The V International Meeting of Universia Rectors will turn Valencia into the world capital of education

The event, which will be chaired by Ana Botinpresident of Banco Santander and Universia, has appeared at a press conference for Matias Rodriguez InciartePresident of Santander Universities of Banco Santander, organizer of the Meeting, and Mavi Mestre, Rector of the University of Valencia and President of the Academic Committee of the V International Meeting of Universia Rectors. Rodríguez Inciarte and Mestre have been accompanied by the mayor of Valencia, Joan Ribo and the Minister of Innovation, Universities, Science and Digital Society of the Generalitat Valenciana, Josephine Goodwhich is also a representative of the City of Arts and Sciences, the space that will host the Meeting.

The President of Santander Universities, Matías Rodríguez Get started, has pointed out that “society is facing global challenges and needs the support of institutions, governments and companies to face them. Valencia will become a space for debate and reflection on the role that the university, through its teaching and research activity, can play in facing current challenges, for the sake of a more prosperous society”.

Rodríguez Inciarte explained that “for three days, hundreds of academic leaders from around the world, representing more than 14 million university students, will discuss how, if the university advances, society progresses” and recalled that this Meeting represents the Santander’s commitment “to the progress of people and companies, supporting a more inclusive, fair and sustainable society through the university”.

The rector of the University of Valencia and president of the Academic Committee of the V International Meeting of Rectors, Mavi Mestrehas referred to the preparatory work for this Meeting, which included a survey of rectors and four preparatory webinars around the three axes around which the debates will revolve: lifelong training, the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation and networks and interconnection between universities and other social agents.

Mavi Mestre has highlighted that for three days, Valencia will be the world capital of higher education and that the objective is “to reach a commitment that is general enough to adapt to all universities and for everyone to feel comfortable” with the which will be the “Valencia Declaration”, a “commitment to continue advancing in the university-society relationship, a society that we aspire to achieve higher levels of well-being”.

For his part, the mayor of Valencia, Joan Ribo, has highlighted the Mediterranean character of Valencia, “a city open to knowledge, with its own identity and a shared history, and with an international projection in which -he stressed- public universities play a fundamental role”. Ribó recalled that the two Valencian public universities are integrated into the main networks of international excellence both at the teaching and research level, “and are the spearhead of research, innovation and the generation of knowledge in the city”.

In fact, the Valencia City Council has recently signed two agreements to link universities with the Valencia 2030 Urban Strategy, with the aim of achieving climate neutrality. “And it is that for us, the relationship between the city and the university is fundamental”, assured Joan Ribó, who has indicated the vocation of the municipal government to “go hand in hand with the university to incorporate the best knowledge, the best science and cutting-edge research in all areas of urban policies”.

for the counselor Josephine Good“it is no coincidence that the Meeting, which has held its previous editions in countries such as Brazil and Mexico and in other Spanish cities such as Salamanca and Seville, is held in this fifth edition in Valencia, making us the world headquarters of higher education , a fact that shows the strength of the universities of our Valencian Community”.

Bueno recalled that the Community is the one that has grown the most in innovation and has valued the fact that universities “are capable of uniting university research with the business world, generating a fundamental pairing for the transformation of the economic model by which the Generalitat it is working steadily. And it is that, if we are clear about something, it is that a modern society, such as that of the Valencian Community, is built from justice and from cohesion and for that, knowledge, research and innovation are essential”.

Two days of university debate

During two days, around 700 rectors and academic representatives from 14 countries will debate around three key axes: lifelong learning, the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation, and networks and interconnection between universities, companies , governments and other institutions.

The event can be followed via streaming in the Corporate web of Banco Santander and will culminate with the publication of the Declaration of Valencia, in which various areas of action will be identified where the university will be able to develop value proposals to contribute to a more sustainable social and economic progress of society from training, research or innovation.

The V International Meeting of Universia Rectors continues the previous meetings held in Salamanca (Spain) in 2018, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 2014, Guadalajara (Mexico) in 2010 and Seville (Spain) in 2005 and is organized by Banco Santander , which maintains a firm commitment to progress and inclusive and sustainable growth, with a pioneering and consolidated commitment to education, entrepreneurship and employability, which it has been developing for 26 years and distinguishes it from other financial institutions in the world. The bank has allocated more than 2,200 million euros and has supported more than one million students, professionals, entrepreneurial projects and SMEs through agreements with more than 1,300 universities in 25 countries.