History

History of the Faculty
The University of Barcelona bought the land that is the site of the current Faculty of Chemistry during the rectorship (1951-1957) of Dr. Francisco Buscarons Úbeda, Professor of Analytical Chemistry. Immediately, a project was set in motion to move the UB’s Faculty of Sciences to this new campus. The campus was to be made up of a series of buildings that would house the various Sections, the Secretary’s Office, Library, Dean’s Office, and other faculty units.

The Minister for Education and Science at that time was Dr. Manuel Lora Tamayo, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Madrid. Regarding the design of the new UB Faculty of Sciences, at the Council of Ministers, Dr. Lora only approved the construction of the building corresponding to the Chemistry Section, on the condition that this building would temporarily house the Physics Section. Consequently, the south-west wing of the original design was “temporarily” adapted.

Building work began in the 1966-67 academic year. During September and October 1969, the Faculty was moved to the new premises. At the beginning of November 1969, classes and other academic activities began at this new site. At the end of the 1980s, the Physics Classroom Block was added to the building. More recently, the entire block has been filled in, which has practically doubled the surface area that was initially available.

In 1973-74, the UB requested, as a priority, the division of the five existing sections of the Faculty of Sciences (maths, chemistry, physics, biology and geology) into separate Faculties.

From the 1973-74 academic year to the present time, the University of Barcelona has been run by the following rectors: Caballero, Carreres (delegated rector), Estapé, Jiménez de Parga (acting rector), Obiols (acting rector), Badía, Bricall, Caparrós, Tugores, Rubiralta ( previously a student of the Faculty of Chemistry), Samitier (acting rector) and, currently, Ramírez. The Faculty of Chemistry has had the following deans: Vericad, Granados, Costa López, Pedroso, Mans, Rauret, Cunill and, currently, Barbosa.

Since the Faculty of Chemistry was established, the number of teaching and administration and services staff has increased dramatically, as has the amount of teaching material, research and services. However, the overall number of students has remained stable and is in line with the building’s new capacity, after the aforementioned extension in surface area. 

One excellent example of the development of services can be seen in the three-stage conversion of the former Chemistry Seminary into the magnificent Library. In addition, with the construction in the surrounding area of the Faculties of Biology and Geology (which houses the Institut Jaume Almera of the CSIC) and the Scientific Services building, the initial project of constructing the former Faculty of Sciences on the new campus has almost been completed. Only the Faculty of Mathematics remains in the Historic Building in plaça de la Universitat. The CSIC Insitutes of Chemistry were moved at the end of the 1960s to the nearby street carrer Jorge Girona. This freed up the space that they had previously occupied in the former Chemistry Section of the Faculty of Sciences in plaça de la Universitat. This proximity has enabled the excellent relationships between these CSIC Institutes and the Faculty of Chemistry to continue.

The University Law of 1965 initiated the conversion of the University of Chairs into the University of Departments. This modification was consolidated in the Law on General Education and its Funding in 1970, in which the following categories of faculty lecturers were defined: professor, tenure-track 2 lecturer and pre-tenured lecturer. Subsequently, the University Reform Law of 1985 (LRU) altered the knowledge areas to which lecturers are attached, which affected the name and constitution of departments. In addition, the LRU changed the categories of Faculty teaching staff, to leave just two: professor and tenured lecturer. The Law on General Education and its Funding and the LRU also included the option of contracting lecturers in various categories and full or part-time posts. In addition, both laws began the task of drawing up statutes of autonomy for the operation of universities. Among other measures and unlike previous legislation, the LRU facilitated the relationship between university and society. This helped to overcome the divide that had existed up to that point and to adapt “production” to the current needs of society.



Dr. J. Costa López
Professor of Chemical Engineering

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