Yesterday, the four public universities in the metropolitan area of Barcelona presented an alliance to work together, obtain institutional recognition and promote themselves abroad under the BKA (Barcelona Knowledge Alliance) brand.
The rectors of the universities of Barcelona (UB), Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and Pompeu Fabra (UPF) have explained that the purpose is to “add” to become “central actors” in the development of Barcelona, achieve strategic agreements in the city and make its teaching and research power known abroad.
The rectors indicated that the alliance, which was born without setting objectives, aspires to create a university system similar to the state of California or Boston. California, with 10 campuses, including Berkeley, maintains its uniqueness, but is a central player in the development of the territory and promotes itself as the University of California. Or Boston, which has the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard or Boston University, which attract thousands of students from all over the world, companies and technology start-ups that seek to hire the best young talent.
In the opinion of the Catalan institutions present at the presentation, and bridging the gap with the American ones, those from Barcelona also have prestige, university life, research strength, cultural diversity and job opportunities.
The four have more than 130,000 students, more than 15,000 teachers and researchers and have more than 7,000 technical, management and administrative personnel. They are research intensive and participate in prestigious international university networks. All this despite the meager budget they have, far from what their American or European counterparts enjoy.
The rector of the UPF, Laia de Nadal, has highlighted that three campuses of the alliance are in the top 3 in Spain in international rankings and that the UPC is the leader among polytechnics. Likewise, the city attracts thousands of students, professors and researchers every year, indicated Daniel Crespo (UPC). And, although the scientific, student and economic impact is enormous and constitutes a driving force for the city's development, this is not perceived by the institutions.
The alliance is open to “collaborating with the city council to find the solutions that the city needs,” the rector proposed, and at the same time “granting it academic prestige.”
The campuses will associate the Barcelona BKA brand with their name. “We add, we do not compete,” said Javier Lafuente, rector of the UAB. “We think that the future will involve this type of agreement,” confirmed Joan Guàrdia (UB).
Among possible specific initiatives, yesterday the Diagonal campus was mentioned, where there will be facilities of the UB and the UPC, entities that could promote a joint library. Or share learnings from the development of European alliances.
Regarding the relationship with the city council, the rectors have stated that “it is not formally established”, but that “there is complicity” in the idea of promoting “Barcelona as a university city”.
Without a legal entity, the presidency of the alliance will rotate annually among the participating universities and the UB is the one that begins the journey, followed by the UAB, the UPC and the UPF.
