On 23 November, the Sant Cugat Campus hosted the first Alumni Breakfast Club meeting, an initiative set up by the University’s Alumni & Careers Department and Corporate Development Department, aimed at UIC Barcelona’s community of former students. The meetings are especially aimed at students from the very first graduation cohorts of both bachelor’s and master's degrees, and from INEDE Business School, and have been designed as a space for dialogue on topical issues and featuring talks by experts and leading professionals from different sectors.

The first meeting was held at the Cuides UIC Barcelona clinic, which will open its doors soon on the Sant Cugat Campus, and was attended by thirty former students from different sectors and degree programmes, as well as special guest Dr Joan Carles Trallero, a leading figure in palliative care. 

José Ignacio Parellada, president of the Alumni Board of Directors was tasked with opening the first Alumni Breakfast Club meeting and presenting Dr Trallero, who gave a presentation titled “Todo lo que se puede hacer desde los cuidados paliativos al final de la vida” (‘All that can be done in palliative care at the end of life’). In his talk, the expert highlighted how “palliative care means a shift in the way patients are treated, it offers more holistic, active and personalised care”, which plays an important role in improving quality of life and reducing the suffering of patients with advanced diseases and their families. Dr Trallero also stressed the need to train future health professionals in this field of medicine so that they can provide more holistic care for their patients, responding not only to the suffering that results from their illness, but also to their emotional and spiritual needs that can be a source of this suffering. Once his speech was over, Dr Joan Carles Trallero answered the questions asked by attendees. 

The Rector of UIC Barcelona, Alfonso Méndiz, concluded the meeting by highlighting the importance of opening up spaces such as the Alumni Breakfast Club that allow former University students to network and discuss pertinent topics of interest. At the end of the meeting, the participants visited the new Cuides UIC Barcelona clinic facilities, which will soon open its doors to offer comprehensive care to patients suffering from advanced diseases, and their families.

The Alumni Breakfast Club is held once every three months in small groups and by invitation only. If you are interested in taking part, please email alumni@uic.es