The commemorative events have taken place within the framework of European projects, conferences and activities involving the various units within the institute, both from the UV and other institutions. Among these events, on 9 September, Jorge Garcés, director of POLIBIENESTAR, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV).

In these ten years, the Institute has become a benchmark in social science research, especially in the study and transfer of European public welfare policies. It stands at the forefront of international research, facilitating interdisciplinary collaborations between technical and social science teams. The institute's work has resulted in numerous reports, policy recommendations, books and academic articles, significantly contributing to the scientific community and society through platforms, standards, indicators, apps and algorithmic applications.

Since 2011, POLIBIENESTAR has been coordinating European projects with over 55 million euros in funding across 107 projects. The institute's daily operations involve 61 researchers from eleven UV departments, forming research groups like LabPsiTec, InnoMark and ScienceFlows, in collaboration with the UV's UCC+i.

The POLIBIENESTAR Spain research team includes more than 120 experts, with collaborations from various institutions: Jaume I University of Castelló, University of Burgos, University of Castilla-La Mancha, University of Murcia, University of Extremadura, Polytechnic University of Madrid, University of the Basque Country, Polytechnic University of Valencia, University of Concepción in Chile, University of Guelph in Canada and Autonomous University of Encarnación in Paraguay.

According to Jorge Garcés, “we have consolidated a mix between social sciences and technical sciences without losing rigour or independence. We identify ourselves as a forum for thought and creativity, where professionals from social work, sociology, mathematics, pedagogy, engineering, psychology, economics, medicine, architecture, journalism, law and political science collaborate. We enjoy the pleasure of learning, discussing and arguing in research from a kaleidoscopic perspective, training the next generation of researchers”.

POLIBIENESTAR is a public institute belonging to the University of Valencia. Its mission is to improve social welfare and quality of life through interdisciplinary and socio-technical research. Its director, Jorge Garcés-Ferrer, is a professor of Social Policy at the University of Valencia and Prince of Asturias professor at Georgetown University (Washington DC, USA).

Annex photo caption:

• Researchers of the Interuniversity Institute of Social Welfare Policy (POLIBIENESTAR).