Rosa Maria Calaf spoke on education as the people's "catalyst of rights", defended the role of journalism in democratic societies and called to continue fighting for gender equality at the opening lecture of this new academic year, in an event celebrated on 3 October at the Rectorat building.
The university community (students, teaching and research staff, administration and services staff) elected its senate representatives through an electronic voting system. Members can view the provisional results at the elections website (in Catalan).
The UAB, thanks to an initiative by the governing team, has created a mediation committee with the aim of resolving possible conflicts which could deteriorate the relations between different members of the university community.
The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona is once again the top university in Spain according to the Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2016-2017
Sara Moreno, Vice-Rector for Students and Employability, and Vicenç Sellés, Director of the Treball Campus, presented in Brussels the programme Euroacció, a pioneering programme to encourage students and graduates to take up work placements in EU institutions. They also presented the Brussels chapter, the university's first international alumni section.
According to the QS ranking of universities founded less than 50 years ago, the UAB ranks first in Spain, second in Europe and ninth worldwide.
On 3 October, the official opening of the academic year took place at the Rectorat building. Rosa María Calaf gave a conference against ignorances and inequalities entitled "Sortim de l'ombra. Contra la ignorància i la desigualtat".
From 12 to 17 September a new edition of International Welcome Days (IWD) will take place; a week full of activities for new international students attending the UAB.