I International Student Congress of the University of Barcelona
I International Student Congress of the University of Barcelona
Within the framework of the 575th anniversary of the University of Barcelona, the 1st International Student Congress is born: a pioneering initiative, conceived and led by students. This congress aims to be a space for meeting, reflection and action where students are the true protagonists. With a critical and committed perspective, the congress aims to address issues such as the future of education, social justice, mental health, sustainability, culture and diversity. Activities include presentations, workshops, round tables, open spaces, music and a fair of organizations. Open to students from the UB and universities around the world, it is designed as a multilingual, inclusive and transformative event. The congress must culminate in a collective manifesto that includes the students' proposals and dreams for the university of the future.
Organized by: Office of the Vice-Rector for Students and University Life. Student Council.
In the 2025-2026 academic year, the University of Barcelona celebrates 575 years of history. More than half a millennium of knowledge, critical thinking, research and commitment to society. But this anniversary is not just a look into the past. It is, above all, a bet on the future. And who better to imagine this future than those who will star in it: the student body. With this spirit, the 1st International Congress of Students of the University of Barcelona was born: an initiative conceived and led by the students themselves. A space where students are not only invited, but protagonists.
The congress will take place in April 2026 in the Historic Building of the University of Barcelona and the Col·legi Major Penyafort-Montserrat. It is open to all UB students, but also to students from universities around the world, especially those with which the University of Barcelona maintains international links (CHARM-EU, LERU). It wants to be a global, multilingual and inclusive meeting point.
The thematic areas of the congress are chosen collectively by the students. They want to talk about education and what the university of the future should be like; of social justice, feminism, human rights and global struggles; mental health and emotional well-being; sustainability and climate action; of culture, language and identities; and inclusion and diversity, among others. Each topic is approached from a critical, young and committed perspective.
The activities are as diverse as the students who promote them: presentations with inspiring figures chosen by the students., round tables, participatory workshops, idea laboratories, open spaces for student presentations, music, games, etc. There will also be an organizations fair, where you can learn about the wealth of the University of Barcelona's association network, as well as the services it makes available to students.
The culmination of the congress is the drafting of a student manifesto, a collective declaration that includes the ideas, proposals and dreams of the students for the university and the world it wants to build. This manifesto will not only be a symbolic document, but a tool for transformation, a legacy for the years to come. Beyond the celebration of the 575th anniversary of the University of Barcelona, this congress wants to vindicate the university as a space of freedom, thought and action, and its students as a driving force for change.
