universities

1.8 million students and 100,000 teachers affected by decision taken to avoid spread of coronavirus

1.8 million students and 100,000 teachers affected by decision taken to avoid spread of coronavirus

Study finds that female representation in institutions of higher learning goes down the higher the level

UB climbs to 165th position in 2020 QS World University Rankings, with UAB and UPF also improving

Programme will bring total of 15 boys and 5 girls of Syrian, Pakistani, and Palestinian origin to country

Due to subsequent cuts after economic crisis, further education centers are also more expensive than European average

New study reveals positive impact by institutions of higher education on business and society in Catalonia

More than 36% of the students who register in a university master in Catalonia are graduates from a foreign university, according to the Secretary's Office of Universities and Research most recent data corresponding to the course 2015-2016. Almost four out of 10 students registered in the Catalan university system for postgraduate studies have studied in an international university system. The Secretary of Universities and Research, Arcadi Navarro, said this shows “the good quality of Catalan universities”, which achieve notable positions in international rankings among the best European and international universities. He also noted an annual rise in these registrations, which means that every year more foreign graduates choose Catalonia for continuing their university training.

The Catalan Secretary of Universities and Research, Arcadi Navarro, and the President of the European Association for International Education (EAIE), Laura Howard, have a meeting next Friday September the 16^th to discuss the candidacy of Barcelona as the venue for EAIE 2020. This annual event is the largest higher education conference in Europe and its 28^th edition is currently taking place in Liverpool. Indeed, the meeting is going to be held within the framework of EAIE 2016. A Catalan delegation has set up a pavilion at the fair to improve the visibility of the Catalan higher education offer, from primary degrees to Master’s degrees and doctorates. 

More than 6,000 students worldwide learn Catalan language and culture in 28 countries in Europe, America, Asia and Oceania. More than 150 universities teach Catalan at different levels, 88 of which receive funding through Institut Ramon Llull (IRL), a public body in charge of promoting Catalan culture and language abroad. Indeed, in 2016 IRL designated €1,270,722 to helping to fund the teaching in these universities. These are some of the figures on the University Network of Catalan Studies Abroad, presented this Tuesday by IRL’s director, Manuel Forcano. According to him, the Network “offers a very positive image of Catalonia to the world since it promotes the Catalan language everywhere”. France, Germany and the United Kingdom are the three countries with the highest number of universities teaching Catalan. 

Four out of the ten Spanish universities included on the 2016 Times Higher Education (THE) list of the top 150 universities under 50 years old are native to Catalonia. The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) was named 12 out of 150, with Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) ranked 15^th. Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) as well as the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) were included among the rankings. Though the universities are young, THE’s editor-at-large and the editor of THE’s World University Rankings, Phil Baty, cites Catalonia’s “strong sense of civil engagement” as a driving force in the universities’ growth and stand-out performance in this year’s rankings among educational institutions both young and old. 

The initiative will set up Catalonia as a point of reference in Europe regarding this kind of medicine. The agreement between the Catalan government and a consortium led by the Beijing government also includes actions in the fields of higher education, research, health and culture. For example, an official master’s degree in Chinese traditional medicine will be taught in collaboration with two Catalan universities, the Universitat de Barcelona (UB) and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), and alongside with Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. The project has been promoted by the Catalan Ministry for Business and Knowledge, through the area which focuses on attracting foreign investment, ACCIÓ – Catalonia Trade & Investment, and the Secretary for Universities and Research.

The University of Barcelona (UB) has begun the first phase of its Humanities and Social Sciences Park in the 22@ business and technological district. The opening ceremony took place in Can Jaumandreu, one of the buildings that will hold the research park, along with Can Ricart. Both of these buildings used to be factories built in the late 19^th and early 20^th century in what was once the industrial centre of Barcelona, known as 'the Catalan Manchester'. This new research park is the latest addition to the 22@ district, which over the past 15 years has become a hub for business and technology in Barcelona. The park represents an effort by the UB to amplify its research in the humanities and social sciences and is a complement to the Barcelona Scientific Park, which opened in 1997.

The Barcelona-based business schools IESE and ESADE have been ranked among the 10 best business schools in the world according to the Executive Education Ranking 2015 by the ‘Financial Times’. For the 17^th year, the British newspaper rated the best 85 customised programmes (tailor-made for corporate customers) and the top 75 open programmes (available to all working managers) in the world. With regard to the customised programme ranking, IESE came top worldwide while ESADE (part of the Ramon Llull University) is ranked 12^th. As for the classification of the open programmes for executives, IESE ranked 3^rd globally while ESADE was 7^th. Among the top 100 educational institutions in the ranking, one can find another Catalan business school as well: Barcelona’s EADA is in 61^st position for its customised programmes, and in 56^th for the open ones.

The Financial Times recently ranked the top twenty business schools for undertaking an MBA (Master of Business Administration) programme. Two of these schools are in Barcelona: IESE and ESADE, 7^th and 19^th in the world ranking respectively. Both have around a 90% international student intake for these courses. In recent years, Barcelona has become a global educational destination for MBA students that come to the city attracted by the quality of the schools but also by the city brand and the lifestyle. However, Barcelona is not only a player in business but also in the field of economic research and investigation.