On 9 November, the re-founding session of the UPF Social and Business Forum, promoted by the Board of Trustees, took place on the Poblenou Campus as part of Transfer Week - NODE UPF. Over 70 people took part in the session, including members of the Board of Trustees, Steering Committee and departments at the University, as well as senior managers at institutions and organisations from highly diverse sectors who have a special link with Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), many of whom are alumni. The aim of the event was to facilitate reflection and spark debate and cooperation among members of the Forum and academics, researchers and heads of the University.

Present at the event, which was hosted by Milagros Pérez-Oliva, journalist and member of the Board of Trustees, were Laia de Nadal, rector of UPF, and Montse Vendrell, chairwoman of the Board of Trustees. 

Laia de Nadal: "we need to reinforce our ties with our alumni, to cooperate, listen to them and, first and foremost, leverage their experience and expertise"

Laia de Nadal, in her welcome address, emphasised the importance of cooperating with companies and organisations as key to improving the University: “You are an essential ally for continued transformation, continued innovation and, most importantly, continued progress.” The rector then underscored UPF’s successful track record and outlined the three strategic challenges posed by the new governance team in their action plan for the coming years: adapt to the new paradigms of higher education, strengthen scientific research and reinforce the transfer of knowledge. Lastly, she highlighted the importance of alumni, particularly their role as strategic partners: “We need our alumni in strategic areas at the University; we need to reinforce our ties with our alumni, to cooperate, listen to them and, first and foremost, leverage their experience and expertise, and implement their ideas or make them ambassadors of Pompeu Fabra University.”

Montse Vendrell: "We want this forum to become a group for senior managers, many of whom attended UPF, and diverse and cutting-edge companies and organisations, with which to exchange opinions and experiences in a centre for university studies and research like this one"

Montse Vendrell also highlighted the importance of the Social and Business Forum as a key tool for establishing a strong partnership between the University and the business landscape. According to the chairwoman of the Board of Trustees: “We want to provide it with fresh impetus, by renewing its members and diversifying the types of companies and sectors represented. We also want to give our alumni a greater say, many of whom now occupy decision-making positions in various organisations.” A greater say, which she explained in the following manner: “We want this forum to become a group for senior managers, many of whom attended UPF, and diverse and cutting-edge companies and organisations, with which to exchange opinions and experiences in a centre for university studies and research like this one.” In conclusion, she urged those present to play a part in defining a fundraising strategy, while building enriching links for the exchange of knowledge and experiences. 

Afterwards, Albert Cañigueral delivered a lecture entitled "The Future of Work", which focused on the challenges and opportunities of the business world in the technological era and on the significant changes that work dynamics are currently experiencing.  

Albert Cañigueral: “Companies are no longer the sum of their employees, but the sum of their talent and skills”

Among other issues, he addressed the automation of tasks, cooperation between humans and machines, the flexibilisation of labour relations, teleworking and telepresence and the creation of new work settings and environments. The role of artificial intelligence in the rapidly changing world of labour and society and the opportunities it presents were also discussed in the lecture and ensuing debate, in which all attendees took part.

In the current transition toward a digital society, Cañigueral stressed the need to ask the right questions and gear business and social strategies toward a more sustainable future; one in line with the new scenarios.

The lecture sparked a debate which addressed various issues, such as the notion that the new landscape requires new forms of learning, with the proposal of a more ongoing and lifelong form of education and more frequent retraining. On an academic front, discussion also centred around how to develop cross-cutting competences and thereby boost knowledge of tools and processes that are applicable in various sectors, regardless of the person’s expertise in a specific area. In short, a series of reflections on how educational institutions could better adapt to the needs of the professional world, taking into account the joint responsibility of the academic and economic sectors in this process of evolution, with the different expectations, visions and opportunities. 

With the new momentum given to the Social and Business Forum, UPF has consolidated its commitment to innovation and high-quality education. Strengthening ties to the business world helps chart out new avenues for cooperation for addressing the work-related challenges and educational changes needed for a dynamic and constantly changing future.