News
[08/05/2007]
The UOC leads a campaign under the title "Culture of Peace"
The UOC is leading a number of actions and initiatives to promote the "culture of peace" in the university community, institutions and civil society. The reason behind this is the seventieth anniversary of the bombing of Guernica and Pablo Picasso's painting of the same name. The UOC is aware of the role that has to be played by universities in civil life in terms of driving creation and dissemination of knowledge or maintaining the critical spirit; and it is for this reason that it wants to propose, from the standpoint of art and culture, other ways to build peace.
[04/05/2007]
The UOC develops a website on the scientific work of Professor Manuel Castells
The Open University of Catalonia (UOC) has launched a new website focusing on the scientific activity of Manuel Castells, Research Professor and President of the Scientific Commission at the UOC. The site has been developed jointly by the Open University of Catalonia and the Telefónicanica Foundation. The idea behind the website is to bring together available information about his scientific production in a single site, and to organize it in a way that would help the work of interested researchers and students worldwide.
[03/05/2007]
The UOC starts up its first own course in English on education and ICT
The Open University of Catalonia has started up its first own course in English: the European Certificate in E-Learning Course Design and Teaching. A pilot test began this month involving thirteen students from a number of European countries: Finland, Estonia, Romania, Italy, Portugal and Spain. The course is designed to train professionals in the use of ICT, information and communication technology.
[27/04/2007]
The UOC and the Open University sign a collaboration agreement
The Vice Chancellor of the Open University (OU), Brenda Gourley, and the rector of the Open University of Catalonia, Imma Tubella, have signed an agreement that involves the development of strategic projects and the consolidation of the relations that have been maintained between the two institutions over a long period of time. Among other aspects, work is to be carried out jointly on the development of new assessment methodologies within the framework of the EHEA and on educational initiatives in English and other languages.
[19/04/2007]
Experts from the Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC), together with university Rectors and members of the Catalan and Spanish scientific community, held a joint session at the central building of the UOC on 16th April. It was presided over by Imma Tubella, the Rector of the institution, and Blanca Palmada, the Commissioner of the Catalan Autonomous Government (Generalitat de Catalunya). This is one of the activities that are taking place during the meeting that this body in charge of co-ordinating and promoting European research will be carrying out in Barcelona between the 16th and the 19th of April.
[13/04/2007]
Comunicación móvil y sociedad. Una perspectiva global is the title of the book that covers the research carried out over more than two years by UOC researchers Manuel Castells and Mireia Fernández Ardévol and by Jack Linchuan Qiu, from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Araba Sey from the University of Southern California (USC). The aim of the book is to analyse the transformations in human communication as a result of the appearance and dissemination of wireless communication technologies.
[26/03/2007]
The fostering of greater responsibility and sustainability in the field of tourism is the main aim of the agreement signed between the Catalan Union of Issuing Travel Agencies (UCAVE) and the non-profit making association Turisme Just, promoted by the UO's Tourism Studies. This agreement has been signed by Joan Miquel Gomis, co-founder and deputy chairman of Turisme Just and director of the UOC's Tourism Programme, jointly with María Laura Mauad, Project Manager with this institution, and Enrique Fernández de Alarcón, chairman of UCAVE.
[26/03/2007]
The Canadian Peter MacIntyre explains his psychological motivations for using a second language
What leads someone to use or not to use a second language that they know? What learning model is needed to develop the willingness to use it in a social situation of growing linguistic diversity? These are questions that Canadian professor of psychology Peter MacIntyre, from Cape Breton University, will be trying to solve in the lecture to mark the presentation of the Linguamón-UOC Multilingualism Chair. Doctor MacIntyre will speak of the Willingness To Communicate (WTC) model, which identifies and structures the variables that influence the willingness to communicate in a second language. The ceremony will take place at the Institute of Catalan Studies at 7:00 pm on 28 March and is open to everyone.
[22/03/2007]
TThe UOC portal among the most highly rated Spanish university websites according to an AIMC survey
The Open University of Catalonia's website is in the 13 most visited websites in Spain and heads the list of university websites according to the new Net surfers Internet user survey, produced by the Media Research Association (AIMC) with the aim of analysing the uses and preferences of Spanish web surfers.
[19/03/2007]
The UOC co-organises a seminar on ethnography
The Open University of Catalonia IN3's ATIC technology and social action research group, the UAB's (Barcelona Autonomous University) Social Psychology PhD programme and Science and Technology Social Studies Group have organised a seminar entitled "Ethnography in practice: 'elite and street-level' studies". A lecture is to be given by Maggie Mort, from the University of Lancaster, who is to talk about the different ways of carrying out ethnography and its effects in applied contexts such as health. This session is to take place on March 20, at 4 pm, in the IN3 lecture hall in Castelldefels.
[15/03/2007]
The UOC takes part in an international dramatic arts festival for women artists
The Open University of Catalonia is joining the activities programmed for the International Magdalena Piezas Conectadas (Connected Pieces) Festival of dramatic arts that is to take place in Barcelona from March 16 to 25. Creative women from around the world are to offer theatre and dance shows, video-creations, installations and performances in a number of venues in the city.
[12/03/2007]
On 15 March, the Humanities White Paper is to be presented as part of a panel discussion attended by representatives from all the Catalan-speaking universities that offer this qualification. This document, which brings together the work developed over two years, defines the Humanities degree and its professional openings, and is in line with the regulations of the European Higher Education Space. The ceremony will take place at 10 am in the university (Avinguda Tibidabo, 39, Barcelona).
[01/03/2007]
The Campus for Peace and Solidarity reaches a hundred virtual volunteers
The UOC's Campus for Peace and Solidarity now has more than a hundred virtual volunteers. Graduates, students, management staff, teachers and other collaborators make their knowledge available to organisations working in the areas of solidarity, cooperation and development. The virtual volunteers are organised into different teams: virtual trainers, web production, NGO collaboration and publicity tasks, such as the drafting chronicles for the Campus for Peace and Solidarity journal by volunteers in conflict-ridden countries.
[26/02/2007]
The UOC and Google organise an open and face-to-face debate on the future of the book
What does a library mean in the digital era? What new opportunities does the Web offer readers, or literature or, indeed, the traditional publishing companies? Are we going to see paper books disappear in this 21st Century? What happens when books are digitalised? What role must publishing companies, bookshops and distributors play in the digital era? What type of strategies must publishers follow to obtain a web positioning of their collections? These are some of the aspects that will be reviewed at The Future of the Book seminar, which has been jointly organised by the Open University of Catalonia and Google. It will take place on the 28th at the University central building (Av. Tibidabo, 39. Barcelona) and it will start at 12 noon. It is open to the public.
[20/02/2007]
The UOC co-organises a course on the Japanese 5 S management methodology
The Open University of Catalonia and the AUREN and SGS companies are organising a training course on improving efficiency in organisations based on the Japanese 5 S methodology. The aims are to provide participants with the elements and practical tools to improve organisational functionality and efficiency and to contribute to establishing a culture of continuous improvement.
[19/02/2007]
Intellectual property and copyright are essential issues in the information society, and their regulation is our daily bread. The UOC's Faculty of Law and Political Science has invited US Judge Bernice Donald to give a lecture on "Protecting Intellectual Property Rights in the Age of the Internet. The U.S. Experience" on Thursday, 22nd of February. The event has been made possible thanks to the US Consulate General in Barcelona, and has been organised in collaboration with the Intellectual Property Rights and Image Rights Sections of the Barcelona Association of Lawyers (Il·lustre Col·legi d'Advocats de Barcelona).
[05/02/2007]
The Spanish Red Cross is to continue working with the UOC for the online training of its volunteers
Juan Manuel Suárez del Toro, President of the Spanish Red Cross, and Imma Tubella, the Rector of the UOC, have renewed the agreement signed in 2000 between these two institutions to continue their joint effort to provide online training courses. With this agreement, the UOC and the Spanish Red Cross acknowledge and value the strategic importance of telecommunications in the development and dissemination of co-operation and solidarity.
[29/01/2007]
The Open University of Catalonia is to start online courses on Japanese in February
As part of the UOC's Eastern Asia Studies programme, the University is offering an online course on initiation to the Japanese language and writing, starting in February. For this new initiative, the University relies on the support of the Japan Foundation, which has granted it one of its assistance grants.
[29/01/2007]
The UOC takes part in the identification and analysis of European e-Learning Megaproviders
The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya is taking part in the Megatrends in e-Learning Provision project, whose aim is to find out the strategies that contribute to making an institution devoted to e-learning financially sustainable. It further seeks to find out which are the pedagogical models that work, and to facilitate a greater motivation among faculty and to ensure a greater loyalty among students. The UOC representatives in the project are Albert Sangrà, lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, and Pedro Fernández-Michels, from the IN3 Research Institute.
[04/01/2007]
On January 10, the Open University of Catalonia planted a peace pole in the gardens of its headquarters (Av. Tibidabo, 39). In this way, the University is to symbolically sign up to universal values for peace. The peace pole is an initiative from the United Nations and the World Peace Prayer Society which involves planting this symbol of peace so as to broadcast a message of peace around the world. The rector, Imma Tubella, the governing body and the director of the Campus for Peace and Solidarity, Eduard Vinyamata, took part in the ceremony.
[20/12/2006]
The UOC and the House of Languages create a chair in multilingualism
The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and Linguamón-House of Languageshas set up the Linguamón-UOC chair in multilingualism. Its function is to promote research and training activities related to multilingualism as a means of social and economic development for society. This chair is the result of a collaboration agreement signed this Thursday, November 21, by two representatives from these institutions, the UOC's rector, Imma Tubella, and the director of Linguamón-House of Languages, Antoni Mir.
[04/12/2006]
Artnodes presents new journal and new monographic issue
Artnodes, the UOC space on the Net devoted to the intersections among art, science and technology, presents a number of novelties. On the one hand, the renewal of the format and the content of its new digital journal; on the other, the publication of a new node or monographic issue under the title of Organicitats ("Organicities").
[04/12/2006]
The EUROPORTIC project is a European resource seeking to develop a portal aimed at the training and employment of computer experts. In the face of the needs of the sector and the user companies, UOC experts, together with experts from other European universities, have been working on the portal since October 2004. The project has been chosen by the French National Agency as a model of management and content in higher education within the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci programme on issues relating to vocational training.
[23/11/2006]
The UOC takes part in the creation of a website on archaeology in south-eastern Europe
The UOC's Òliba research group has taken part in the creation of a portal on archaeology in south-eastern Europe together with other European institutions and universities. This website represents the final phase of the SEEArchWeb (South-Eastern Europe Archaeology Web) project, which aims to create a series of technological tools for training in and publicising of the prehistoric archaeological heritage of south-eastern Europe (Greece-Bulgaria-Cyprus). This project is financed by the European Commission.
[20/11/2006]
The Unesco E-learning Chair at the UOC is organising a seminar on open educational resources
The Unesco E-learning Chair at the UOC is organising the III International Seminar entitled Open Educational Resources: institutional challenges from 22 to 24 November. The aim of this conference, aimed at academics and senior university managers, is to make participants reflect and share their experiences on the most important institutional challenges arising from the introduction, use and dissemination of these resources.
[02/11/2006]
The fifth issue of the electronic journal Revista de Universidad y Sociedad del Conocimiento (RUSC), promoted by the UOC's UNESCO Chair in E-Learning, is already available. This new issue, coordinated by Antoni Badia, a lecturer at the UOC's Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, includes the monographic work "Educational Innovation through ICTs in Higher Education: A Psycho-educational Perspective". The aim of this study is to make a contribution to the bulk of theoretical ideas that are taught in higher education concerning the new technologies and their exemplification through a number of educational experiences.
[23/10/2006]
Manuel Castells, named honoris causa by the University of Quebec
Manuel Castells, research professor at the UOC and co director of the Catalonia Internet Project (Projecte Internet Catalunya, PIC), has been invested doctor honoris causa by the University of Quebec (Montreal). Castells has received this recognition for the scope of his career together with six other important international figures.
[19/10/2006]
The UOC is co-organising the IV EDEN Research Workshop, under the title of Research into Online Distance Education and E-Learning: Making the Difference. This conference is international and will be held this year at the Hotel Rey Don Jaime in Castelldefels from 25 to 28 October 2006. The opening ceremony will take place at the UOC's IN3 building and will be chaired by the Rector, Imma Tubella.
[11/10/2006]
The digital journal UOC Papers reflects on universal values and globalization
The digital journal UOC Papers publishes its third issue this October, one year after its inception. On this occasion it includes the main article "Learning to coexist", by the University of Algiers professor Mustapha Cherif, reviews of recent works, and essays on online buying, electronic administration, uses of the web 2.0 in teaching and research, and on communication and the knowledge society.
[09/10/2006]
The Jaume Bofill Foundation and the Open University of Catalonia have invited Peggy Levitt, Professor of Psychology and expert in transnational migrations, to lecture in "Education and Immigration: The Socio-educational Challenges of Second Generations from a Transnational Perspective". The lecture will be held as part of the Debates in Education and will take place on 10th October at 7.30 p.m. at the Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals of the Barcelona Provincial Council (carrer Montalegre, 7). Access is free.
[03/10/2006]
Artnodes publishes a new series of interviews with international experts in digital art and culture
Artnodes, the UOC's internet space on the interrelations between art, science and technology, is to publish six new interviews with renowned international experts on digital art, which are to remain on the website permanently. This series of interviews reflects on some of the hottest issues in digital art and culture, including surveillance technology, the effects of software on our daily lives and virtual reality communities.
[21/09/2006]
Experts from the UOC take part in a congress on open education in USA
Staff from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) are to take part in the congress entitled Open Education 2006: Community, Culture and Content, which is to take place from September 27 to 29. This event, which is to be held in Utah, USA, is multidisciplinary and aims to promote debate on research, development and other activities to ensure progress in the field of open education.
[18/09/2006]
The UOC has invited the Algerian philosopher and former minister Mustapha Cherif "rector and founder of Algeria's Lifelong Learning University" to present the paper "Apprendre à vivre ensemble" (Learning to live together). The event is to take place on Thursday, September 21, at 12:30 at the UOC's institutional headquarters and be presided over by the rector, Imma Tubella.
[12/09/2006]
The UOC organises an online conference on the European Higher Education Area
The main aim of the Online Conference on the European Higher Education Area organised by the UOC and taking place between October 2 and 20 is to offer a forum for sharing and exchange between the different university institutions and specialists involved in the process of adaptation. Enrolment is free and open until September 25 on the conference's website.
[31/08/2006]
Artnodes, the UOC's area on the interrelations between art, science and technology, is to publish a second selection of interviews with renowned international experts on digital art in July. The aim of this second selection is to reflect on some of the hottest subjects in digital culture and art around the world, such as digital art in public spaces or software art.
[31/08/2006]
The UOC increases its range of masters and postgraduate courses for the academic year 2006-2007
The University is to increase and change some of the masters and postgraduate courses offered to date. The changes are to be made in the law and political sciences area, where one masters is no longer offered, and two new postgraduate courses and one new masters are added; the information and knowledge management area, which is to offer a new masters; the language, culture and society area, which has a new postgraduate course; the computer science, multimedia and telecommunications area, which is to open a new sub-area and offer a new postgraduate course, and the health area, which is to offer three new masters and three new postgraduate courses. Likewise, three official masters are to be offered as part of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
[27/07/2006]
Fifty university lecturers from Morocco take part in a digital literacy project run by the UOC
Around fifty university lecturers and representatives of the Tangiers and Tétouan Education Ministry, in Morocco, have taken part in a digital literacy project that was begun in July 2005 by the Open University of Catalonia and the AbdelMalek Saadi University (Tétouan). The three-year project comprises a digital literacy programme and transfer of virtual learning methodology with the aim of introducing ICTs into university and primary and secondary education in Morocco.
[26/07/2006]
Manuel Castells, elected member of the British Academy
Manuel Castells, chairman of the UOC's Research and PhD Scientific Commission, has been elected member of the British Academy, the national academy of the United Kingdom for Social Sciences and Humanities. This election is the result of a selection and voting process by the 817 experts, who are all members of the academy.
[25/07/2006]
Lletra, the UOC's virtual space for Catalan literature, is now also available in Spanish and English
Lletra is a literature portal that includes pages containing information in Catalan on authors from the baroque period to the present day, literary competitions, the finest websites on the subject matter in question, publications, journals and organisations. Its aim is to disseminate Catalan culture on the internet. Now, 40 of the close to 400 author pages that Lletra offers in Catalan have been translated, with a selection of the most outstanding authors having been made for the Spanish and English versions.
[24/07/2006]
The IN3 recognises thirty research groups
The IN3, the UOC's research institute, has recognised thirty research groups comprising experts from this and other universities. The aim of this internal recognition is to allow more careful planning of fostering, promotional and visibility actions for research and actions that provide support to research. The groups conduct their work in a range of fields such as law, art and psychology.
[20/07/2006]
Presentation Ceremony of the UOC's Campus for Peace and Solidarity
The UOC presents the Campus for Peace and Solidarity, an initiative aimed at offering the university's experience in terms of virtual communities and online education to cooperation and solidarity projects. The presentation will be held on 21 July at 10:00 am at the University (Av. Tibidabo, 39), and will be attended by the Rector Imma Tubella, the Director of this initiative, Eduard Vinyamata, and the Vice Rector of Cooperation Research of the Université Abdelmalek Essaadi (Tétouan, Morocco), Ahmed El Moussaoui, who will explain his experience in a digital literacy project.
[13/07/2006]
The UOC, the teaching model for the UNDP Virtual School for Latin America and the Caribbean
The UOC has collaborated on the definition of the teaching and administrative model of the UNDP Virtual School for Latin America and the Caribbean. This initiative has been developed through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Commission and the Catalan Cooperation Agency with the aim of constructing a community that specialises in human development and democratic governability.
[10/07/2006]
The UOC is collaborating on the SELF project, an international project aimed at providing a platform for sharing and jointly creating educational materials on free programmes and open standards. This project is run by universities and non-profit making organisations in a number of European countries, and also Argentina and India, and is expected to be completed in July 2008, even though it will continue after this date.
[03/07/2006]
The UOC enables 5,000 students to have a free programme virtual work station
As of September, the UOC is setting up the Free Programme Work Station pilot project, benefiting computer engineering students. After gathering and analysing the results of the pilot project, in September 2007 every student with approved UOC degrees will be able to work with free programmes.
[26/06/2006]
The UOC takes part in the first Barcelona Institute of International Studies (IBEI) summer school
The first Barcelona Summer School in International Politics aims to offer a number of courses on international relations and political economy given by experts in the fields in question. The director and coordinator is Carles Boix, visiting professor at the University of Chicago. The courses will be given at the Barcelona Institute of International Studies (IBEI) (Elisabets, 10) from June 26 to July 7.
[26/06/2006]
The UOC to teach three official Master's courses next academic year
The Open University of Catalonia (UOC) is to teach three official Maste's courses next academic year 2006-2007, namely, Education and ICTs (e-learning); Free Software; and Information and Knowledge Society. They have been approved by the Catalan Ministry of Universities, Research and the Information Society following the criteria of adaptation to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The remaining Master's courses offered will continue to be titles of each university from the point of view of the quality social or business recognition.
[20/06/2006]
The UOC takes part in the organisation of the Third International GPLv3 Conference
The Free Software Foundation Europe is organising the Third International GPLv3 Conference for the 22nd and 23rd June in Barcelona. The Open University of Catalonia (UOC) will take part in it, as well as the Catalan government's Secretariat for Telecommunications and the Information Society (STSI). This conference will mark a middle point along the public consultation process that started in January 2006 and which is to continue throughout this year, in the update of the GNU General Public Licence (GPL). The conference will be held at Barcelona's Centre de Cultura Contemporània.
[19/06/2006]
Articles Invited for Digithum, the UOC's Digital Humanities Journal
Digithum makes an invitation for articles to be sent for this journal's issue no 9. All articles should agree with the journal's editorial line and should be written in Catalan, Spanish or English. The deadline is 31 December 2006. The essays selected will be published in May 2007.
[13/06/2006]
Jordi Pujol and William J. Mitchell receive honorary doctorates from the UOC
The former president of Catalonia, Jordi Pujol, and the professor of Architecture and researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), William J. Mitchell, receive honorary doctorates from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC). The ceremony took place today, June 9, at the University's headquarters and was lead by the Catalan Minister of Education and Universities, Joan Manuel del Pozo, the UOC's rector, Imma Tubella, and the University's general manager, Jordi Vilaseca. Renowned members of society and politicians attended, alongside members of the university community.
[12/06/2006]
IN3 and Oxford Internet Institute sign a collaboration agreement in the academic and research field
The director of the Oxford Internet Institute, William Dutton, and the UOC's Vice Rector for Research and Director of IN3, Eduard Aibar, are to sign a collaboration agreement between these two institutions which will come into effect as of the 2006-2007 academic year. The UOC's Rector, Imma Tubella, will attend the signing. The aim of this agreement is to facilitate the development of joint projects and exchange in both the academic and research fields.
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