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The event, led by Ramon Pellicer, has brought together collaborating institutions and companies, members of the university community and alumni.

The event included an awards ceremony for alumni for their social commitment and professional career, and institutional recognition for the promoters of the project.

The assistants enjoyed a central session on Artificial Intelligence, in charge of the journalist Ramón López de Mántaras, and the musical performances of the SIFU Group.

Barcelona, ​​June 22, 2023.- As part of its 25th anniversary, the International University of Catalonia (UIC Barcelona) held the UIC Barcelona Global Meeting yesterday at the Palau de la Música Catalana, an event that brought together a thousand people, including members of the current university community, alumni, as well as companies and institutions that have contributed to the institution during its 25-year history. The event was attended by personalities such as the Minister of Universities and Research of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Joaquim Nadal; the former president of the Generalitat José Montilla or the former health minister and director of the University Institute for Patients, Boi Ruiz. The event, held in an exceptional setting, was hosted by journalist Ramon Pellicer, member of the UIC Barcelona University Advisory Board.

Within the framework of the event, Minister Joaquim Nadal congratulated UIC Barcelona on its 25th anniversary and highlighted the importance of the journey taken in view of the upcoming challenges for the University. “There is no future without a past. UIC Barcelona is a tangible and young reality that has been built day by day, in a continuous present and because of the dream of those who wanted to found it.”

The central session of the event dealt with Artificial Intelligence, and was given by Ramón López de Mántaras, a pioneering scientist in AI, and Núria Ramírez, RTVE presenter and Journalism alumni, who spoke with the expert about the immediate challenges that artificial intelligence is generating. Artificial intelligence. “We must be clear that artificial intelligence is very different from human intelligence. Know where its limits are. For example, AI does not have life experiences. Similarly, we need to combat misinformation and defamation about AI-generated models as GPT-chat”

During the event, the UIC Barcelona Alumni Award was presented in its two categories. Valentina Riverso (Architecture) as winner and representative of the Alumni Award for the best social transformation project, and Ignacio Blasi (Dentistry) in recognition of his professional career. Two key figures in promoting the project, Josep Maria Pujol and Teófilo Sánchez, also received emotional institutional recognition.

José Ignacio Parellada, president of the UIC Barcelona Alumni Association, highlighted the projects promoted by Alumni, such as the Cicle Emprèn! (cycles on entrepreneurship), the Alumni Breakfast Club, the Alumni Ambassador or the figure of the Alumni coordinators by faculties. Lastly, he encouraged all the Alumni to participate in the UIC Barcelona community. “We are all UIC Barcelona. From any position. We are the best example and the best prescribers of the University. UIC Barcelona is counting on us, let’s reconnect.”

The attendees had the opportunity to see live, among others, the performance Every breath you take, performed by Joel Bueno from the group SIFU, through Eyeharp. The SIFU Group Foundation is a non-profit organization that works in favor of the social and labor insertion of people with functional diversity, and that has collaborated with the Global Meeting. The act ended with a networking space with the collaborators of the different companies and institutions that attended the event, along with members of the university community and alumni.

The rector of UIC Barcelona, ​​Alfonso Méndiz, closed the event by thanking all the former students, collaborators and members of the university community for their presence. “During this 25th anniversary we have learned the importance of meeting again, of rediscovering the values ​​that make up the University, as well as understanding the importance of the mission of UIC Barcelona. Teaching implies a commitment to training that transforms minds and hearts of our students to make their profession a service to others”.

The Global Meeting UIC Barcelona, ​​which has had the collaboration of Caixabank and Compass Group Eurest, has been the last institutional event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of UIC Barcelona. Among the events held during this academic year, the institutional act in memory of Dr. Jordi Cervós i Navarro, first rector of UIC Barcelona; the visit and conference of Richard Taylor and Tania Rodgers, partners of Weta Workshop, or the Symposium: “Person, Society and Care”, among others.

The act has had the collaboration of:

CaixaBank, Compass Group y Eurest. 

For more information:

Elena CastellarnauHead of CommunicationT. 34 93254 18 00 elenac@uic.esImmaculada 2208017 Barcelona

About UIC Barcelona The International University of Catalonia (UIC Barcelona) was founded in 1997 with the aim of offering quality university education and promoting research as a service to society. Linked to the business world and with a markedly international character, it teaches 16 degrees, 8 double degrees, around thirty international double degrees and a wide range of postgraduate programs on its two campuses, located in Barcelona and Sant Cugat del Vallés. As part of its commitment to society, UIC Barcelona also has three university clinics located on the Sant Cugat Campus: the University Dentistry Clinic, Support – University Clinic of Psychology and Psychiatry, and Cuides UIC Barcelona, ​​focused on patient care with advanced illnesses and palliative care.