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Under the slogan “University and Society”, the 5th Universia International Rectors' Summit was held in Valencia (Spain) on 8, 9 and 10 May 2023 to discuss the way that, if universities advance, society progresses on the role of Universities as a driving force for a more sustainable social and economic development.
With nearly 700 academic leaders from 14 countries, representing more than 14 million students, this summit was attended by political personalities, companies and institutions involved in the future of education on a global level.
It is one of the biggest rectors' summits in the world, and all of them were called upon to lead an un precedented discussion in order to provide solutions about how universities can contribute to taking on a number of the challenges that humanity faces, in pursuit of a fairer, more inclusive and more sustainable society.
The summit's conclusions were set out in the Valencia Declaration, which identified a number of areas of action where universities can develop value proposals to contribute to more sustainable social and economic progress in society through education, research and innovation.
students represented
students represented
Academic topics
There were three academic themes in the Rector´s Summit: Supporting Lifelong Learning, Boosting Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Promoting Networks and Interconnectivity.
In an increasingly competitive and changing global world, universities have a decisive role to play in helping people update their professional skills throughout their lives and in making individuals more employable. Universities are also key as drivers of change in promoting initiatives for innovation through the creation of new companies. In order to take on these social challenges with greater success, collaboration between universities, governments, industry and society as a whole is essential.
Supporting Lifelong Learning
Among the issues being discussed were new learning models, developing transversal skills, and the role of the university in lifelong learning.
Boosting Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Among the issues being discussed were entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology transfer in response to social challenges.
Promoting Networks and Interconnectivity
Topics included: academic mobility, the Open Science network, and university/business cooperation as catalysts for social and economic development.
Speakers
Eva Alcón Soler
Rector of Universitat Jaume I de Castelló (UJI)
Cara Aitchison
President and vice chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University
Liz Bacon
Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Abertay University
Andrés Basilio Agres
Rector of Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA)
Alexandra Brandão
Global head of Human Resources at Santander Group
Steve Cleverley
CEO of Oxentia Ltd and director of Oxentia Foundation (United Kingdom)
Graciela Do Mato
Member of the provisional Central Board of Directors of the Universidade Tecnológica (UTEC)
Laia de Nadal
Rector of Universidad Pompeu Fabra
Eloísa del Pino Matute
President of Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
Rosa Devés Alessandri
Rector of Universidad de Chile
Daniel Faccini Castanho
Co-founder and chairman of the Board of Ânima Educação
María José Fernandes
President of Instituto Politécnico do Cávado e do Ave (IPCA)
David Garza Salazar
Rector and executive president of Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec)
Luis Armando González Placencia
Executive general secretary of the Mexican Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES)
Sandra Regina Goulart Almeida
Rector of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)
Joan Guàrdia Olmos
Rector of Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Eduardo Hebel Weiiss
Rector of Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO)
Teofil Jesionowski
Rector of Poznan University of Technology
Fernando León García
Rector of CETYS University
José Luján Alcaraz
Rector of Universidad de Murcia (UM)
Ken Matsuno
Murata vice president of Academic Affairs and Dean of Babson College (USA)
Celso Niskier
Rector of UniCarioca
Andrea Nolan
Principal and vice-chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University (United Kingdom)
Pablo Rivas
Founder and CEO of Global Alumni
Julián Rodríguez
Rector of Universidad Austral
Edward Roekaert Embrechts
Rector of Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC)
Maritza Rondón Rangel
Rector of Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia
Lynette Ryals
Chief Executive of MK:U
João Sàágua
Rector of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
Esther Lucía Sánchez
Rector of Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCUYO)
Enrico Schleiff
President of Goethe University Frankfurt am Main
Lúcia Teixeira
President of Universidade Santa Cecília
Adriana Tortajada
CEO & Managing Partner of Twelve Hundred VC
Hilligje van´t Land
Secretary General of the International Association of Universities (IAU)
Ricardo Villanueva Lomeli
Rector of Universidad de Guadalajara (UDG)
Meet the experts
Tim Berners-Lee
Inventor of the World Wide Web and president and founder of Open Data Institute
Ignacio Cirac
Director of the Max-Planck-Institute for Quantum Optics
Pilar Manchón
Senior Director of Research Strategy at Google AI
Nuria Oliver
Co-founder and director of the Fundación ELLIS Alicante
Sarah Harper
Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing
Olivier de Weck
Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Panel: “Megatrends”
Lawrence Summers
Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus at Harvard University
In addition...
Santander Young Leaders for Education
Thanks to the Santander Skills | Young Leaders for Education program, and in collaboration with the University of Valencia, 60 scholarship recipients enjoyed a five-day stay in the city of Valencia (Spain) in order to participate in the 5th Universia International Rectors' Summit.
From May 8 to 10, 2023, they collaborated in the social and academic agenda of the Summit and presented their own vision and ideas in this regard.
Santander X Global Award 2023
Banco Santander, together with Oxentia Foundation, have launched a new edition of the Santander X Global Award in 2023, the university entrepreneurship award for the best university solutions of Santander X.
The best startups from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Spain, Mexico, Portugal, United Kingdom and Uruguay had the opportunity to compete in the global pitch day in Valencia, and be able to win cash prizes, access to Santander X 100 and additional benefits to continue advancing their projects.
Press releases
Ana Botín announces €400m Santander investment in education, employability and entrepreneurship by 2026
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, presided over the opening ceremony of the 5th Universia International Rectors Summit. The summit is attended by 700 rectors who come from 14 countries and represent 14 million students.
Spanish PM and Banco Santander exec. chair to open 5th Universia International Rectors Summit
Some 700 university rectors and administrators, political and business leaders, and domestic and foreign institutions from 14 countries will come together in Valencia on 8, 9 and 10 May.
5th Universia International Rectors Meeting to put host city Valencia at centre of education map
Some 700 university rectors and administrators from 14 countries, political and business leaders, and domestic and foreign institutions will come together in Valencia on 8, 9 and 10 May.
#SantanderUniversia2023
All the summits
- Valencia · 2023
- Salamanca · 2018
- Rio de Janeiro · 2014
- Guadalajara · 2010
- Sevilla · 2005
2023 | Valencia · Spain
Held in Valencia, Spain, on 8, 9 and 10 May, the 5th International Rectors Summit brought together nearly 700 university leaders from 14 countries, representing 14 million students, together with personalities from politics, business and beneficiaries of the Santander Scholarship and Santander X programmes.
2018 | Salamanca · Spain
The 4th Universia International Rectors' Summit took place in the city of Salamanca (Spain) on 21 and 22 May 2018. More than 700 university leaders from 26 countries participated at the event. The gathering provided the opportunity to reflect on the main challenges facing universities, in relation to the digital world, university research and the contribution of universities to social and territorial development.
2014 | Río de Janeiro · Brazil
The 3rd Universia International Rectors' Summit saw the participation of more than 1,100 rectors from 33 countries and took place in Rio De Janeiro (Brazil) on 28 and 29 July 2014.
The rectors discussed ten critical issues for transforming the university of the 21st century. In particular, the future of universities, their ability to respond to the needs and the role of Brazil in an international context were analysed.
2010 | Guadalajara · Mexico
The city of Guadalajara (Mexico) was the location chosen for the 2nd Universia International Rectors' Summit, on 31 May and 1 June. More than 1,000 university rectors from different countries took part.
These academic leaders discussed the social commitment of universities in Ibero-America and the main challenges they face in fulfilling their missions.
2005 | Sevilla · Spain
The 1st Universia International Rectors' Summit made Seville (Spain) into the world capital of higher education during 19 and 20 May.
The main themes of the sessions were: the construction of a new Ibero-American university model, the creation of a common Ibero-American space in a globalised world, the university as a factor for economic and social development and the university-company relationship for promoting innovation.
