Josep Massot y Manuel Lladonosa have been awarded the Medal of Honour of the Xarxa Vives d’Universitats.

The Medal of Honour is the highest distinction given by the 22 universities associated in the Xarxa Vives. They recognize the professional career and the commitment to science and culture performed by the award-winners in different areas and disciplines.
Josep Massot is a prominent promoter of contemporary Catalan culture, especially in the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community. He became monk of Montserrat in 1962 and he manages the Publications of Montserrat Abbey since 1971 (year in which he was ordained priest). He has been secretary of the Associació Internacional de Llengua i Literatura Catalanes, president and vice-president of the Societat Catalana de Llengua i Literatura (subsidiary of the Institut d’Estudis Catalans), and vice-president of the historical-archaeological association of the IEC. In addition, he is secretary of the Reial Acadèmia de Bones Lletres of Barcelona and since 1991 custodian of the fund of the Obra del Cançoner de Cultura Popular of Catalonia.

Massot was awarded with the Francesc de Borja Moll (1989), Crítica Serra d’Or (1993), Sanchis Guarner (1994) and the Premi Nacional de cultura popular of the Government of Catalonia (1997), among others recognitions. In 1996 he received the Cross of Sant Jordi. He was invested honorary doctor by the Universitat de les Illes Balears (1998) and the Universitat de València (2016). In addition, he was awarded in 2012 with the 44th Honorary Award of the Lletres Catalanes.

Manuel Lladonosa is considered to be a main figure in the foundation and the first steps of the University of Lleida. He was dean of the Faculty of Letters in the late eighties and director of the History Department several times. He is professor of Contemporary History since 1989. He presides over the Patronat Municipal Josep Lladonosa Pujol d’Alguaire since 1992, and is a member of the Reial Acadèmia de la Història. In recent years, he has focused his intellectual interest in the future of university in the 21st century. This is the reason why he has coordinated the collective work ‘La universidad en el cambio de siglo’ (1998).

Lladonosa has developed an intense civic and cultural activity as president of Òmnium Cultural (1980-1982), the Ateneu Popular de Ponent (1979-1987) and the Red Cross (1993-1996). He was awarded with the Premi d’Actuació Cívica in 1999 by the Carulla Foundation and the Cross of Sant Jordi in 2005 by the Government of Catalonia.