“This year has started the Double Degree in Environmental Sciences + Sciences and Technologies of the Sea” and for the next academic year, “it is expected to start the Degree in Business and Digital Technology,” said Vicenç Almenar, director of the Gandia Campus.
The Gandia Campus of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) has celebrated its traditional inaugural conference. With this solemn ceremony, which brought together students and staff of the university community, as well as authorities, representatives of institutions and companies of the Safor region, the academic year 2025-2026 has been inaugurated on campus.
The event was presided over by the rector of the UPV, José E. Capilla, he indicated that “we are currently in negotiations with the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities to identify new ways to strengthen our collaboration within the framework of the Spanish National Research Council”. He also highlighted “the activity carried out by the Research Institute for Coastal Areas, based at the Gandia Campus”, whose work is particularly relevant and that “has materialized in an infrastructure that we share in the Port of this city, in sheds 14 and 15, which serve to house a joint R+D+i unit between the Spanish Institute of Oceanography and the UPV”.
For its part, the Mayor of Gandia, José Manuel Prieto, in his speech, he reiterated the commitment of the council with the Campus of Gandia “with projects that we are making reality as, for example, the Technology Research Center for Marine Sciences. A space that, according to the mayor, “will promote training, research and innovation in the field of marine sciences and oceanography”.
Talent, knowledge and territory
The Director of the Gandia Campus,Vicenç Almenar, articulated his speech around three key concepts: talent, knowledge and territory. Almenar recalled that the slogan of his candidacy,Fem Campusreflects the purpose of “building a living community, with identity, a sense of belonging and shared objectives. In this sense, he pointed out that the Campus “has been attracting talent, that is, students, for more than 30 years, so that they can develop their professional life in their chosen field”. He also defined the role of the teaching staff as generators of knowledge and guarantors of the quality of the degrees offered.
Regarding the studies, the director recalled that “this year we have started the Double Degree in Environmental Sciences + Sciences and Technologies of the Sea” and for the next academic year, “it is planned to start the Degree in Business and Digital Technology, aligned with the current needs of the economic fabric”. For Almenar, this new degree has a double objective: “to strengthen the offer in the field of social sciences and to contribute to reconfigure the studies of Tourism, which in recent years have experienced a lower demand in the Spanish university system as a whole”.
In the postgraduate field, he advanced that, given the success of the Master’s Degree in Secondary Education Teaching, the number of places will be doubled, from 100 to 200 students. He also pointed out the need to reflect on the evolution of the demand for training: “today’s society increasingly requires an offer of high quality online training”.
New initiatives and infrastructure improvement
During the ceremony, Almenar announced the creation of the Gandia Campus Advisory Council, a new body that will integrate public administrations, companies and representatives of civil society. “It will be a forum to share ideas and propose actions that will benefit our environment,” he explained.
He has also expressed his willingness to organize meetings with the graduating classes that celebrate 25 years since their graduation: “There are no better ambassadors of what we do than those who have passed through our classrooms”.
In terms of infrastructure, the director highlighted the progress in the construction of the Gandia Arena pavilion, a project jointly promoted by the UPV, the City Council of Gandia, the Generalitat Valenciana and the Provincial Council. This facility will allow to expand and improve the sports offer of the Campus.
Finally, Vicenç Almenar claimed the role of the Gandia Campus in the territorial structuring of the Central Valencian Regions. “The Campus was born in a city that wanted to become a university town again,” he recalled. “Our presence, along with that of the Alcoy Campus, fulfills a clear mission: they have the mission of structuring the territory of the Central Regions”.
Presentation of the annual report
During the inaugural lecture of the 2025-2026 academic year, the academic secretary and deputy director of Communication at the Gandia Campus, Nàdia Alonso, was in charge of presenting the report of the academic year 2024-2025 of the center, including the university activity, not only the teaching and research, but also the cultural, sports, equality, cooperation, etc., activities that have been developed throughout the past year in the center.
Photographs: Álex Oltra