Universidad Europea de Valencia and the UN sign an agreement to promote training and research
The Universidad Europea de Valencia and the United Nations (UN) have signed a collaboration agreement that covers the academic, research and dissemination fields, and which has among its main objectives to promote the development of the local technological ecosystem. The agreement, which is the result of the excellent relations between the two institutions, was made official with a meeting at the UN base in Valencia, attended by the Chief of Communication and Information Technology Service, Michel Bergeron, and the Rector Rosa Sanchidrián. Thanks to this agreement, the European University of Valencia becomes the first Valencian university to reach an official collaboration agreement with the United Nations Centre for Information and Communication Technology in Valencia.
The Rector, Rosa Sanchidrián, referred to the agreement as "a source of pride for all of us at the Universidad Europea de Valencia and a great step forward in our aim to contribute to local, national and international social progress and to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals". "This agreement reaffirms our status as a global and innovative university and gives us the opportunity to continue creating new research spaces together with international benchmarks". "At the same time, it reinforces our academic model in all curricula and, of course, promotes scientific-technological training and training related to digital transformation in undergraduate and postgraduate studies, two areas in which our institution is a benchmark," she added. To conclude, the rector thanked the UN "for its trust” and expressed her conviction that "this agreement will be very beneficial not only for our students and teachers, but also for Valencian society as a whole".
Michel Bergeron, for his part, pointed out that for the United Nations Centre for Information and Communication Technology in Valencia this agreement "is an opportunity to offer young people opportunities that will allow them to familiarise themselves with international environments and the work of the Organisation, and in the future to contribute their talent and commitment to building a better world". This new collaborative space will allow the United Nations "to continue to add value through research, and to foster the development of capacities that contribute to finding innovative and efficient solutions to the challenges we already face, and to new ones to come, to improve people's lives. It is also a bridge to strengthen ties with Valencian society that will help to raise awareness of the work carried out by the Organisation," he said.
The agreement will focus on three main lines of action. On the one hand, this agreement opens a new avenue for joint research between UN professionals and teachers and researchers at the European University of Valencia in various areas, including Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, cybersecurity and digital transformation. In this way, it is hoped that the agreement will serve to boost the local artificial intelligence ecosystem, and to promote technological development in the region.
The second point included in this agreement is the joint organisation of events and dissemination activities through which the European University and the UN will create spaces for reflection and debate and will boost the local technological ecosystem, also making the activity of the UN headquarters visible. In turn, this point includes the implementation of social impact activities around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations, a central issue for both institutions.
Finally, in the academic field, this agreement offers a unique framework for UN professionals to join the university's teaching activities to lead training sessions for different degrees in the area of STEAM and International Relations. This collaboration, which has already occurred occasionally in the past, will become official and regular in this academic year.
With this agreement, the Universidad Europea de Valencia reaffirms its international dimension and its position as a social agent committed to sustainable development. At the same time, the activity of one of the main nerve centres that provide technological support to United Nations operations is made visible, and its impact on Valencian society is strengthened.