to health in Catalonia. The project, which will be located in the former Llars Mundet theater, abandoned 30 years ago, seeks to promote research, development, and innovation in this field. All of this, Guardia said, is in response to the global increase in neurological diseases and mental disorders: in Europe, there are approximately 10 million people with dementia, a figure that could double by 2050, and 40 million suffer from depression.

The BCAN project will involve the collaboration of several health centers and other universities and will have the support of the Generalitat (Catalan Government) and the Barcelona Provincial Council. The initiative aims to integrate and coordinate research that has so far been carried out in a fragmented manner at centers such as the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), and the Pasqual Maragall Foundation. Furthermore, according to the UB, it is an opportunity to position Catalonia as an international benchmark in healthcare neuroscience.

The architectural competition to renovate the Hogares Mundet theater has been decided. The winning proposal is from the studios SCOB Arquitectura i Paisatge and Barceló Balanzó Arquitectes, praised for its respect for the building's historical heritage and for keeping the corridor between the lobby and the auditorium intact, while also preserving Guinovart's murals. The idea of locating the neuroscience center in the Hogares Mundet complex, owned by the Provincial Council and ceded to the UB, raised eyebrows among defenders of architect Manuel Baldrich's legacy.

The project, the embryo of a proposal submitted to the ministry three years ago, is awaiting receipt of European ERDF funding, which is essential for its implementation. The estimated cost is €8 to €10 million to adapt a space that has been unused for decades. In this regard, Guardia also emphasized the importance of having stable budgets in 2026, after a two-year extension.