King Felipe VI inaugurated the academic year Spanish universities. An academic community of more than 1,700,000 students and almost 150,000 teachers. The event took place at the University of Zaragoza, coinciding with the 550th anniversary of its foundationby Pedro Cerbunatheologian and first rector of this institution, and who will be immortalized this Monday by a commemorative plaque.
The King highlighted the research potential of our Spanish universities: “More than 70% of academic research In our country, this is done in our universities, mainly public, which makes us the 12th world powerl in scientific production. “We are increasingly present in European research programs. Currently, Spain is the third country with the most consortia in the European Alliances program and continues to occupy first place in welcoming Erasmus+ students,” he added.
The King, at the University of Zaragoza, to preside over the Opening Ceremony of the 2024/2025 University Course.
— House of HM the King (@CasaReal) September 23, 2024
Felipe VI recalled at the inauguration of the academic year that in Spain “around 350,000 students complete their university studies each year in one of the 94 universities, 50 public and 44 private. They offer more than 9,000 official degrees that are a source of opportunities in all our provinces and in almost 200 municipalities.
Moving words to Aragon
This year marks the 550th anniversary of the founding of the University of Zaragoza, a fact that led to the academic inauguration of the course chaired by the King in the Auditorium of the city of the Ebro, stressed the King. that it is the “fifth oldest in Spain”. “Here the seed of the rebirth of our country germinated. Today, more than five centuries later, with your undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and your research projects, you continue to be a reference for Europe,” he added.
Felipe VI also dedicated some moving words to Aragon and Zaragoza, on the occasion of the arrival of Princess Leonor at the General Military Academy just one year ago: “I also give thanks to Aragon, the land that welcomes us, and to Zaragoza, the city that, since my childhood – and especially after my time at the General Military Academy – has united me with an affection full of experiences, renewed with the very recent presence among you of the Princess of Asturias. Thank you for welcoming her with so much affection.
The event took place in the presence, among other authorities, of the Minister of Science and Universities, Diana Morant, and of Education, Pilar Alegría. In addition to the President of the Government of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, the President of the Cortes, Marta Fernández, the Delegate of the Government, Fernando Beltrán, the Justice of Aragon, Concepción Gimeno, the Mayor of Zaragoza, Natalia Chueca, and the Archbishop of Zaragoza.
In addition, it should be noted that this year the theme on which the opening of the course focused in the inaugural lecture was artificial intelligence, carried out by the professor of the University of Zaragoza, Francisco José Serón, with the conference Pending Challenges for Intelligent Systems.
Zaragoza: search example
Regarding the production of academic research, the rector of the University of Zaragoza, José Antonio Mayoral, highlighted that in recent years the University of Zaragoza has obtained 145 patents, “many of them are the result of projects in direct collaboration with the business sector.
“We are the leading Spanish university in terms of the number of institutional and commercial chairs, with more than a hundred active, we have promoted the creation of more than 65 companies and spin-offs, 70% of which are still active today,” he stressed.
A fact that is reflected in “the million dollar investments in technologies in Aragon,” Jorge Azcón highlighted in his speech. “We have created more places in computer engineering and mathematics,” he noted, referring to the boost that his Executive wants to give to technological training in line with the arrival and attraction of large multinationals in the community.
Spanish universities in the world
“We are among the best university systems in terms of education and we are the sixth country with the most universities in the TOP 1000 of the Academic Ranking of World Universities. And if we focus on Europe, the QS ranking places five Spanish universities among the top 100, which makes us one of the countries that has improved the most in this edition,” stressed the president of the CRUE.
For her part, the Minister of Universities, Diana Morant, said in turn that this academic year reaches a historical record of students, up to 1,800,000 people.
The Atlas of Santiago Ramón y Cajal
After the closing of the event, the signing of the Golden Book of the University of Zaragoza took place. The rector presented Felipe VI with a facsimile of the papal bull of 1474 by which Pope Sixtus IV granted the privilege by which the General Study of the Arts of Zaragoza was created.
After the agape in the Josefa Mar y Borbón room, where guests were able to taste a Spanish wine, the king visited the commemorative exhibition of the founding of the University, which will be open to the public until January.
There he was able to enjoy a heritage jewel from the old collection of the library of the University of Zaragoza. We are referring to the 49 anatomy plates, 12 of which were made by the Nobel Prize winner Santiago Ramón y Cajal, and continued by his successors, such as his own brother. They combine art and science, in a volume of enormous proportions that reaches 60 kg.
