Joaquim Nadal: "There is no better symbolism than the new UVic-UCC Paranymph, which brings together the past, present and future"

The University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) began the 2022-2023 academic year on Friday morning with a ceremony that for the first time took place in the University's Paranymph, located in the Hospital de la Santa Creu in Vic, which was also officially open on the same day. The inauguration of the academic year was presided over by the Catalan Minister for Research and Universities, Joaquim Nadal; the rector of UVic-UCC, Josep Eladi Baños; the president of the Balmes University Foundation, and mayor of Vic, Anna Erra, and the general secretary of the University, Anna Sabata. The event, which was attended by around 300 people, also marked the start of UVic-UCC's twenty-fifth academic year, and the end of the events celebrating this milestone.

During his opening of the ceremony, the rector referred to the inauguration of the Paranymph, a new facility that was made possible "after a long period of hard work, many people's efforts and the generosity of various institutions." Among the latter, Baños highlighted the role of the Hospital de la Santa Creu Foundation and the Diocese of Vic, which was represented at the inauguration ceremony by the Bishop Romà Casanova. "This Paranymph is an addition of an important facility for the University and the city of Vic, and will contribute to our desire to build the City Campus," said Baños. The aim is for associations in the region to be able to make use of the new space, and to raise awareness of the facility, it will be open to all members of the public from 4 to 7 pm on Friday and from 10 am to 2 pm and from 4 pm to 7 pm on Saturday.

The inauguration of the academic year continued with the screening of a video about the transformation of the church of the Hospital de la Santa Creu in Vic, which was built in the eighteenth century, and the adjacent Sala Gòtica building, which has also been equipped for use by the public. Next, Anna Sabata introduced the video report on the 2020-2021 academic year.

A symbol of the university's future

During the institutional speeches, the Catalan Minister Joaquim Nadal began his speech by referring to the origins of the University, listing all the former mayors of Vic and ex-rectors of UVic-UCC, and stating "there is no future without a past; the past is the cornerstone and the reference point for generations." He continued by saying that "there is no better symbolism than this new Paranymph to bring together the past, present and future of UVic-UCC," and that the new uses of the old church of the Hospital de la Santa Creu are a symbol of the university's future. He pointed out that this symbol would be useless if it was not accompanied by "real and tangible commitments, a reflection of a highly consolidated university model, like this University's."

Nadal listed some of the aspects that make UVic-UCC unique, and others in which the institution has grown in recent years. First, he referred to "a governance model that is under construction, and which has created synergies that make this university work." He also mentioned "the high level of institutional and business engagement with the university's project", which shows that the UVic-UCC "knows very well what it has to offer and has its feet on the ground." From the territorial perspective, the Minister referred to the current City Campus model and the "fully implemented" university ties between Vic and Manresa.

In relation to research, he said that the institution "has made a very substantial change and has made remarkable progress in this area", and he mentioned UVic-UCC's results in the international rankings. In the final part of his speech, he said that the university is the result of the combined efforts of many people who have believed in it: "It is important that peoples, nations and states progress not only as a result of external conflicts but also due to self-affirmations."

Anna Erra said she was delighted with the inauguration of the Paranymph, which "demonstrates the University's commitment to the continued growth of the City Campus", and with the celebrations marking the twenty-fifth academic year of UVic-UCC, "a university with a long history that has grown based on successes shared by everyone." She added: "One of the great strengths of the institution is the people within it and what has taken it forward is its federated structure" with Manresa, with Elisava and with successful projects such as the Faculty of Medicine. Erra also highlighted the University's territorial vision, and she said that "we aim to continue growing in central Catalonia in order to provide more new opportunities for the young people of the region."

The challenges of the new academic year

In his speech opening the academic year, the rector listed ten of the projects to be carried out during the 2022-2023 academic year. They included consolidating the university's research structures and creating new ones, broadening the student-centred educational model "that makes our range of courses unique and makes us a benchmark for teaching," and implementing the internal quality model. According to Baños, another project is to continue the process of institutional consistency; "this means having shared objectives, procedures, processes and a strategic vision while respecting the autonomy of the foundations," said Baños. The goals for this academic year also include continuing to raise the University's international profile, and working on updating the Teaching Plan to adapt it to current priorities.

At the same time, the rector emphasised that work needs to be done on adapting the range of official bachelor's degree and master's degree programmes, and on developing the commitment to lifelong learning, "which has to culminate in the creation of the UVic-UCC Lifelong Learning School, thereby enabling it to be coordinated and implemented throughout the University." Other objectives are to continue making progress in the university's commitment to its relationship with advanced vocational training cycles, and stronger relations with companies and institutions in the region. At this point Baños stressed that "we must establish a framework for stable collaboration that shares the objectives of development, innovation and improvement of the society in which the UVic-UCC plays a part."

Lecture on the healing of wounds

Dr Marta Otero Viñas, a lecturer in the Faculty of Sciences, Technology and Engineering, and the coordinator of the research group on Tissue Repair and Regeneration (TR2Lab) at UVic-UCC, delivered the inaugural lecture, entitled "The healing of wounds: an extraordinary process." She began her lecture by referring to the inauguration of the Paranymph, the former church of the Hospital de la Santa Creu in Vic, a centre for care with a strong commitment to healing, which today houses a regional clinical unit for wounds that is part of the TR2Lab research group.

During her presentation, Otero referred to the social impact of chronic skin injuries, given the ageing population and the increase in comorbidities (diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases). In this context, "it is to be anticipated that the incidence of chronic wounds will become a major challenge for the provision of health services," she said. Otero defined what is meant by chronic wounds, the evolution in their diagnosis and the availability of treatment that has taken place, and presented the outlook for the future, while highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary teams in care units to develop and implement new and more personalised therapies that improve healing outcomes.

In the final part of her lecture, the researcher discussed two of the most recent projects in which she has been participating. One of them is a clinical trial with Boston University, "in which we studied the effectiveness of a therapy with mesenchymal stem cells," and another is a study of the effectiveness of a biological therapy with rich plasma in platelets that she is leading at the TR2Lab, and which involves professionals from the Santa Creu de Vic University Hospital.

Institutional medals for the Sant Tomàs Association and Anton Granero

The rector Josep Eladi Baños presented the UVic-UCC Institutional Medal to the Sant Tomàs Foundation during the opening ceremony of the academic year, in recognition of its contribution as a cornerstone in territorial and social cohesion. He also highlighted the institution's work to promote and improve the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities and developmental difficulties and their families in the Osona region, as well as its ongoing collaboration with the university. The award to the Sant Tomàs Foundation was accepted by its president, Joan Casany, who said that "Sant Tomàs would not be the same without UVic-UCC at its side. Knowledge and research are essential to progress, and at Sant Tomàs we are very pleased to establish these partnerships with the University." Mariona Santaugini, a user of Sant Tomàs, said that "this medal enables those of us with intellectual disabilities to be ourselves; we dream of living in a more inclusive society."

The UVic-UCC Medal was also presented to Anton Granero, a graphic designer and editor, founder and director (1984-2014) of Eumogràfic - currently known as Eumo_dc - and the director of the ACVic Centre for Contemporary Arts. Granero received the honour as a result of his links to and involvement in various areas of the University's origins, and his participation in the creation and development of the Eumo Editorial and Eumogràfic companies, as well as his membership of the Board of Trustees of the Balmes University Foundation, where he led the Fem UVic-UCC programme, among other initiatives. "I am honoured by this award, which makes me very happy" said Granero, who used his speech to call upon the Catalan government to grant UVic-UCC "recognition as a public university and guarantee public fees for our students."

At the opening ceremony, medals were also awarded to the people from the university who retired last year: Teresa Lleopart Coll, Ronald Puppo Bunds, Josep Fernández Villena, Encarnació Mora López and Montserrat Vila Gangolells. Extraordinary prizes and prizes for the best academic records for each qualification were also presented. A group from the UVic Inclusive Orchestra, consisting of Judith de Lanuza and Laura Cristòfol (flutes), Mercè Naudi (violin), Miquel Sala (cello), Joan Serrat (bassoon) and Lluís Solé (harpsichord and basso continuo) performed Chaconne des Scaramouches, by J. B. Lully. The event ended with the singing of the university anthem Gaudeamus igitur. At the end, the audience was offered a copy of the inauguration poster for the 2022-2023 academic year, which was produced by the artist Aina Roca, who was a member of the university community and died in August 2020.