University of Valencia

Universitat de Valènica, through one of Escena Erasmus’ stagings, has been choosen for its 4th consecutive year for a tour taking UV’s European students to several Spanish towns. The last three years, Universitat de València was selected again thanks to Escena Erasmus, while a year before it was selected thanks to ASSAIG, the Universitat de València’s theatre group. The play presented by Escena Erasmus is one of the six choosen by the programme ‘Las Huellas de la Barraca’.

Today, the Universitat de València’s Principal, Esteban Morcillo, along with the Dean of the Facultat de Medicina i Odontologia, Antonio Pellicer, and the Valencian minister for health, Luis Rosado, have presented the new decentralized teaching model for Health Sciences studies. This initiative will allow students to pursue their degrees entirely in the hospitals.

Javier Pérez, from BBVA, and Tur Coll, from Meliá Hoteles, will explain both companies’ experiences in managing human resources. This is taking place during a round table today, February the 7th, at 17:00, in Facultat de Psicologia’s Sala de Juntas. The event is organized by the Erasmus Mundus’ Master in Work, Organizational, and Personnel Psychology (WOP-P) and it is titled ‘The Human Resources Management in two Spanish worldwide companies: The experience of BBVA and MELIÁ Hotels.’

Francesc Valldecabres is the new director of the University Choir of València. He was born in Valencia, in 1980, and he continues the work of Constantino Martínez-Orts, who has been in charge of the choir during the last seven years. Through these years, the choir has received many awards as Medalla de Plata -the silver medal for mixed choir- at the Xiamen’s Choir Olympic Games in 2006 (China), the Habanera and public first prizes at the Torrevieja’s LIII Certamen Internacional de Habaneras in 2007, Distinción de la Orden de Jaume I (awarded by the Generalitat Valenciana), and, recently, Medalla al Mérito en las Bellas Artes por la Real Academia de San Carlos de Valencia in 2011.

IUDESCOOP, the Universitat de València’s University Institute of Social and Cooperative Economy, has approved a strategic plan for the next four years in order to consolidate its position both within the university and the Valencian social and cooperative economy.

Universitat de València calls for applications for SICUE programme, a student exchange system among Spanish universities, for 2012-2013 academic year. This programme allows Universitat de València’s undergraduates to study -when there is an academic agreement between both centres- in a different Spanish university for a period of time.

Last Friday, 3rd February, journalist Iñaki Gabilondo demanded ‘a good journalism, addressed to human beings. A journalism which seems to be lost in the big amounts of money, burocracy, politics, vested interests and power wars.’ These Gabilondo’s were part of his appointment ceremony as doctor ‘honoris causa’ by Universitat de València. The Principal, Esteban Morcillo, stressed that Gabilondo is the first journalist receiving this mention in the academic institution.

The first ‘Congreso Internacional Videojuegos y Educación’ of the Universitat de València’s Departament de Teoria de l’Educació starts tomorrow, February the 1st, in l’Alfàs del Pi (Alicante). The cogress intends to inform on the use of information and communication technologies and to spread their applications.

Last February 4th, Universitat de València hosted the V Congrés d’Escola Valenciana, titled ‘L’Escola en valencià: un model de qualitat més enllà del plurilingüisme’ (the school in Valencian: a qualitiy model beyong multilingualism). The framework conference by Federico Mayor Zaragoza, who is the person in charge of the UNESCO’s Fundación Cultura de Paz, took place after the Universitat de València`s Principal, Esteban Morcillo, introduced it at 12:30.

The Universitat de València’s committee for the study of Cabanyal-Canyamelar neighbourhood proposes a comprehensive socioeconomic plan (Plan Integral Socioeconómico), which should be considered from a ‘multidisciplinary approach’ and which should include ‘citizens’ involvement as a vital link in its drafting.’ This proposal is part of the university committee’s report, which was analysed by the Governing Council last February the 1st.

Professor Antonio Pellicer, Dean in the Universitat de València’s Facutat de Medicina i Odontologia, has been appointed new academician in the Academia Médico-Quirúrgica Española. The event took place last January the 31st, during the opening session of the 2011-2012 academic year in Madrid. Pellicer is also president of the Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad (IVI) and head of the Departamento de Ginocología y Obstetricia of the Valencian hospital La Fe.

The Universitat de València, the Valencian Conselleria de Sanitat and the company Nephrocare E-Services Spain (subsidiary of the German multinational Medical Care) have signed an agreement to develop a computer system which will improve patients’ assistance and diagnosis –especially for those suffering from kidney diseases. This computer system, which will reduce health expenditure at the same time, will include algorithms provided by our institution.

The Phone House stores have included the on-line appointment system Bookitit, a tool developed by the Parc Científc’s company Nubesis. The Phone House has begun to use this system for the express repairs of mobile phones and tablets.

Manuel Sanchis Marco, professor in the Departament d’Estructura Econòmica of the Universitat de València’s Facultat d’ Economia, has been invited to the 14th meeting of the Advisory Group of experts on socioeconomic sciences and humanities in the European Commission. Last February the 2nd, the opening of the commission sessions took place. At the meeting, Sanchis participated along with other experts in determining the fields of research which will receive financing from the European Commission.

Yesterday, February the 1st, the theatre programme planning for this second term started. The programme is organized by the Universitat’s Aula de Teatre and will be staged in the cultural centre La Nau’s Sala Matilde Salvador. Aula de Teatre was awarded the Premio Micalet prize by Generalitat Valenciana to the best amateur contribution. After several nominations, its theatre program planning offered throughout the academic year, was recognized.

From 2006 to 2010, Universitat de València has been among the top five Spanish universities excelling in nine areas of scientific production. That is the data by the ISI ranking of areas and scientific fields of the Spanish universities, which brings together public and private universities and is based on their publications in international journals of the highest impact and visibility (www.rankinguniversidades.es).

On its 40th anniversary, the Spanish NGO Médicos sin Fronteras (MSF) inaugurated yesterday, at the cultural centre La Nau, the exhibition ‘40 Años de Acción Humanitaria Independente’ (40 years of independent humanitarian action). It reviews the history of this medical and humanitarian organization as well as the principles which have guided its work. 30 pictures showing communities living in precarious circumstances, victims of armed conflicts, forced displacements, endemic, epidemic illnesses and nature disasters make up the exhibition, which can be visited until February 26th.

Adela Cortina, full professor in law’s philosophy at the Facultat de Filosofia i Ciències de l’Educació, was appointed doctor Honoris Causa by Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. The event took place last January the 27th at the Facultad de Ciencias de la Empresa in that institution. The work of this Universitat de València’s professor on economy applied ethics is recognized this way.

Students from UV will be able to have one of the 84 internships Becas Santander-CRUE-CEPYME, which will be granted this academic year. The internships’ goal is to reinforce the collaboration between companies and the university and to help with the future students’ professional integration. The Universitat de València’s Fundación Universidad-Empresa (ADEIT) organizes the programme.

Until next February the 29th, Picassent’s prison hosts the exhibition ‘Nusos. Gent del Casal de la Pau’. This exhibition, organized by UV, shows Casal de la Pau residents’ profiles through 32 portraits. The exhibition, which was already shown last year at cultural centre La Nau, moves now to the penitentiary facilities. Universitat de València has been collaboratin with this institution in the organization of workshops to bring culture closer to inmates.

In two years, almost 40% of the Valencian Community population –aged from 25 to 64– will suffer from overweight and 17% will become obese persons. These figures will rise: by 2030, 41,3% will suffer from overweight and 22,1% will become obese. These are the findings of a study carried out by Universitat de València and Universitat Politècnica’s researchers, which is financed by the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas (IVIE).

In 2011, Universitat de València reduced its energy consumption (electricity, gas and water) for the fourth consecutive year. This saving has been achieved despite the construction of new buildings. A better control of energy consumption is part of the strict saving plan Universitat de València has been carrying out from 2008.

Last February 26th, the first Asociación Española de Universidades con titulaciones de Información y Comunicación (ATIC) meeting was celebrated in Facultad de Comunicación at Universidad de Sevilla. 25 Spanish public and private universities are already part of this association. At the same time, the last Conferencia de Decanos (committee of faculty deans) meeting was held, after more than a decade, since the new association will continue in the development of the committee’s functions.

236 UV's students and graduates found a job in 2011 thanks to the Professional Integration and Employment Guidance Watch Centre service for job vacancies. Companies which recruited were devoted to commercial distributions, finances, education and insurance. Nowadays, 1,140 companies publish job vacancies in the OPAL service (www.uv.es/bolsadetrabajo).

Last February 27th, Universitat de València hosted the presentation of the V Congrés d’Escola Valenciana titled ‘L’Escola en valencià: un model de qualitat més enllà del plurilingüisme’ (the school in Valencian: a qualitiy model beyong multilingualism). The Vice-principal for Studies and Language Policy, Isabel Vázquez, and the president of Escola Valenciana, Vicent Moreno, attended the event, celebrated at the Office of the Principal’s building. The congress opening lecture is scheduled for next February 4th at the Facultat de Filologia, Traducció i Communicació.

The III Encuentro Inter-Estudiantes TICnología was celebrated in the Fundación Deportiva Municipal La Petxina last January the 25th. More than 600 secondary school students from many Valencian centres attended this activity, aimed at promoting ICTs through an exhibition showing their most recent applications.

Last January the 25th, the first coordination meeting for the VLC/CAMPUS Comissió de Millora Científica took place. The vice-principal for research and scientific policy, Pedro Carrasco, along with the Universitat Politècnica’s vice-principal for research, Amparo Chiralt and the CSIC’s delegate in the Valencian Community, José Pío Beltrán, shared a common strategy of research micro clusters and have presented the next innovation platforms.

Universitat de València’s Analysis and Planning Service (SAP) has just published the statistical data Recull de Dades Estadístiques for 2010/2011 academic year. The document can be consulted on http://www.uv.es/sap/v/docs/reculls.htm. It presents up-to-date information and the most relevant figures on the academic institution’s activities regarding teaching, research, services and infrastructures.

The Universitat de València’s institutional chair Càtedra de Finances Internacionals-Banc Santander is awarding grants to five doctoral students to attend the third edition of ‘Workshop on Energy and CO2 Markets’, which is taking place on February 16th and 17th at the headquarters of Fundació Universitat-Empresa de la Universitat (ADEIT). These grants, awarded for the first time, are partly covering the cost arising from the workshop attendance.

The Hospital Clínic’s cardiology service and the research group IDAL from the Universitat’s Department of Electronic Engineering have jointly developed a tool for assisting the clinical decision predicting the risk of angina pectoris. It is a tool aimed at patients who come to the emergency department suffering from chest pain of unclear origin, and not being suspected of having acute myocardial infarction, might be suffering from unstable angina pectoris.

The Universitat’s principal, Esteban Morcillo, and the Valencian governance minister, Serafín Castellano, signed yesterday an agreement to implement educational, training, research and popularization activities about subjects of interest of both institutions yesterday. In the commemoration year of the 30th anniversary of the passing of Estatut d’Autonomia, this agreement will soon allow the promotion of a chair for local civil law.

The seminar 'Inventando trincheras: normas y fronteras en la sociedad centroeuropea a principios del siglo XX' (Inventing trenchs: rules and borders in Central European society in the beginning of XX century) is organized by the Instituto de Historia de la Medicina y de la Ciencia López Piñero -joint centre by Universitat de València and CSIC-, with headquarters at Palacio de Cerveró. The seminar is taking place tomorrow, at 17:00, in the institute’s conferences hall. It will be conducted by Javier Ordóñez, lecturer of History of Science and Philosophy of Science in Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and it will verse on the relationship between science and war at the turn of the XIXth century to the XXth.

The Trust for Musical Activities (PAM) of the Universitat’s General Foundation opens the registration period for a total of five musical courses.

The Facultat de Medicina i Odontologia’s Aula Magna hosted yesterday, January the 24th, a conference for guidance personnel, managing teams and teachers at secondary schools. This activity is included in the 16th edition of the programme Conéixer, organized by the Students Delegation through the SeDi (Servei d’Información i Dinamització).

The journal Pasajes, which is a joint publication by Universitat de València and Fundación Cañada Blanch, launched its 36 issue yesterday, January the 24th, at 19:00. It included a report on intellectual property, one of the vital topics of the current public debate. The event took place at the Universitat de València’s Rector Peset residence hall (plaza de San Nicolás, 4).

Universidad Antonio de Nebrija and Fundació ACS award the Institut Universitari d’Investigació de Polítiques de Benestar Social (Polibienestar) the prize ‘Turisme Accesible’. The research, ‘Investigació de l’impacte del turisme sobre la salut funcional de les persones majors: el Turisme Social com estratègia de política social per a l’autonomia personal’ (Tourism impact on the functional health of the elderly: social tourism as social policy for self autonomy), was carried out by Mireia Ferri, Stephanie Carretero and Jorge Garcés.

The Vice-principal for Territorial Projection and Participation, Jorge Hermosilla, inaugurates tomorrow, January the 24th, at 19:00, the exhibition ‘La Universitat de València y sus entornos naturales: el Parque Natural del Túria’ (Universitat de València and its nature areas: the Natural Park of Turia river), which is taking place at Gran Teatro Antonio Ferrandis de Paterna. The event is going to be opened by Lorenzo Agustí, major of Paterna; Alfredo José González, general director of the natural area; Juan Orts, assistant director-general of the natural area; Salvador Villalba, manager of the natural park of Turia river; Ángel Morales, commissioner of the exhibition; Josep Montesinos, head of initiative, and the Vice-principal himself.

The Generalitat Valenciana’s president, Alberto Fabra, and the majoress of València, Rita Barberá, along with the principals of Universitat de València and Universitat Politècnica de Valènica, Esteban Morcillo and Juan Juliá, visit The European Space Agency (ESA) and Val Space Consortium (VSC) High Power RF Space Laboratory located at the Politècnica’s scientific park.

More than 500 secondary, upper secondary and vocational training students started last January the 20th laboratory practicals at the School of Engineering (ETSE). This activity will run to January 27th and it is the third edition. The practicals are adapted to the students standards and will allow them to get to know the studies and the new school facilities.

The Universitat de València’s Instituto Confucio, with the collaboration of the town council of Valencia, organizes the first Chinese parade to commemorate the New Year and the Year of the Dragon. It is one of the activities to complete the Chinese Spring Festival. The parade, which is headed by the Chinese dragon, will be made up of different taiji groups, martial arts groups, wushy or the lion dance, and it will take place at C/ Pelayo (near the train station Norte-Renfe) today, January the 23th, at 18:30.

The National Accreditation Entity (ENAC) has qualified Laram (Laboratori de Radioactivitat Ambiental) and has given it the technical expertise to implement trials in the environmental area. Laram is the first laboratory in the Universitat de València to have this qualification in accordance with UNE-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005.

In the event of the tenth anniversary of the death of the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, the social sciences library Gregori Maians -proposed by the Departament de Sociologia i Antropologia Social- inaugurate an exhibition which will show the work of this author and other works that some authors made about him. Moreover, the education library María Moliner will host an exhibition on the same author. Both exhibitions can be visited until February the 23th.

Doctors Esperanza González, Luis Moya Albiol and Josefa Pérez in the departments of Psycho-Biology and Developmental and Educational Psychology have studied to what extent people who looks after their autistic relatives are under chronic stress, having negative effects on health. Moreover, they have verified the beneficial effects of the application of a mindfulness programme on physical and mental health.

Laura Serna Torres, student in the IES Sixto Marco in Elx, and Anna Sirerol Talens, from IES Jaume II El Just in Tavernes de la Valldigna, have been awarded in the third edition of Premios Llegir sense Fronteres. This award is organized by the Universitat’s chair Càtedra de Divulgación de la Ciència. Entities such as Fundació Bromera per al Foment de la Lectura, the newspaper Levante-EMV, CAM bank’s Obra Social and Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (FECYT) collaborate as well.

Last January 19th, at 9:30, Espacio de Creación Contemporánea Las Naves (C/ Juan Verdaguer) hosted a showcase where 15 Valencian production companies are showing an eclectic mixture of contents and financing ways with the purpose of innovation. The Universitat de València’s Unidad de Investigación en Economía de la Cultura (Econcult), attached to IIDL (Interuniversity Institute for Local Development) organized the event.

The 16th edition of the Universitat’s Programa Conéixer started last January the 19th. At this edition, the programme participated in Salón Unitour. Programa Conéixer is an initiative aimed at future students of the Universitat and their families to show them the offer of degrees and studies. SeDi (Servei d’Informació i Dinamització) and the Students Delegation organize the programme.

The Principal, Esteban Morcillo, inaugurated last January the 20th, the Conferencia Nacional de Decanos de Facultades de Farmacia de España (the national conference of Pharmacy schools’ deans) at the Universitat de València. Members of the General Councils of Official Pharmacists Associations are also attending the conference, which is being held in La Nau’s Sala de Juntas at 10:30.

On January 19th and 20th, Universitat de València is hosting the final conference of ‘Sostenuto’, a European project which promotes culture as a driving force for social and economic innovations. The conference is titled ‘La cultura en primer plano: desvelando las claves de la innovación social y económica en el espacio Med’ (Culture in the foreground: disclosing the key for social and economic innovation in the Mediterranean).

The next Mètode’s monographic issue focuses on ethnobotany, a discipline half way between natural and social sciences, which studies the relationship that exists between people and plants. The issue’s name is 'Botànica estimada. Etnobotànica, una ciència de plantes i persones' and it is coordinated by the Universitat de Barcelona’s full professor in botany, Joan Vallés Xirau.

The association Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and the Instituto del Teatro de Madrid (Universidad Complutense), along with the collaboration of Universitat de València have organized the exhibition ‘La Barraca, Teatro y Universidad. Ayer y hoy de una utopía’ (La Barraca, Theatre and University. Past and present of a utopia), which covers the history of García Lorca’s La Barraca from its creation in 1932 to its end during the Spanish Civil War. The exhibition was opened last January 17th, at 17:00, in La Nau’s Sala Oberta.

For more than a decade, the Universitat de València and the Consejo Superior de Deportes, with the collaboration of the Physical Education and Sports Service, is granting some top-class athletes to help them to combine their sports careers and their university studies. This year, 119 athletes studying at the university are part of the programme.

The Aula de Música’s winter music programme started on January the 17th. Nineteen concerts are taking place at different Universitat de València’s venues: La Nau’s Capella de la Sapiència, residence halls Colegio Mayor Luis Vives and Rector Peset and Jardí Botànic.

More than 800 students and their teachers are taking laboratory practicals at the Facultat de Ciències Biològiques between Moday 16th, and next January 20th. This activity is titled ‘La biología en tus manos’, it is organized by the Delegation for University Integration, and 60 schools are expected to participate. This edition has scheduled eight practicals of two hours.

Student unions and associations had a meeting on January 16th, to promote the Plataforma en Defensa de la Universitat Pública (platform in support of public university). The event took place at the Office of the Principal’s building. Its promoters think that leaving the economic crisis ‘cannot be implemented by deteriorationg the public univeristy system.’ Yesterday, January 17th, the Governing Council is having a meeting to discuss the Univeristy’s financial situation.

The Universitat de València, coordinator of the masters’ degree Master Erasmus Mundus de Psicología del Trabajo, Organizaciones y Recursos Humanos (European Master on Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology), has received more than two hundred applications from 65 different countries for the master’s scholarships. These studies are organized by a consortium of universities and headed by professor José María Peiró, who is also director of IDOCAL (University Research Institute of Human Resources Psychology, Organizational Development and Quality of Working Life).

The president of the Confederación de Organizaciones Empresariales de la Comunitat Valenciana (CIERVAL), José Vicente González, will be the new academic manager of the chair Cátedra de Cultura Empresarial for the next two academic years. This university chair, managed by the Universitat de València’s Fundación Universidad-Empresa (ADEIT), celebrates its thirteenth edition this year.

The Universitat will digitalize half of the collection of the Library of the Aragonese Kings of Naples to create the first virtual library to gather three Middle Age and Renaissance European royal collections. The Libraries and Documentation Service participates in the project Europeana Regia, which will allow the general public to consult 874 documents and 307,000 images coming from five European . These libraries. These are Bibliotèque National de Paris, the coordinator’s project, the Royal Library of Belgium, and the German Bayerische Staatsbibliothek and Herzog August Bibliothek. Moreover, some collections already digitalized will be added by the British Library, the library Vittorio in Naples and several French local libraries.

Alfredo Calot Escobar, the European Union’s Registrar of the Court of Justice, the higher judicial power of the European Union, is gave a lecture last January the 13th, at the Facultat de Dret. Calot has had an important role in the consolidation of the European legal system. He studied law at Universitat de València (class of 1984) and is the Registrar of the Court of Justice since October the 7th, 2010.

On the occasion of the exhibition 'Siete reportajes sobre la inclusión social' (Seven illustrated reports on social inclusion) at the cultural centre La Nau, a round table titled 'Inclusión social y pobreza. El tratamiento en los medios de comunicación' (Social inclusion and poverty. How mass media deal with the subject) took place last Thursday, January 12th, at this centre’s Aula Seminario. This activity was carried out under the Universitat de València’s Fòrum de Debats and the entrance was free.

The Universitat de València’s Instituto de Robótica y Tecnología de las Comunicaciones (IRTIC), located at Parc Científic, has developed an innovative low cost system of presentation of ceramic products combining virtual reality and augmented reality technologies. The institute has been working for two years in the project, which is financed by TAU CERÁMICA. The tile manufacturer hopes to integrate this system in the short term in its stores.

Claustre Obert, the discussion space created by the Universitat de València and the newspaper El País in order to analyze the most important topics in the social and economic life, begins this year with a debate on the Valencian financial system. The event took place yesterday, January the 12th, in the cultural centre La Nau’s Aula Magna. Entrance is free.

The Patronato Martínez Guerricabeitia, belonging to the Universitat de València’s General Foundation, begins its annual edition of art curricular courses. Registration started yesterday, January 12th, and four courses on museology, cinema, social networks within the cultural field and comics will be offered. These courses are scheduled between February 7th and March 23rd and they can be recognized as 1 or 2 credits depending on the course’s length.

The Valencian journalist and writer Pere Miquel Campos is awarded the XIII Premio Vicent Ventura. The Universitat de València created this prize in 2000 as a tribute to the journalist, politician and civic activist who died in 1998. This prize is awarded to one person or group outstanding because of the civic, democratic and committed trajectory to Valencian language and culture.

The company Genia Global Energy, located at the Universitat de València’s Parc Científic, has promoted and developed the biggest photovoltaic power project in the French region of Charente-Maritime. It is the largest plant and the one with the highest power among the parks connected to the French electricity distribution system (ERDF) in 2011. The plant is in the town of Saint-Leger, in the province of Charente-Maritime (Atlantic coast).

A group of researchers from the Institute for Corpuscular Physics (IFIC), a CSIC and Universitat de València’s joint centre located at the Universitat’s Parc Científic, heads a pioneer research which determines the most accurate restriction of neutrino’s mass having data on the distribution of galaxies in the universe. The main conclusion states that the addition of the three types of neutrinos mass does not represent more than a 6 per thousand of the total of the cosmos’ mass-energy. Thus, the mass of this particle should not exceed 0,26 electron volts, 2 million times smaller than the electron’s mass.

The Universitat de València’s chair, Càtedra del Treball Autònom, supervised by Carlos Alfonso, issues the report ‘Evaluación actuarial de la reforma del sistema de pensiones en el Régimen Especial de Trabajadores Autónomos’ (Actuarial assessment on the pension system’s reform of the occupational scheme of self-employed workers). The document will be presented this week in Madrid and the Secretary of State, Tomás Burgos, will attend the event.

From yesterday, 10th January, the Universitat de València`s Facultat de Química hosts the activity named ‘Gaudir la Química’ (Enjoy Chemistry). Thanks to it, upper secondary school students are taking laboratory practicals at the faculty, which will allow them to become familiar with experimental work in an easy and appealing way. The activity will run until January the 27th. 127 Valencian secondary schools and 2,160 students will participate.

The Servei de Biblioteques i Documentació (Library and Documentation Service) shows on its web site the digitalized manuscripts of the international project ‘Europeana Regia’. The section called ‘El manuscrito del mes’ (the manuscript of the month) shows a balneotherapy treatise dated the end of XV century and titled ‘Nomina et virtutes balneorum Putheoli et Baiarum’.

BP Oil Spain, the Registry of Companies and GH Electrotermia are three of the companies awarded the XVII Premios Universidad-Sociedad, which are the prizes organized every year by the Universitat’s social council aimed at awarding the best university-company cooperation examples. Some members of the university community have also received recognition awards.

The Principals of the Valencian public universities had a meeting last Monday, January the 9th, with the Consell’s Vice-President and the Valencian Minister for Culture. After the meeting, the universities issued a joint communiqué.

The Universitat de València’s General Secretary has published in its web page (www.uv.es/sgeneral) the statutes reform proposal. Dated 9th January, the University Senate has registered the proposal by the Governing Council. Between January the 10th and February the 1st (at 18:00), amendments by any member of the university community can be proposed.

The Universitat de València, with the collaboration of private companies and the financing of the Spanish Ministry of Culture, has begun the development of a web platform which will facilitate the value and the economical impact calculation of the cultural patrimony.

The Parc Científic’s Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva is developing a study on the Chinese crab’s genes (Eriocheir sinensis). This type of crab has invaded the rivers of Europe and North America from its native region in Asia. This study takes place under the recent collaboration between Universitat de València and the National Taiwan University. The researchers will also analyze the migratory routes of this kind of crab, already spotted in Vigo and Seville.

The Principal of the Universitat, Esteban Morcillo, has participated at a university tribute to Ernest Lluch, lecturer and Minister for Health murdered by ETA eleven years ago. The tribute includes the exhibition ‘Ernest Lluch. El valor de la raó’, inaugurated at the Faculty of Geography and History, which is going to run until the end of January.

The five Valencian public universities call for extraordinary Governing Councils to assess financing problems after the lack of the Generalitat’s economical transfers for the months of November and December. The five institutions have announced a joint communiqué dated January the 4th.

Jaime Escribano Pizarro, European Doctor of the Universitat de València’s Departament de Geografia, has received a mention for the best Eurpean thesis about ‘Los entes locales y regionales en el marco de la Unión Europea’. Since 1996, the contest is organized annually, but up to this moment no member in the Universitat de València had been awarded.

Jardí Botànic hosts the exhibition ‘Madagascar en peligro. Paisajes naturales y humanos’ (Madagascar in danger. Natural and human landscapes) until next 12th February. It is a photographic exhibition by the Fundación Agua de Coco bringing the public closer to the biggest and most varied island in the African continent. The showing goes through the landscapes the foundation is working on, where a large process of desertification is taking place.

The Càtedra de Divulgació de la Ciència (chair for the diffusion of science) has been developing, since last October, the activities programme ‘La ciencia, tu futuro’. The Spanish foundation for science and technology (Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología, FECYT), the Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation and the bank CAM have financed the programme.

The Universitat de València exhibits at Consell Agrari in Sueca ‘La Universitat de València y sus entornos naturales: el Parque Natural de la Albufera’ (Universitat de València and its nature reserves: L’Albufera nature reserve) until January the 15th. This multidisciplinary exhibition goes over the lagoon’s history and the economic activities around it.

The Institut de Robòtica i TIC (Robotics Institute and ICT) coordinates the European project Hydrobionets, which is a pioneer project in the world and has a budget of 3,5 million Euros. This new technology will allow to save a 45% of the desalinated water costs and it will reduce a 74% the energy consumption in the purification facilities.

The Parc Científic’s auditorium will be named after the famous scientist and will become ‘Auditorio Marie Curie’, as the Principal, Esteban Morcillo, announced during the last governing council. The Universitat closes this way the International Year of Chemistry, rendering a tribute to the two times Nobel awarded figure for her findings in Chemistry and Physics.

The Universitat de València and Amnesty International have signed an agreement to collaborate in the promotion of activities related with the defense of human rights. In fact, this agreement makes visible a long trajectory of cooperative work which both institutions have been developing for many years.

The new issue of L’Espill presents a study about ‘Xenofòbia, populisme i extrema dreta a Europa’ (xenophobia, populism and extreme right in Europe), which includes articles by Xavier Casals, Enzo Traverso, Rene Cuperus, Jean-Yves Camus and Simona Skrabec.

Pasajes publishes a new report on intellectual property. It is one of the basic topics of public debate in which different perspectives are interwined, such as access to culture, copyright respect, cultural industries financing or the effect of communication new technologies.

The Universitat’s Principal, Esteban Morcillo, and the president of Fundació Divina Pastora, Armando Nieto, signed an agreement to implement the Universitat’s Cátedra Divina Pastora de Deporte Adaptado (chair Divina Pastora of Adapted Sports) last 23rd December. It is the first chair of the type among the Spanish universities.

Orfeó Universitary (the Choir of Universitat de València) gives the traditional Christmas concert today: ‘El món canta davant d’un bressol’. The recital is taking place at Palau de la Música’s Sala Iturbi. Tickets for the concert can be bought at Palau’s ticket offices or on www.entradas.com (6€, 9€ and 12 €).

The launching of Conec.es took place on December 22nd, at 13:30, at the Office of the Principal’s meeting hall. Conec.es is a website aimed at both general public and researchers and students. Its goal is to promote research and scientific vocation.

Universitat de València’s Principal, Esteban Morcillo, inaugurates the new facilities of Escola Tècnica Superior d’Enginyeria ETSE-UV. The event took place at the conference hall Joan Pelechano and it received the following figures: the Vice-Principal for Sustainability and Infrastructures, Clara Martínez; the manager of the school of engineering, Vicente Cerveró Lleó; the director of Universities, Higher Studies and Science, José Miguel Saval, and the mayor of Burjassot, Jordi Sebastià. They have visited the facilities before the inauguration ceremony.

Last Saturday, the 17th December, the cultural centre La Nau hosted the celebrations of Amnesty International’s 50 anniversary. During the event, the prizes ‘Microrrelatos’ were awarded by the Amnesty International group of Valencia and a string concert by the Philharmonic Orchestra’s band Camerata die Junge Musik was hold at Capella de la Sapiencia hall.

The sicences library at Burjassot-Paterna campus reopened on 20th December, after works carried out in the building have been finished. The opening hours during Christmas period is Monday to Friday, from 8:15 to 20:30, and Saturday from 9:00 to 14:00. Lendings are also possible from now on. The reading room of Escola Tècnica Superior d’Enginyeria (school of engineering) opens 24 hours in exams period.

The Governing Council approved on December the 20th, an agreement with Centre Universitary EDEM to offer a degree in Administració i Direcció d’Empreses with curricular itinerary or mention called Emprenedors. According to the agreement, the teaching activities of EDEM will be supervised by Universitat de València and its Principal will appoint a director for the attached centre among ‘the teaching staff of Universitat de València, after consulting the Governing Council.’

The cultural centre La Nau inaugurated Tuesday the 20th, at 19:30, two exhibitions. 'Juntos. Manolo Gil y Jacinta Gil (1945-1957)' can be seen at Sala Martínez Guerricabeitia. It shows simultaneous visions of the work by these two artists, leaders of Grup Parpalló. At Sala Estudi General, the exhibition ‘Imaginary. Una mirada matemática’ shows images created from equations. This showing has been organized by Real Sociedad Matemática Español (RSME), commemorating its hundred years of creation this way.

The Office of the Vice-Principal for Culture, Planning and Equality has announced some grants, awarded by means of the programme ESTIC, for innovative groups of students. The goal is to favor the creation of digital devices with a collaborative approach by groups of students in the 3, 4 or 5 years degrees and master’s degrees. This devices need to be created through TICs.

Banco Santander announces the second edition of ‘Beques Iberoamèrica. Joves professors i investigadors’, aimed at teachers and researchers, preferably under 35 years. The scholarships are worth 5,000 and are granted for a minimum of two months stay in centres and universities in Latin America. Applications for these scholarships between 12th December and 19th February 2012. More information on www.becas-santander.com.

The student residence Doctor Peset hosted on 20th December, the presentation of ‘Neuroética y neuropolítica. Sugerencias para la educación moral’ (Neuroethics and Neuropolitics. Ideas for a moral education.) by Adela Cortina, full university professor in Ethics and Politics Philosophy at Universitat de València. The event began at 19:30.

Universitat de València’s Principal, Esteban Morcillo, attended on Monday, 19th December, the ceremony celebrating that Phisiotherapy has now the status of Faculty taking place at Salón de Grados of this faculty.

The full university professor of Civil Law Francisco Javier Orduña Moreno has been appointed Magistrate at the Civil First Chamber of the Supreme Court. The appointment took place last 16th December by the General Council of the Judiciary in plenary session. Orduña is director of the Departament de Dret Civil (Department of Civil Law) of Universitat de València, member of the Electoral Commission of Valencian Community and member of the Universities Council.

VI Premios Vicent Andrés Estellés’ members of the jury awarded the work ‘La linterna maravillosa’ in the category Narrativa Científica-Estudi General (Scientific Narrative-General Study) to José Antonio Gordillo Martorell. This award, worth 3,000 Euros, is organized by the Chair for Science Popularization of Universitat de València and Burjassot’s town council. The book pays tribute to the film pioneer George Albert Smith (1864-1959).

The Principal, Esteban Morcillo, inaugurated the ‘Setmana per a la Integració’ (the week for integration) with the motto ‘Tots iguals, tots diferents’ last Monday, December 12th. The event was scheduled at 9:30 at the conference hall in the Facultat de Filologia, Traducció i Comunicació. Unitat per a la Integració de Persones amb Discapacitat (Unit for the Integration of People with Disabilities) organizes this initiative. The Unitat per a la Integració’s charter of services was presented during the event.

The Universitat de València organized a scientific symposium to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Albufera’s declaration as nature reserve at Jardí Botànic. The symposium took place last Friday the 16th December, and a visit to Albufera was scheduled on Saturday. The exhibition ‘La Universitat de València i els seus entorns naturals: El Parc Natural de L’Albufera’ (Universitat de València and its nature parks: the Albufera’s nature reserve) was presented as well, backed by the Office of the Vice-Principal for Territorial Projection and Participation.