Present at the signing were Dr. Pere Alavedra, Rector of the UIC Barcelona, Guillem Correa, a representative of the GTER, Dr. Montserrat Gas and prof. Joan Hernández. 

The first project to be carried out within the scope of the agreement will involve doing research on how religions contribute to the viability of Catalan society in an attempt to shed light on the many unseen actions that religions and religious institutions carry out every day on behalf of Catalonia as a whole to strengthen social cohesion and national viability. The project is funded by the government of Catalonia’s RELIG 2014 grants programme. 

This agreement marks a symbolic and therefore very important first step toward dialogue and collaboration between the religious and academic worlds. The scientific study of religion and its specific contributions to the common good, i.e. social cohesion, development and harmony, is absolutely essential at a time when religion is often presented as a source of discord and social tension. 

The research project will be led by Dr. Montserrat Gas, a lecturer in State Ecclesiastic Law in the Faculty of Law and the director of the UIC Barcelona’s Institute of Advanced Family Studies. 

The Stable Work Group on Religions is a network of religious denominations that promotes peace and harmony among religions. The group has become a hallmark of practical interfaith dialogue and collaboration. On Monday, 4 May 2015, Artur Mas, the President of the government of Catalonia, awarded the group the Creu de Sant Jordi.