Six public universities in Madrid express their deep concern “in the face of a situation in which the commitment and quality of their public service are called into question, almost daily, despite the fact that the facts and national and international recognition demonstrate the opposite” .
“This issue contradicts the broad recognition made by students, their families, businesses and institutions of the essential contribution of our public universities to regional and national development, all supported by the academic quality, research and knowledge transfer of our six public universities,” underlines the “said the rectors in an open letter to the president of the Community of Madrid, regarding the budget bill for 2025 approved by the Governing Council of the Community of Madrid.
They emphasize that Madrid’s public universities “continue to be the main engine of development and the most effective social elevator, despite the serious underfunding from which they suffer since the financial crisis of the last decade.” They explain that this lack of resources jeopardizes the investments necessary to modernize and expand the training offer, as well as “renew and consolidate our staff and improve essential infrastructure to guarantee a quality public service”.
They indicate that educational centers are privileged spaces for the debate of ideas and models, places of coexistence, plurality, tolerance and dialogue, and not centers of indoctrination: “Our commitment is to knowledge, research, transfer, culture, artistic creation and training of the people and professionals that our society needs. They thus show their rejection of the exploitation of these institutions “in a partisan and simplistic debate”.
In short, they ask that the Community of Madrid guarantee adequate funding that allows public universities “to continue fulfilling their role as fundamental pillars of the technological and economic competitiveness of companies, as well as the well-being of Madrid society.”
