Dr Alfonso Méndiz Noguero (Barcelona, 1961) has today been officially invested as rector of UIC Barcelona in the University's Aula Magna lecture theatre. The ceremony was presided over by the president of the University’s Board of Trustees, Miguel Ángel Cazcarra, and featured the customary investment proceedings – the outgoing Rector, Dr Xavier Gil, offered the official regalia to the new rector, Dr Alfonso Méndiz: the medal, rector’s cane, gloves and hat.

The University’s Board of Trustees announced the appointment of the new rector last May, revealing that Dr Méndiz would take over from Dr Xavier Gil, who had served two consecutive terms at as rector at the helm of the institution since 2015. Thus, Alfonso Méndiz has now become the fifth rector of UIC Barcelona, an institution founded in 1997, following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Dr Jordi Cervós, Dr Josep Argemí, Dr Pere Alavedra and Dr Xavier Gil.

Alfonso Méndiz holds both an undergraduate and doctoral degree in Information Sciences from the University of Navarra and is a full professor of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya. Until 1 September, he held the position of dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences and gave classes on the theory and history of advertising at the Faculty. This academic year, he plans to maintain his teaching and student mentoring commitments, which he will dovetail alongside his new institutional responsibilities.

2021-2022 academic year opening ceremony

Following the investiture, the event continued with the official opening of the 2021-2022 academic year. First, the academic report of the 2020-2021 academic year was read by the general secretary of the University, Belén Castro, which is also available to view on the website. The general secretary listed the initiatives launched at the University in the field of teaching, the milestones achieved in research and knowledge transfer and the social commitment activities undertaken by the institution, in line with UIC Barcelona’s core values. After listing these milestones, a video report was played for the audience, which featured a summary of the 2020-2021 academic year in figures. 

Then, in a speech titled “Leadership in Values”, the CEO of Barcelona Savills Aguirre Newman gave the inaugural address of the opening ceremony for the academic year.  The speaker emphasised that our society is still facing many challenges such as the climate emergency, the technological revolution and the need for adequate social cohesion, stating that in order to solve them, we need to undergo a “profound economic and cultural reconstruction”.

Referring to economic reconstruction, Gener stressed that “Europe is offering us a golden opportunity with the Next Generation Fund, to modernise our economy and improve our cities”. As well as the fund, she added, “we also need values that identify us and a cultural and intellectual framework to shape the reconstruction we need to undertake”. She explained how “the initiative announced by Ursula von der Leyen on the creation of a New European Bauhaus is extraordinarily inspiring; a space for co-creation that will lead Europe to leadership in the circular economy”.

The speaker expressed her opinion on how a humanistic vision is key to the successful development of any professional activity, saying that “understanding human behaviour is key: technology, robotics, or artificial intelligence will never replace thought that takes human emotions and soul into account”. Anna Gener stressed that "values will not feature on your curriculum, but they will be essential when it comes to leading the world you will encounter once you finish your studies. The only possible freedom, one’s own, is won by incorporating values into our lives. We need professionals with solid values, because we need to build a new business paradigm that is more connected to the needs of society”.

She finished her inaugural address by encouraging the entire university community to contribute to improving society: “do things for your society; it is in your hands to create a more sustainable, more innovative, more cohesive and freer place to live”.

Then, the rector of the University, Alfonso Méndiz, offered his words of thanks to the entire university community, and praised each member’s hard work and effort. Méndiz also urged everyone to continue striving for excellence, with the same commitment, optimism and warmth as always. In his speech, the rector presented the life of Marie Curie as an example for others to follow, due to her extraordinary contribution to science, but also to the values she held: “Her inspiring life, her tenacity in study and research, and her generosity towards her family and collaborators. In short, for dedicating her science to the benefit of others”. Méndiz also took a moment to mention those we have lost: “some of them due to the pandemic, which has sought to drain us, but which we are now overcoming thanks to science, solidarity and mutual generosity”.

The event was brought to a close by minister for Research and Universities of the Catalan Government, Gemma Geis. She congratulated the University on the progress and growth UIC Barcelona has made in terms of research, stating that “throughout these first few months, we have explained the main lines of university and research policy within the framework of one of the axes of government, action based on the knowledge economy. The university and research system must be strengthened, structuring and uniting the country through knowledge, promoting transfer and innovation policies, openly defending a model of a committed, critical and free university: a university open to the world but one that defends the Catalan language as the language of Catalonia”.

The opening ceremony was then closed with the customary singing of the University’s traditional song, “Gaudeamus Igitur”, and the 2021-2022 academic year was declared open.  

Click here the to see the photo gallery of the ceremony.