"We need to question our current research model, with its over-dependence on political and economic circumstances. We need to reconnect it to society and the economy through new paradigms, such as open science and open access. Open science lets us forge linkswith citizens and get them involved, and open access means research can be shared and multiplied, as seen during the Zika virus epidemic and again today. Likewise, manipulative, misleading and anti-scientific positions must be challenged head on."
"A key factor will be guaranteeing net neutrality and accessibility, which are currently under threat from spurious ideological,economic and political interests."
Josep A. Planell, President of the UOC
"If there is one thing universities work with, it is knowledge [...]. For this reason, now is an excellent time for universities to reposition themselves in terms of a new social contract based on the 2030 Agenda. Now, due to COVID-19, we cannot put it off any longer, and radical change is required."
Pastora Martínez, Vice President for Globalization and Cooperation
"Unlike industrial society's more instrumental vision, a new conception grounded in the knowledge society sees employment as a lifelong process that is continuous and fluid – a process whose success will depend on its speed, alignment with education, stability, and the quality of conditions."
Àngels Fitó, Vice President for Competitiveness and Employability
"The difference is not in the type of delivery but in the intention. Is the motive profit or service? [...] It is true that online education permits greater scalability and that this can be particularly attractive for businesses looking to make a quick profit. At the same time, however, online education offers greater coverage."
Carles Sigalés, Vice President for Teaching and Learning
"As well as generating relevant knowledge responsibly and publishing it openly, we also need to be able to connect it to other areas beyond the disciplinary borders. Tackling complexity requires interdisciplinarity, as many present and future challenges are found in these borderlands."
Marta Aymerich, Vice President for Strategic Planning and Research
"In this context, we must ask ourselves what we can do to reshape and upgrade universities' management models, while at the same time upholding their mission and ensuring their sustainability."
Antoni Cahner, UOC general manager and FUOC CEO
"Today, economic and social progress is evidenced by the guarantee that it will deliver opportunities for professional, personal and collective development to all citizens in all territories."
Àngels Fitó, Vice President for Competitiveness and Employability
"What will happen in our universities from now going forwards? […] We're hoping for a major transformation. […] A digital, green and social transformation, inwards and outwards. Without forgetting anyone, from in or outside."
Pastora Martínez, Vice President for Globalization and Cooperation
"Online universities can, without doubt, guarantee equity in entrepreneurship. If we want entrepreneurship to reach wherever there's an internet connection, then we need the reach that universities have."
Àngels Fitó, Vice President for Competitiveness and Employability
"It will be very important to incorporate interdisciplinary aspects into the cybersecurity degrees and master's degrees to offer comprehensive training of this subject."
David Megías, UOC's Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) director
"Educational institutions should be able to get hold of them legally, at a fair price and with guaranteed levels of quality."
Ciro Llueca, director of the UOC Library
"Based on research, I'd highlight at least three factors behind successful online education, factors that require an institutional approach."
Teresa Guasch, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences
"Universities have an inescapable responsibility to train people so that they can enter and progress in the job market."
M. Jesús Martínez, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business
"Digital transformation has enabled us to solve serious problems, and we need to harness this knowledge and put it to the best possible use."
David Masip, Director or the UOC Doctoral School