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UB and UPC Barcelona Knowledge Campus recognised as the best International Campus of Excellence in Spain

By 27 de November de 2009November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 27.11.2009

UB and UPC Barcelona Knowledge Campus recognised as the best International Campus of Excellence in Spain

The Barcelona Knowledge Campus(BKC) project, submitted by the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, has been recognised as the best International Campus of Excellence and has been awarded 21 million Euros by an international commission headed by the Ministry of Education. UB-affiliated Barcelona Science Park and UPC Research and Innovation Park are key elements of this proposal as both institutions promote a strategic R+D+i cluster within BKC's setting in which researchers from all over the world converge.


After the deliberation of an international board of experts which heard presentations on the 18 “strategic viability and conversion plans” to become an International Campus of Excellence that passed the first phase of the call for proposals, nine projects coordinated by eleven universities have been granted the rating of “International Campus of Excellence 2009 ” (CEI 2009). BKC’s scored higher than the other four projects–UAB, UCM + UPM, UAM and Carlos III- that have also obtained the rating of excellence and will be sharing 52 million Euros.

The collaborative joint effort carried out by these two Catalan universities, which complement each other in some fields and are leaders in specific areas of education and training, research and knowledge transfer, has been fundamental in BKC receiving the the International Campus of Excellence rating.

The dean of the UB, Dídac Ramírez, congratulated both institutions and said that he was very proud of the UB and the UPC for being at the top of the list of Spanish universities”. In this sense, Mr. Ramírez went on to say that “BKC’s achievement has come to show that the all is more than the sum of the parts. Our project is and will be 1+1=3. We are two universities but ONE only project of excellence”.

The dean of the UPC, Antoni Giró, explained that “this recognition to excellence is the logical result of the hard work that both universities have being doing out thanks to the endeavours of many individuals whom, with limited resources, carry out their work convinced that the university is the driving force of social progress and the social, cultural and economic well-being of the country”. Dean Giró added that this recognition will serve to consolidate BKC as a centre to attract international talent.

The Barcelona Knowledge Campus will be the pulling force of scientific, social and business activity within the Barcelona region, from the perspective of the multiplication of the capabilities of both institutions. The international vocation of the two universities and the premise to prompt a change in the economic model that transforms the settings are the basis of the proposal. The addition of the capabilities of the UB and the UPC in this setting is the result of the work carried out by 314 research groups, 6,800 researchers, 23 scientific and technological centres and 47 spin-offs.

Link to the press release issued by the Ministry of Education

For further information