Former URL rector Josep Maria Garrell presents his Manifesto as candidate to EUA’s Presidential Elections

Monday, March 20, 2023. Josep Maria Garrell, Rector of the URL from 2012 to 2022 and candidate for the Presidency of the European University Association (EUA), has presented a manifesto with the main proposals to consolidate the evolution and transformation of this association made up of more than 850 Higher Education institutions and organizations from 49 European countries, including 35 rectors' conferences.

On April 20, the EUA General Assembly, to be held in Gdańsk (Poland), will elect the new president for the next four years, who will replace the Irishman Michael Murphy.

Last October, the Spanish Association of Universities (CRUE) presented Garrell as a candidate for the EUA presidency, after his extensive experience as a member of the Board of this Spanish association for the last four years.

Since he announced his candidacy for the EUA Presidency last October, Garrell has met with representatives of many European National Rectors’ Conferences, with whom he has had the opportunity to learn about their concerns, proposals and analyses on the EUA as an organisation, on the agenda of the European Union for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, and on the European Higher Education Area.

Prof. Garrell states that ‘It is widely agreed that under the leadership of President Michael Murphy, the EUA has undergone a deep, positive, and highly constructive transformation’, and highlights the ‘sustained dialogue and engagement’ with NRCs, as well as the ‘pro-active’ approach to the Secretariat’s work and the assignation of portfolios to Board members.

In his opinion, all these initiatives have contributed to improving the general functioning of the EUA, the scope of the association and the feeling of belonging. For this reason, he points out that there is a consensus on the need to ‘consolidate this transformation’, giving continuity to the policy and initiatives promoted in the last term, but with the ‘necessary adjustments’ to adapt them to a ‘dynamic and changing’ environment.