Issue 13 of the magazine 360upf, hot of the press, and published in Catalan, Spanish and English, features a report that takes a look at the 25 years of history of the Faculty and Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS) on the Mar campus, a quarter of a century spent exploring life from all possible vantage points, with its sights ever set on biology and medicine. Sticking with the field of biomedicine, yet this time with a focus on future generations, the interview from the section “Zoom” highlights the experiences and expectations of Jana Cid and Èlia Saura, two undergraduate Medicine students who combine their studies with elite sport: judo and athletics, respectively.

The pages of this issue address the challenges of today’s society from a host of different perspectives. On the one hand, the section “Profile” introduces readers to Marco Madella, an ICREA research professor and coordinator of the Culture, Archaeology and Socio-Ecological Dynamics (CASEs) research group in the Department of Humanities at UPF. An expert in comprehending the socio-ecological dynamics of past human populations in extreme environments, he explains how looking to the past can help us tackle current and future problems, such as those related to agriculture and drought, for example.

The pages of this issue address the challenges of today’s society from a host of different perspectives

On the other, the section “Our Alumni” is devoted to Didac Fàbregas, a former Political Science and Administration undergraduate who currently works as the Data Frameworks and Standards lead for the UK Government’s Digital and Data Office. In the interview, Didac Fàbregas outlines, among other aspects, the path that led him from the classroom at UPF to his current position; his opinion on the concept of “smart cities”; and the potential of data in improving governance and public services.

Knowledge transfer and innovation are, in the section “From Campus”, at the heart of a report about the ARSENAL ecosystem, a Department of Communication initiative which supports the academic work and projects of UPF students and alumni and enables them to transfer this knowledge to society in the form of products and services, all the while keeping the University in close contact with the latest innovations and trends.

In “In Network”, and without straying from the topic of innovation and knowledge transfer, a report discusses how students from around the world are training in AI through the first UPF-coordinated Erasmus Mundus programme. This master’s degree has been developed in cooperation with Sapienza University of Rome (Italy), Radboud University (Netherlands) and the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) and aims to teach high-level researchers and professionals how AI solutions may be applied to industry.

Artificial intelligence, planetary wellbeing and art, three aspects with multiple connections

On this occasion, the section “Kaleidoscope” reflects on the question “How can engineering contribute to planetary wellbeing?” in eight articles by teaching and research staff and students, mainly from the Department of Information and Communication Technologies (DTIC), who are involved in several cutting-edge projects. The articles show how engineering and humanities converge in the use of artificial intelligence and how they can help provide solutions to the challenges of 21st-century society in a number of areas including health and energy.

Art, understood as a space that encourages us to rethink how we live and function and a stimulus for awakening creativity as a driver for research and knowledge, features prominently in the pages of 360upf. In one of the interviews, Cristina BanBan, the artist behind the poster inaugurating the 2023-2024 academic year at UPF, discusses the ideas that inspired her and which she sought to convey in this work, as well as her approach to the creative process. In the section “Tres60”, the magazine shifts its focus to the work by Isaac Cordal, “Thinking Refuges”, which graces one of the hallways in the Ciutadella Library/CRAI, in the Dipòsit de les Aigües building, an installation which sparks critical reflection on the notion of progress.

The content of the magazine is rounded off with the section “Quiztime”, devoted to Dorothy Johnson Vaughan, a pioneer in the Space Race and acclaimed US scientist and mathematician; and “Panoramic View”, a look at some of the most salient news stories from the academic year’s first semester.