The catalan university system comprises twelve universities. The eight public universities of Catalonia form one of the largest university communities in southern Europe, with more than 200,000 students and 13,000 professors.
The University of Barcelona (UB) is implicitly linked to the history of Barcelona and Catalonia and combines its historical dimension with its status as a leading, innovative educational institution. Its fundamental aim is to offer higher education as a public service through teaching, study and research. Its work contributes to the creation, transmission and diffusion of culture and of scientific, technical and professional knowledge, as well as promoting critical thought, freedom and pluralism.
The UB is an urban university with campuses situated throughout Barcelona and reflects the open and cosmopolitan character of the city. Thanks to its location, the university is a focus for the development of the surrounding areas and has become a centre for a wide range of cultural activities.
The UB is a leading university in scientific production in Spain and Latin America and is recognized for the high quality of its teaching and research. It offers a comprehensive range of courses adapted to the educational and professional needs of contemporary society, and has one of the largest intakes of all Spanish universities. The UB is the only Spanish university listed among the one hundred best European universities and the two hundred best universities in the world, and is a leading higher education institution in southern Europe and the Mediterranean Arc.
The organizational structure of the UB is based around the twenty faculties and schools, the more than one hundred departments, and the university research institutes.
The UB offers a wide range of courses, which places the UB at the forefront of diverse fields including technology and art (around 75 undergraduate degrees, 100 master’s degrees, 100 doctoral programs, 350 postgraduate courses and 600 continued education courses). In the current academic year, the UB has 80,000 students enrolled on its courses, making it the second largest university in Spain.
The UB’s research is at the forefront of scientific production in Spain. At European and international level, the UB has retained its position as Spain’s leading university in terms of numbers of publications and citations, and ranks second among all research institutions in Spain.
The UB’s research is carried out in 105 departments staffed by nearly 5,000 researchers, including teachers, technical staff and research assistants. Most of these groups have been evaluated and accredited by an external quality program. The UB conducts its research in its own institutes and centres, affiliated centres, and other external research centres.
The most representative building of the UB is the Historic Building, which was begun in 1863 and which is situated in Plaça Universitat, in the very heart of Barcelona. This is where the conference will take place.
To learn more visit the University of Barcelona website and watch the video presentation about the host.