“I take on this position with great pleasure and along with it the challenge of continuing to incentivise the relationship between the University world and the social and business world--the core mission of the ADEIT Foundation.” Vicent Soler confirmed that this is the first position he accepted after rejecting several others.

A Foundation to bring the University closer to its environment
The ADEIT Foundation, belonging to the University of Valencia, was created more than 35 years ago to serve as a meeting ground between the University of Valencia and its socio-economic environment. To achieve this, it has developed programmes in three main areas: training, employability, and entrepreneurship. The ADEIT Foundation has a Board of Trustees made up of representatives from the University of Valencia and from the Valencian community, as well as a number of important companies committed to the promotion of university-industry cooperation.

A long history in the university and productive world
Vicent Soler has a long history in the university world as well as in the productive world. He is an expert in the economy and society of the Valencian region as well as its productive network.

On the one hand, he has held several different positions of responsibility at the University of Valencia. A 1972 graduate of Economics, he has been both professor of Applied Economics and head of the Department of Economic Structure at the University of Valencia and a Research Scholar for the London School of Economics. He was also the dean of the Faculty of Economics from 2012 to 2015 at the University of Valencia.

On the other hand, he has held varying positions in the political world as well. Among others, he was Councillor of Public Administration of the Valencian Regional Government from 1985 to 1987, alderman of the Valencia City Council, and councillor of the Finance and Economic Model.

Acknowledgement of the former president
Vicent Soler publicly recognised the work done in the last four years by both María Emilia Adán as president of ADEIT and by Fernando Gil, vice-president during the same interim.

Soler emphasised the speed of the transformation of the production system and the need to adapt to these changes at the university level as quickly as possible.

He also highlighted the “enormous impact” the University has on the economy and society and pointed, in particular, to its key role in training future professionals. “The University of Valencia is the most important factory for human capital,” Soler concluded.