Opening of El Carme Culture Centre in Badalona
This year, language courses (German, English, Italian, French, Japanese and Russian) set up UB offerings in Badalona. They will be taught by the School of Modern Languages (EIM) of the University. El Carme begins by offering about one thousand places in these language courses and between 6,000 and 7,000 places in other type of courses. Language courses in Badalona start on 2 October; enrolment is already opened.
Offerings will be complemented by subject-related courses to update professional knowledge and skills —computing, mediation, marketing, etc.—, culture courses on literature, history, classical music; university entrance examinations training, and over 55 year old training. UBʼs aim is to increase the range of courses and add new subjects.
It is import to highlight that the agreement between the UB and Badalona City Council states that Badalona inhabitants are able to enrol on UB courses under the same economic conditions than UB students. Moreover, it is planned to create a grant system addressed to Badalonaʼs best high school students. These students will be able to free enrol on UB language courses taught at El Carme Culture Centre.
During the signature of the agreement, the Rector of the UB showed his satisfaction from the agreementʼs success after other past attempts, and he assured that the relationship between the University and the city “will be strong, permanent and relevant”. He also affirmed that the UB goes for growing high-quality offerings in Badalona; he talked about complementary training but also about official undergraduate and masterʼs degrees. “The UB has a vocation for being the University of Catalonia”, underlined the Rector.
The major of Badalona stressed that, thanks to this agreement, the City Council has been able to achieve one of its pending matters: to bring the university “to Badalonaʼs heart”. Furthermore, he emphasized that the agreement between the UB and the City Council “has enabled to fulfil the Universityʼs wish to be present in Badalona and, at the same time, the City Councilʼs wish to give an important use to El Carme building”.