Jaume Casals, rector of Pompeu Fabra University, has this morning reviewed the institution's 25 years of history and mapped out UPF's main path for the future before the media. The presentation, which took place in the UPF Rectoral building was attended by Nuria Basi, chair of the Board of Trustees.

During the presentation, Jaume Casals said that there have been two key moments that made UPF become what it is today: "the selection of the lecturers who founded the University and the creation of the departments, which led to a major expansion of research". In addition, he also praised the effort of many people over the years to make UPF what it is now.

Núria Basi highlighted the "good feeling of harmony that has always existed with the Board of Trustees, always taking them into account when participating in strategic actions of the University".

Looking to the future, the rector reassured that " UPF must become a stimulus to turn our environment around". In this regard, he stressed the proposal of the UPF Open bachelor's degree, which is to be launched during the 2015-2016 academic year and will allow 20 students to enter UPF without having previously chosen what degree to study. Moreover, he also explained "the desire of Pompeu Fabra to offer international bachelor's degrees to attract around a thousand new international students in the coming years".

He also noted the proposals for the reorganization of UPF, which will be channelled through the University's new Strategic Plan. Jaume Casals explained that "UPF is immersed in a process of organizational reform with the aim of making the institution a more understandable space, both for those within and those without". He added that "the foundations have been laid for the creation of the Academic Coordination Units, which are structured according to the University's eight knowledge areas, and which will have a greater say in the governance of the University".

Finally, the rector commented that UPF "is working to adopt an instrument for knowledge transfer whose aim will be to provide an outlet for research projects that might not have sufficient visibility to have an impact on society". He stated that " universities are morally obliged to try to enhance the results of their research, to generate more well-being".

The morning ceremony took place tying in with the  appearance of the UPF rector before the Education and Universities Committee of the Parliament of Catalonia, this very afternoon, to render account of the results of the institution. At the parliamentary seat, in addition to recalling the data presented in the morning, he remarked that he has the relentless desire " to  establish universities as a priority on the political agenda, because they are very important and have not enjoyed a sufficiently important position on this agenda". 

All the political parties congratulated the rector both on the University's 25 ^th anniversary and on its good results, which have enabled it to stand out, and enquired as to the keys to its success. Other issues that arose during question time made reference to funding, university access, and knowledge transfer to society.

The celebration of the 25 ^th anniversary of the University

25 years of existence are significant enough for any institution to have acquired its own personality and identity. Thus, UPF wants the anniversary to serve to render account of its results and open a space for reflection and proposals to tackle the future.

During the ceremony, the programme of celebrations was presented, which will be held throughout the 2015-2016 academic year and will revolve around three main axes: the alumni (former students), international outreach and the new UPF strategic plan.

Concerning UPF Alumni, the University hopes the anniversary will serve to establish a fluid, permanent, structural relationship with former students based on three lines of action: to consolidate and improve services to alumni; to involve them more in the training of students; and, finally, to start a fundraising programme so they can contribute to the sustainability of the University. The main celebration linked to this axis will be the 1 ^st UPF Alumni Meeting, which will be held on 18 September 2015 on Ciutadella campus.

With regard to internationalization, this is one of the central aspects of the University and translates into the establishment of strategic alliances with universities and academic institutions of international prestige. The main event in this field will be the Times Higher Education Young Universities Summit (THE YUS), the meeting of the best universities in the world under the age of 50, which will take place on 6 and 7 April 2016 on Ciutadella campus.

Finally, the third axis, the new UPF Strategic Plan will mark out the path for the future of the University over the next ten years. The document will be divided into five main areas -Teaching and learning; Research, innovation and creation; Society, city and transformation; University community: identity and participation; and Finance, governance and management- and two cross-cutting themes, Internationalization and Commitment. The ceremony for the presentation of the Strategic Plan is expected to be held by the end of 2015.

Commemorative video of the 25 ^th anniversary of the University

Brief review to the main milestones and indicators of UPF

On 18 June 1990, the Catalan Parliament approved the Law to create Pompeu Fabra University, becoming Catalonia's fourth public university. Classes began on 8 October of the same year, with 316 students on the bachelor's degrees in Law and in Economics and Business Sciences.

During these years the University has spread its influence and  has contributed to the urban regeneration of some districts of Barcelona to boost new hubs of creation and knowledge transfer. These include the rehabilitation of the old military barracks of the Ciutadella campus; opening up to the sea in the 1990s through the Mar campus, with the Olympic Games and the recovery of the Olympic Village; and the recovery of Ca l'Aranyó textile factory, in the 22@ district where thePoblenou campus is now sited.

During this period, UPF has had four rectors, three men and one woman. Dr. Enric Argullol was the first rector of the University, until June 2001. He was replaced by Dr. M. Rosa Virós until May 2005, and elected by the University Senate. Dr. Josep Joan Moreso was the third rector, until April 2013, the first chosen by the University community through direct, free and secret universal suffrage, in accordance with the provisions of current legislation. Dr. Jaume Casals is the current rector of the University, elected in April 2013.

In 25 years, UPF has managed to become a world benchmark university. It has positioned itself in 12 ^th place in the world among universities under 50 years of age (THE Ranking 2015) and is the 9 ^th best European university in 2015, according to the U-Multirank, promoted by the European Union. 

These data reaffirm the University's high degree of internationalization, with 36% and 52% of international master's degree and PhD students, and 22% of international teaching staff. This is also conveyed to the area of research, in which UPF achieves high impact in competitive calls. Proof of this are the 75 million euros obtained in the 7 ^th Framework Programme of the European Commission (10% of the total for the Spanish State, despite representing just 1% of the teaching staff).

In addition, UPF has also achieved remarkable teaching indicators, becoming the university with the highest demand/supply ratio in Catalonia, with regard to access to undergraduate studies, of two students to every place. UPF boasts the highest yield (number of credits registered for/number of credits passed) of the Spanish system, at 90% during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Currently, Pompeu Fabra University has about 10,000 undergraduate students, more than 5,700 graduate students (including the UPF Group), around 36,000 graduates, 339 permanent teaching staff (594 full time equivalent lecturers) and 684 administration and services staff.