On 18 June 1990, Catalan Parliament gave the go-ahead for the creation of a new public university in Catalonia, Pompeu Fabra University, inspired by the principles of freedom, democracy, justice, equality, independence and plurality. From its beginnings, this young academic institution set itself two main objectives: to train responsible professionals and citizens fully committed to civic values, and to contribute towards the development of an outstanding research.
The first lectures at UPF were given on 8 October 1990 in Balmes building, once the site of the Fòrum Vergés. They were attended by around 300 students of the new degrees in Law and Economics and Business Sciences. Today, UPF offers its studies around three areas of knowledge focused on the human being: the social sciences and humanities, the health and life sciences, and the ITC and communication sciences. To develop its activity, the University has been structured into seven schools, a Polytechnic School, eight departments and three university institutes. Meanwhile, in recent years UPF has also been participating in a set of institutions and specialized centres focused on teaching, research and transfer activities, centres with legal personality and that constitute the UPF Group.
Moreover, in order to promote research and transfer activities undertaken within its departments and research institutes, as well as to provide them with greater international visibility, UPF has developed three scientific parks in its three fields of knowledge: the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Park, that is being developed in Ciutadella campus; the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, one of the largest biomedical research clusters in Southern Europe, in Mar campus; and the Barcelona Media Park, a place where creativity and technology converge, in Communication-Poblenou campus.
Thus, thanks to the development of these three campuses and science parks, the University has contributed to the regeneration of some areas in Barcelona as well as the promotion of new areas of creation and transfer of knowledge. Examples of this activity can be found, for example, in the rehabilitation of the Dipòsit de les Aigües, the current Library, or in the former army barracks in Wellington Street, nowadays occupied by the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics and the Pasqual Maragall Foundation (Ciutadella Campus). Also, through the opening to the sea in the nineties, with the Olympics and the regeneration of the Vila Olímpica (Mar campus) or the regeneration of Ca l'Aranyó, the old textile factory placed in 22@ (Communication campus-Poblenou). We should not forget neither the building of the Mercè square, headquarter of the Rector's office, in Ciutat Vella; the Born building, that hosts the UPF Foundation, or the Balmes building, house of the Institute of Continuing Education - IDEC, among others.
Finally, as regards the governance of UPF, Dr. Enric Argullol served as rector from its foundation until June 2001. During this period, rector Argullol worked to build a great university focused on teaching and research activities and the efficiency in management. At the end of his mandate, in June 2001, the University Senate elected Dr. M. Rosa Virós i Galtier, who led the government of the University until May 2005. During her tenure, rector Virós worked to establish this university project with a unique style, proposing a flexible model of university, built on the basis of ethical and humanistic values in order to build a more democratic, Catalan and quality university. The current rector, Dr. Josep Joan Moreso Mateos, won the elections which took place on May 2005 and was reelected on February 2009. During this mandate, the University has developed the European Higher Education Area and has continued to defend the University commitment to become a leading research institution and focused on international postgraduate studies.