The Universitat de València and the City Hall of Sagunt organise the Universitat d’Estiu Sagunt, which is funded by the Valencian Provincial Council. The intention of this first edition is to become stablished in the town after the wonderful reception that the seasonal universities of the Universitat de València have experienced in other towns such as Gandia, Alzira, Ontinyent, Enguera and Ademuz. ‘We want that the Universitat d’Estiu Sagunt celebrates its 34th anniversary as it has happened this year with the Universitat d’Estiu de Gandia’, has affirmed the Vice-Principal for Participation and Projection, Jorge Hermosilla.

Jorge Hermosilla has affirmed that the performance of the Universitat d’Estiu is a consequence of ‘a close collaboration between the Local Government and the Universitat de València’. As for the main theme of this 1st edition, the Vice-Principal has explain that ‘the intention is to promote the heritage value of Sagunt and the Camp de Morvedre, as well as to evaluate the economic effects of the proclamation of Sagunto as World Heritage. This process has been started and is led by the City Hall of Sagunt’.

The Mayor of Sagunto, Quico Fernández, has underlined the contact that has been stablished with all institutions and with the five Valencian public universities, which in fact are included in the World Heritage Council of Sagunto. In particular, the Universitat de València due to its specialisation and the technical assistance to ellaborate the complex record of the candidature.

Fernández highlights ‘the commitment of the university, the city hall and the Provincial Council to continue doing this Universitat d’Estiu. This project is helping us to promote this city and to achieve the consideration that this great Sagunt heritage deserves’.

This Universitat d’Estiu will be organised in two parts, an academic and an institutional sessions. On Wednesday 20th September at 18:00, the first session will be inaugurated with the presence of the Mayor of Sagunto, Quico Fernández, the Treasury representative, Toni Gaspar, and the Vice-Principal for Participation and Territorial Projection of the UV, Jorge Hermosilla. Then, the conferences ‘El valor patrimonial de Sagunt’, by Carmen Aranegui (full university professor of Archaeology), ‘Claves del Plan Director de Sagunto, Patrimonio de la Humanidad’, by Ester Alba (Dean of the Faculty of Geography and History), and ‘Evaluación económica de los efectos de Sagunto, Patrimonio de la Humanidad’, by Pau Rausell (Department of Applied Economics). Finally, there will be a round table moderated by the director of the Master's Degree in Cultural Heritage of the UV, José Luis Jiménez.

The institutional session will take place on 21st and people in charge of the different institutions will give their opinion on the process in several conferences. At 18:00, the Regional Secretary for Culture and Sport, Albert Girona, will start the conference’s turn. There will also be conferences of the president of the International Network of the UNESCO Programme 'Rutas de la seda', José María Chiquillo; and the deputy of Social Welfare of the Valencian Provincial Council and person in charge of the programme of the UV’s seasonal universities, Mercedes Berenguer. Then, there will be a round table moderated by Jorge Hermosilla that will close this first edition of the Universitat d’Estiu Sagunt.