UAB Rector Javier Lafuente, new president of the ACUP

UAB Rector Javier Lafuente has been appointed the new president of the Catalan Association of Public Universities (Associació Catalana d'Universitats Públiques, ACUP). The presidency of the association is elected each year on a rotational basis among all rectors of the member universities.

Rector Javier Lafuente was appointed by the ACUP's governing board in a meeting which took place on 28 January. The new governing board will be made up of University of Lleida Rector Jaume Puy (Vice President); President of the University of Barcelona Social Council Joan Corominas (Second Vice President); President of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC) Social Council Ramon Carbonell (Third Vice President); and Rector of the Rovira i Virgili University María José Figueras (Secretary). Rector Figueras thus leaves her position as President of the ACUP and gives way to Rector Lafuente's presidency.

The rectors of these universities represent their institutions at the ACUP general assembly, the highest governing body of the association. In 2008, the general assembly grew to include presidents of social councils and of equivalent positions from its member institutions

The ACUP was created in 2002 and its member universities are the UAB, the UB, the UdG, the UdL, the UOC, the UPC, the UPF and the URV. Its objective is to defend the interests of public universities and the role of universities in society, to project them internationally and to promote unique and strategic collaboration projects while seeking maximum efficiency and the largest possible impact.