Chair of Territory Thinking Joan Noguera is born from a collaboration agreement between Universitat de València and the City Council of Gandia. This Chair focuses on the analysis, planning and management of the territory at a local scale within the local region of La Safor, Valencian Community.

Gandía is a city rich in history and culture, that maintains a close relationship with the Valencian universities for years now. The connexion Gandía has with intellectual thinking can be explained from its own history and becoming as a city. We must not forget that, in the 16th century, Duque of Gandía Francis Borgia decided that this place would be perfect to open a first university.

In 1984, the first Gandía Summer University (UEG) is born. Since then, the relations between the cities of València and Gandía have been improving year after year thanks to, among other reasons, to the permanent presence of the Universitat de València. As years went by, the Universitat de València increased its involvement, with a stable teaching project that has allowed the development of all sorts of activities to benefit the people of Gandía.

We must specially highlight the role played by the brilliant professor Joan Noguera during all this process. A natural thinker and academic from Gandía, very committed to his teaching and research duties, who contributed greatly to consolidate the role of the Universitat de València in his city. He built a really strong human team, allowing him to put into operation the “Gandía International Centre” from a discrete but powerful Vice President position between 2008 and 2012.

Nowadays. Gandía has multiple renowned academic institutions, among which the Universitat de València shines. These institutions maintain the higher education tradition of the city alive, and contribute to the intellectual thinking of different fields, such as science, technology and humanities. The Universitat de València and the City Council of Gandía whish to improve their relations and want to put forward, among other ambitious projects, the “Chair of Territory Thinking Joan Noguera”. A Chair that will be a recognition of professor Noguera and his passion for his land.

The “Chair of Territory Thinking Joan Noguera” is created as a space for broad spectrum analysis and reflection, aimed at the promotion of university activities within the city; to contribute with its findings, in a supportive and intelligent way, to the much needed progress of Gandía and of the La Safor region.

In the middle of the 21st century, Gandía, particularly, needs a cutting-edge space for analysis and reflection to help it set the course as a cultured, modern and competitive city. In this sense, this Chair can, without a doubt, contribute to such important and much needed mission.