We are standing in these elections out of institutional responsibility. Out of a responsibility to offer a solid, inclusive and representative alternative. We are putting forward a proposal for a style of governance that listens, acts with transparency, takes responsibility and is firmly committed to accountability. We believe that this is essential to foster enthusiasm, trust and a sense of belonging within the UPC community. It is also key to placing the UPC’s mission as a leading technological university at the core of our priorities. We want to do this by remaining true to our essence, steering away from what is secondary or superfluous.

We aim to do so with a committed and motivated team, drawing on solid management experience across five vice-rector offices, three schools, five departments and one institute. A team with a strong record in research, knowledge transfer, teaching innovation and social responsibility. A team that believes in shared responsibility and a federal vision of the UPC. A style of leadership that proposes rather than imposes, that inspires rather than indoctrinates, that supports rather than directs, that persuades rather than overpowers. Because the true value of the UPC lies in the diversity of opinions, initiatives and beliefs within it. Without dogmatism, there must be space for all. This is our vision of what it means to defend the public university we are committed to.

We find ourselves at a pivotal moment. A new economic cycle, the rollout of the Organic Law on the University System (LOSU) and the arrival of the funds from the EU’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan have brought a substantial increase in public funding for the Catalan university system. Added to this, the lifting of hiring restrictions and the settlement of previous debts (“parquetazos”) create a unique opportunity to tackle deeply entrenched structural issues and to plan strategically for the future of the UPC. We cannot afford the opportunity cost of letting this moment pass.

Our programme is a strong commitment to talent, innovation and a future-oriented university. It includes a wide range of initiatives designed to advance the UPC as a leading academic and social institution. Among the highlights is a plan to enhance and support master’s and doctoral programmes, not only because of the excellence they bring but also because they are a key source of talent for the university itself. We also propose a strategy for the critical and effective integration of artificial intelligence across the University’s three core domains: teaching, administration and research. Another key priority is the plan to upgrade the UPC’s laboratories, both technically and materially, with the aim of transforming them into genuine engines of innovation for Catalonia’s productive sector, fully aligned with the European strategy for reindustrialisation. All of this will be undertaken with a firm commitment to sustainability and the fight against the climate emergency, across all campuses and in every domain. Combined with a more flexible staff policy to attract and develop talent, and a significant improvement in support for research groups, this approach reflects a commitment to reinforcing the UPC’s leadership in the social and technological transformation of the country, ensuring a sustainable future for all.

We are standing in these elections with the intention of reaffirming the UPC spirit in every initiative, project and action. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to respond effectively thanks to the strength of our core internal services, such as IT and maintenance. But also thanks to the knowledge that we had built up, the strong sense of belonging and the solidarity of the university community, which enabled us to make sound decisions at a critical time. That is why we believe it is essential to review our outsourcing policy and to launch a plan to identify and train internal talent that ensures generational renewal in key decision-making positions.

Along the same lines, we must recover the founding spirit of the Fundació Politècnica de Catalunya (FPC) and the Institute of Education Sciences (ICE), giving priority to activities that reflect the mission of a public, technological university like the UPC. We must once again turn these institutions into instruments that project and extend our core activities, regaining the commitment and involvement of the university community. We must also reconsider costly, unsuccessful initiatives outside our core mission, such as the FPCAT centre in Martorell.

Without students, there is no university. As engineers, architects and scientists at the UPC, we act with purpose. And that purpose can only be to contribute, in one way or another, to the education of our students. Everything we do should enrich their personal and professional experience, in a welcoming and stimulating environment. This is what university life is about.

We are firmly committed to innovation and teaching excellence as the best way to respond to a changing and increasingly demanding environment. We have many quality indicators that help us measure our performance. But ultimately, the most important one is that three years after graduating, when we ask students how they feel about having chosen the UPC, they answer:

“Choosing the UPC was one of the best decisions of my life.”

That must be our goal and our collective commitment. The shared milestone that we are determined to achieve. This is the UPC we believe in.

We enthusiastically accept the challenge of building the University that we deserve.

Thank you very much.

Francesc Torres

Francesc Torres’s campaign website

Campaign event calendar

Campaign video (in Catalan)
https://youtu.be/9WEwkYnsodg

Further information

• UPC rector elections 2025 (in Catalan)