Marc Güell wins the National Research Award for Young Talent
Contra el genocidi i contra la violació dels drets humans, a Gaza i arreu del món
Peace comes when you talk to the person you most hate. And that’s where the courage of a leader comes.
Desmond Tutu (1931-2021), first recipient of an honorary doctorate from UPF
These words, spoken by Desmond Tutu, the first person ever to be awarded an honorary doctorate by UPF, are more applicable today than ever. The UPF condemns, and will always condemn, the use of violence to settle disputes. At UPF, we advocate approaching political or territorial conflicts based on dialogue and respect for all peoples and minorities.
As a university, we also want to show our support to the academic community in countries at war. Universities and scientific institutions are more necessary than ever in these regions. Access to education and the promotion of critical thinking, in the context of strong independent institutions, are the way to ensure the informed debate and reflection that can open the door to new avenues for finding solutions.
At UPF, we are aware of the university community’s concern for the human rights violations we are seeing in the conflicts around us. That is why on this website you will find information about campaigns and actions related to current conflicts, as well as opinion pieces and institutional statements. We also offer a dedicated e-mail address – [email protected] – to contact the university and let us know about your interests and concerns.
Marc Güell wins the National Research Award for Young Talent
The award recognizes young researchers who have stood out in their professional careers for the quality and excellence of their work.
The Catalan Government and the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRi) have distinguished Marc Güell, principal investigator of the Translational Synthetic Biology Research Group at the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences (DCEXS) of UPF with the National Research Award for Young Talent. The award-winner specializes in gene editing and synthetic biology, disciplines applied to patients awaiting organ transplants, and patients with acne or muscular dystrophy. This award has a cash prize of 10,000 euros and recognizes young researchers who have stood out in their professional careers for the quality and excellence of their work.
The 2018 National Research Award has gone to Italian theoretical astrophysicist and cosmologist Licia Verde, ICREA research professor at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences at the University of Barcelona (ICCUB). The Pasqual Maragall Foundation for Research into Alzheimer's was awarded in the Scientific Patronage category for its continued intense promotion of research into Alzheimer's disease and the cognitive problems of ageing. In the Science Communication category, the award has gone to the NanoEduca programme of the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), the University of Barcelona (UB), the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Centre for Specific Pedagogical Resources to Support Innovation and Educational Research (CESIRE), of the Department of Education, for its efforts to introduce nanoscience and nanotechnology to students and teachers of secondary and high school. Meanwhile, the Public-Private Partnership in R&D award has gone to the Repsol-BSC Research Center (RBRC), of Repsol and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center - National Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS).
The National Research Awards aim to encourage the social recognition of science and the activities of researchers, sponsors, businesspeople and communicators. This year, the jury was chaired by Antoni Esteve, president of the FCRi, and also included Mar Capeans, lead researcher of the Detector Technologies Group of the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN); Maria Àngela Maria Vilallonga; full professor of Latin Philology at the University of Girona (UdG) and vice-president of the Philology Section of the Institute of Catalan Studies (IEC); Roderic Guigó, coordinator of the Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), professor of Bioinformatics at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and 2017 National Research Award winner; Antonio Huerta, full professor of Applied Mathematics at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and director of the Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA); Francesc Xavier Grau, secretary of Universities and Research of the Government of Catalonia; and Joan Gómez Pallarès, director general for Research of the Government of Catalonia. The secretary was the director general of the FCRi, Rafael Marín.
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Related Assets
Catalan government
Catalan development cooperation aims to help prevent and respond to emergency situations. This page explains how you can collaborate on the provision of foreign aid both in general and to specific regions.
European Commission
Through cooperation and assistance programmes, the European Commission offers humanitarian aid and coordinates efforts with other international actors to promote peace and stability in war-torn regions.
Oxfam Intermón
Oxfam Intermón works in 90 countries. They have launched a fundraising campaign, which is more necessary than ever, given the magnitude of today’s wars. The NGO is also sponsoring a campaign to collect signatures to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is a medical-humanitarian action organization that provides assistance in 70 countries to people threatened by armed conflicts, violence, epidemics or neglected diseases, natural disasters and exclusion from medical care. They have also promoted a campaign to collect signatures to ask for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Red Cross
The Red Cross also provides emergency humanitarian aid in regions in crisis.
Legal Clinic
The UPF Legal Clinic regularly holds talks and roundtables on the protection of human rights in crisis regions.
Libraries Without Borders
The Libraries Without Borders programme, sponsored by the Catalan Development Cooperation Agency (ACCD), offers Catalan public library patrons knowledge and insight into situations of human rights violations and provides resources to take action.
Council for At-Risk Academics
The Council for At-Risk Academics, in partnership with universities and higher education institutions, provides urgently-needed help to academics in immediate danger, those forced into exile, and many who choose to work on in their home countries despite serious risks.