The 2024/ 2025 academic year ends at the Universitat Politècnica de València. It has been a year marked by major academic and institutional milestones, but also by tragedy, with the Dana, demonstrating the university community's commitment to those affected. ()
The Nexus auditorium hosted the extraordinary institutional closing ceremony for the 2024/2025 academic year. As explained by the Rector, José E. Capilla, in his speech, the Rectorate building is undergoing essential energy improvement and photovoltaic installation works; the execution has been delayed by the Dana, which affected some of the companies managing works at the university. These works, which are a commitment to sustainability, have made the UPV the first public university to obtain the Ministry of Ecological Transformation's ‘Calculo, Reduzco, Compenso' (I calculate, I reduce, I offset) seal, and the UPV has the lowest carbon footprint per person.
The Emeritus Professor Pilar Roig Picazo gave the closing lecture entitled ‘The beauty of Valencian Baroque and its conservation’, in which she reviewed the most important projects she has directed at the Royal Basílica of la Virgen de los Desamparados of València, the Church of San Pedro Mártir y San Nicolás de Bari, and the Royal Parroquia of los Santos Juanes de València. All three have a common denominator: the painter Antonio Palomino.
Roig also recalled the collaboration with the restorer of the Sistine Chapel, Gianluigi Colalucci, who was awarded an honorary doctorate by the UPV in 1995.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the investiture of new PhDs. This exciting moment is the result of years of research. In addition, the Extraordinary PhD Awards and the Groundwater Award to the Hydrogeology Group of the Universitat Politècnica de València were presented.
Esther Gómez, Regional Secretary for Universities of the Valencian Government, referred to the need for Valencian universities to be ‘strong universities, with culture, free science and research’ for real progress, an innovative economy and a cohesive society.
Capilla emphasised the behaviour of the university community during the Dana, which showed ‘enormous solidarity and generosity’, demonstrating, together with the university staff, the UPV's commitment to social responsibility.
He also highlighted the consolidation of teaching and research excellence, with a record number of public job offers, advances in internationalisation and leadership in research, as well as plans to expand and improve infrastructure, including the future ‘UPV Caramelos' headquarters in the centre of València.
With a new institutional phase beginning following the approval of new statutes and governing bodies, the Rector emphasised the fundamental role of universities as spaces for critical thinking, peace and social justice in a world marked by uncertainty and conflict.
The academic year at the Universitat Politècnica de València came to a close with the responsibility of educating citizens committed to peace.
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