Joint statement of Spanish universities rectors: The University, guarantee of future

 

Universities, now more than ever, are working to improve achievement, despite the cuts in public spending that we are undergoing. Up to now, we have made an effort to maintain the quality standards in the three main functions of university: teaching, research and innovation.

Nevertheless, considering the imminent passing of the new national budget, and the budget for each autonomous region, we find ourselves in a really worrying situation that can harm Spanish university and hamper the development of its three main activities. For this reason, we want to publicly state that:

 

1.      The 2013 national budget decrease by 18 % in education, and by 80 % in R+D, will cause an irreparable damage to R+D that, together with the freeze of staff, will carry our country to miss the boat of technological development, jeopardising research and the major advances on the leading edge of knowledge.

 

2.      The heavily indebted autonomous regions, together with the non-transfer of items addressed to universities, is leading our university system to an economic suffocation that will cause an irreparable damage. This contradicts the well-known political speech affirming that “the progress of our country must be based on knowledge”. Without investment in higher education or in R+D, universities will be unable of performing their functions in a correct way. Obviously, without knowledge, there would not be progress.

Against this situation, Spanish universities rectors ask for:

 

Higher education, research, development and innovation, which are inherently related, must be considered an investment and not an expense. Spanish universities, as the European University Association (EUA) has recently demanded to heads of government and state, must be a source of public investment. University autonomy must be strengthened; hence universities will be able to easily diversify their sources of incomes.

Universities commit us to increase effectiveness and efficiency, and to continue with the account transparency and its report to society. Our aim is that universities continue to foster social cohesion in our country and to be sources of knowledge and wealth. 

 

Moreover, university wants to collaborate with public administrations in order to help them in solving this severe economic crisis, and to continue working for the achievement of a sustainable future for Spanish universities. If universities reduce their quality, scientific research, technological innovation and training will also do it. Universities will lose, EVERYONE will lose, the society as a whole. We will lose our best weapon to make progress and get out of this economic crisis: knowledge.

 

In view of this severe situation, this statement is made public simultaneously by all Spanish universities.