Rovira i Virgili University
Rovira i Virgili University (URV) is the driving force behind the CEICS. It is the only public on-site (as opposed to on-line) university and the most significant contributor to research and the transfer of knowledge in the region.
The university serves the southern counties of Catalonia, an area covering more than 6,000 km² and with a population of approximately 800,000. The university includes five campuses in four cities: in Tarragona (Catalunya Campus and Sescelades Campus), in Reus (Bellissens Campus), in Vila-seca (Vila-seca Campus) and in Tortosa (Terres de l'Ebre Campus). Undergraduate degree courses are also now offered in El Vendrell. Between undergraduates and postgraduates, the university has some 15,000 students and awards about 2,000 degrees each year.
Intense research activity
In terms of scientific productivity, research conducted at the URV has made it the fourth ranking university in Spain in publications per lecturer and it is the ninth ranking university in terms of acquiring funding through the seventh framework programme of the European Union. Its research activity has been reinforced with the incorporation of renowned research institutes, the scientific production of which complements that of the URV and contributes to the creation of an authentic hub of knowledge.
The research activity of the university and the structures it is linked to allow knowledge transfer processes to be developed and established, mainly in the strategic areas of chemistry and energy, nutrition and health, oenology, tourism, and culture and heritage. The administration, the university and the business sector have also promoted the creation of four science and technology parks, located in four cities and focusing on priority research areas. The transfer of knowledge is oriented toward the productive sectors that drive the area.
Interaction with society
The regional dimension of the university is also structured through mechanisms designed to interact with society, through initiatives such as:
- The URV Ciutadana project aimed at people over 55
- Twelve classrooms for senior citizens
- The Campus Extens and the knowledge antennae
The university has promoted the creation of the Socioeconomic Committee of the Camp the Tarragona, the entity that plans the strategies that will mark the future of the counties of southern Catalonia.