The University of Valencia’s Principal, Esteban Morcillo, presents the new institute for the research on social welfare policy (Polibienestar) to companies, institutions, social organizations and mass media. Last September, the Valencian Government converted ERI-Polibienestar into a research institute in recognition of the work developed from its creation in 2006 as a interdisciplinary research entity of the University of Valencia.
The Principal was accompanied by Jordi Garcés, director of Polibinestar, and by Mariano Vivancos, general director for employment and labor incorporation of Servef (the Valencian office for employment and training). He said he was satisfied because “the new institute of research is a firm bid for research of the University”. He recalled the long process Polibienestar has come through and he thanked the effort and collaboration of the social sciences institutes.
‘To become a university institute it is compulsory to pass several assessment tests by entities such as the research committee and the governing council of the University, the ANEP or the AVAP, among others. This means that there must be a previous work in achieving national and international projects, publishing in high rated publications, implementing researcher’s education or having the capacity of financing. This outstanding research group is made up of 19 junior and senior researchers leading 13 new lines of research. Their average age is 45 years, they belong to 8 departments of 6 faculties, and they have 26 sexennial periods of research. They hold 7 research projects under way, which give us an idea of the work they are doing and the future potential of Polibienestar. Evidence of this is that it has acted as a consultant for five regional councils of the Valencian Government, and to some other five regional governments of Spain. Polibienestar is a member of AENOR for the sustainable construction, and of the Spanish tourism programme Thinktur. It has written some reports for the Spanish Parliament and usually cooperates with the European Commission to implement reports and assess the projects from the VII Programa Marco. Companies such as Sacyr, Iberdrola, and El Corte Inglés have asked Polibienestar for consultation as well’, recalled the Principal. He also said that Polibienestar parcipates in VCL Campus and Habitat 5U with the microclusters: ‘Technologías innovadoras para la Salud y el Envejecimiento activo saludable” (HealthyLiving) and ‘Tecnologías para la gobernanza y la sostenibilidad social’ (technologies for the social governance and sustainability).
The Valencian government decree pointed out that Polibienestar ‘has promoted the publication of its research results through prestigious scientific means of dissemination. It has stimulated the interdisciplinary cooperation, the I+D+i, and the transfer of research results’. Esteban Morcillo has claimed the ‘commitment of everybody to end this bad economical situation’.
Last update: 15 de november de 2011 16:15.
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