News

[05/05/2008]

Companies using ICT are more competitive

A report from the UOC reveals that workers at knowledge companies earn 35% more

Economics and Business Studies

[30/04/2008]

The economics of e-learning in the latest issue of RUSC

The relationship between the economic value of the use of technology and university education and how ICT can help achieve the objectives set by distance education institutions form the basis for the latest issue of the journal.

Information Society

[28/04/2008]

The Chair in Multilingualism analyses the pros and cons of bilingualism

Albert Costa, Professor in the University of Barcelona’s Department of Basic Psychology, is to outline a number of key factors with regard to the pros and cons for those who speak more than one language in a lecture organised by the Linguamón-UOC Chair in Multilingualism this Tuesday. He analyses what is involved in the mental process required by the bilingual when expressing themselves and the advantages and disadvantages this brings with it.

Humanities and Language and Literature

[25/04/2008]

The UOC, full member of the European University Association

The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) has become a full member of the European University Association (EUA). This decision was taken at the association’s recent general assembly.

[21/04/2008]

The UOC collaborates with the Catalan Down’s Syndrome Foundation

The fifth online Down’s syndrome children and language: resources to aid development course is to be held at the end of April. The course is run by the UOC in collaboration with the Catalan Down’s Syndrome Foundation. More than a hundred people have been trained over previous years. This year both institutions have signed an agreement to ensure the course’s future.

Sciences of the health

[18/04/2008]

The UOC is to take part in an international meeting of e-learning experts in Ecuador

The 2nd Virtual Educa Meeting Ecuador is to take place on April 19 and 20, bringing together experts in e-learning from around the world. The UOC has been invited to take part by offering its expertise. The Vice President, Postgraduate Studies and Lifelong Learning, Josep Maria Duart, is to offer a talk on the results of the PIC Universities research, which studied the application of information and communication technologies in education.

Education and Psychology

[15/04/2008]

The UOC and IBM sign a technological and scientific collaboration agreement

The UOC and IBM have signed a framework agreement for technological and scientific collaboration that envisions increased activities by both parties in terms of new technology training and research, as well as the development of two training projects. This agreement continues collaborative relations that date back to 1998 and the creation of a joint chair.

Computer Science, Technology and Multimedia

[11/04/2008]

Editorial UOC joins the Google Book Search initiative

Up to 800 publications produced by the University are to be made available to the world via the tools offered by the internet giant Google. The initiative allows users to view up to 20% of each book that Editorial UOC, the University’s publishing house, puts on the internet.

Information Society

[10/04/2008]

The UOC Library takes part in the creation of an open science portal

The RECOLECTA portal is an open science harvester that promotes open-access publication of research work developed at the different academic institutions in Spain. It is a joint initiative between the Red de Bibliotecas Universitarias (Network of Spanish University Libraries, REBIUN) and the Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, FECyT) as part of one of the strategic lines coordinated by the UOC’s Virtual Library.

Information and Communication

[09/04/2008]

In the leading positions in a stock exchange simulation competition

With around a month to go in the inter-university stock exchange simulation competition, four of the teams of students from the UOC are among the leading five.

Economics and Business Studies

[07/04/2008]

An OLIBA research group project receives the Innova award

The Catalan Museum of the History of Immigration’s (MhiC) blog Fem un museu – Jo també he estat immigrant (Let’s make a museum - I’ve been an immigrant too), created by the UOC OLIBA research group, has received the 2008 Innova award in the services category. The Expodidàctica Show holds these awards to reward and promote the educational, creative and innovative facets of products and services. This year is the third time they have been held.

Humanities and Language and Literature

[12/03/2008]

The University to hold an international seminar on e-learning competencies

The competencies and roles required of professionals working in e-learning is the focal point for the international seminar to be held at the UOC on Thursday, March 13.

Education and Psychology

[07/03/2008]

Art, videogames and culture

The latest issue of Artnodes, the UOC’s e-journal on art, science and technology is now online. This issue is dedicated to "Gameplay: art, videogames and culture". Pau Alsina, lecturer in the UOC’s Humanities department and Editor of Artnodes, explains that "this issue is dedicated to exploring the relationships between art, videogames and culture, focusing on the idea of gameplay as the common thread to the monograph. In the study of play as a cultural phenomenon, there are a number of important milestones, such as the book Homo Ludens written by Johan Huizinga in 1938 or Man, Play and Games written in 1958 by Roger Caillois, which established a clear link between play and culture, where games are not merely an element in culture but an element of culture".

Humanities and Language and Literature

[29/02/2008]

A new semester begins with nearly 33,000 students enrolled

The second semester of the academic year 2007-2008 at the UOC has begun this week with 32,898 students enrolled so far on foundation, degree and postgraduate courses.

[28/02/2008]

Palau i Fabre, a virtual visit

Following the death of the catalan poet Josep Palau i Fabre, Lletra, the UOC’s Catalan literature site, has brought back the virtual exhibition "Josep Palau i Fabre, the Alchemist".

Humanities and Language and Literature

[21/02/2008]

The UOC to train cava makers

The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) is to train professionals at the small and medium-sized enterprises producing cava that form part of the PIMECAVA business association. This action is the result of an agreement signed by both institutions with the aim of improving professional activities at the SMEs producing cava. This is a pioneering agreement between a university and an SME sector association, and counts on the support of the Catalan government’s Department of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise. The project was presented by the Minister for Innovation, Universities and Enterprise, Josep Huguet; the President of PIMECAVA, Xavier Nadal; the President of the UOC, Imma Tubella, and the President’s Delegate for the University-Enterprise Project, Jordi Vilaseca. The signing took place this morning at the University’s headquarters.

Economics and Business Studies

[07/02/2008]

New online Catalan courses

The UOC has set up a new distance learning initiative: Català obert. This initiative offers courses in the Catalan language that are made available to everyone. The aim is to promote the learning of the Catalan language at a distance and to improve people’s communicative skills in their professional or private activities. In short, the aim is to improve students’ language skills.

Humanities and Language and Literature

[07/02/2008]

Catalonia's teachers under debate

Francesc Pedró, from the OECD, is to talk about Catalonia’s teachers at the latest session of the Debates on Education; an initiative led by the Jaume Bofill Foundation and the UOC.

Education and Psychology

[21/01/2008]

Now more than a hundred UOC Associated Institutions and Companies

The organisations that have established links as UOC Associated Institutions and Companies now exceed one hundred following the signing of the latest agreements. This initiative looks to establish a network of relationships between companies and the university to aid the sharing of experiences so as to contribute to the professional development of each organisation’s employees and, likewise, to the competitiveness of these organisations in the context of the knowledge society.

Economics and Business Studies

[17/01/2008]

The UOC and Mexican employers’ association sign collaboration agreement

The Confederación Patronal de la República Mexicana (Mexican Employers’ Association, COPARMEX) and the UOC have signed a collaboration agreement in order to promote dissemination of knowledge and lifelong learning. The agreement was signed by the UOC’s President, Imma Tubella, and COPARMEX’s President, Ricardo González.

Economics and Business Studies

[14/01/2008]

The UOC joins forces with the New Media Consortium and translates the renowned Horizon Report into Spanish

The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) has begun collaboration with the New Media Consortium (NMC), having joined forces last July, with the Spanish translation of the 2007 edition of the renowned Horizon Report. This annual report, produced by the NMC and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, analyses the impact of new technologies in the field of higher education. Following the recent publication of the version in Spanish, the NMC and the UOC are now working on the translation into Catalan. All these versions are produced under a Creative Commons licence to aid their dissemination.

Computer Science, Technology and Multimedia

[21/12/2007]

The UOC presents a study of the uses of the internet and ICT in the health sector

The 'Technological modernisation, organisational change and service delivery in Catalan public health system' study, led by UOC professor Manuel Castells, has been presented on Wednesday, December 19. The Catalan Health Minister, Marina Geli, has chaired the event, which has been to take place in the Agbar Tower's Auditorium, (Av. Diagonal, 211, Barcelona).

Information Society

[18/12/2007]

The UOC takes part in the development of an online competence-based manager

The Competent project, consisting of the development of an online management platform called the competence-based manager (gestor por competencias), or GxC for short, has unveiled at a presentation on this 18 December. The UOC has been participating in the project, coordinated by the company P.A.U. Education, for the last year. GxC will simplify the production and selection of training packages tailored to the needs of students or the staff of a business, prioritising economic efficiency and minimising the time required for the corresponding study.

[13/12/2007]

The UOC carries out in-depth renovation of its portal

The UOC has carried out an in-depth renovation of its portal, with a new graphic design, a new way of presenting the information, greater accessibility and a new structure. The new website, which is to remain in a beta version for a few weeks, can be viewed in Catalan, Spanish and English. A highlight of the most important changes implemented is its administration using an open-source content manager.

[03/12/2007]

The UOC and Vinaròs Town Council select a Catalan and an American for the 3rd International ?City of Vinaròs? Digital Literature Awards

Stuart Moulthrop and Isaías Herrero won the 3rd International "City of Vinaròs" Digital Literature Awards, organised by Vinaròs Town Council and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya?s Hermeneia research group, for their works Deep Surface (Digital Narrative category) and La casa sota el temps (the "Vicent Ferrer" Award for the best digital work in Catalan), respectively. Both authors also won, jointly, the award for digital poetry with the works Under Language (by the American writer and theoretician) and Universo Molécula (by the Catalan writer).

[29/11/2007]

The Linguamón-UOC Chair in Multilingualism organises a conference on multilingualism and business

Leonard Orban, EU Commissioner for Multilingualism, and Stephen Hagen, professor and expert in the field of multilingualism and business, will be in Barcelona on November 30 as guests of the Linguamón-UOC Chair in Multilingualism. Orban is to talk about the European Union?s main policy lines in terms of multilingualism and Hagen will speak about the effects on the European economy of companies? lack of language skills. The event is to take place at 12 o?clock at the Palau de la Generalitat.

[29/10/2007]

The UOC organises the 2nd Conference on the net on the European Space for Higher Education

29/10/2007.- The 2nd Conference on the net on the ESHE (European Space for Higher Education) will be held between 26 October and 16 November: sharing new teaching practices, and organised by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. The aim of this conference is to offer all Catalan university lecturers a communication and debating space about the experiences that are occurring in order to adapt to the ESHE and the opportunity to share new teaching practices that are being created to provide an answer and adapt university teaching to this new framework.

Information Society

[25/10/2007]

The University Network for Innovation, made up of 20 Latin American universities and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, marks its first anniversary

25/10/2007.- The University Network for Innovation (RIU - Red de Innovación Universitaria) will celebrate their first year of existence with a meeting at the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, with the participation of universities from all of Latin America as well as the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC, online university from Spain). The goal is to share experiences and reflections on subjects such as open code educational platforms for virtual education, quality of e-learning, open educational resources and online educational programs, in addition to governance and leadership in the university of the 21st century.

Information Society

[22/10/2007]

Over 200 people from 22 countries from around the world to take part in the 1st International Congress on Conflict, Conflict Resolution and Peace

22/10/2007.- The 1st International Congress on Conflict, Conflict Resolution and Peace - Initiatives and projects for living in peace is being held on October 22 and 23 and organised by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC, Open University of Catalonia), through its charitable initiative, the Campus for Peace and Solidarity.

Information Society

[18/10/2007]

Opening of the application period for access to the PhD on the Information and Knowledge Society at the UOC

18/10/2007.- The UOC, through its research institute â?"the IN3â?", has opened the application period for access to the PhD on the Information and Knowledge Society. This year, twenty places associated to research groups or researchers are being offered. Likewise, the IN3 has announced ten grants for those undertaking their PhD studies as a full-time commitment and with physical presence at the Institute´s headquarters in Castelldefels´s Mediterranean Technology Park.

Information Society

[15/10/2007]

UOC UNESCO Chair in E-Learning organizes a seminar on web 2.0 and education

15/10/2007.- Between October 17 and 19, the UOC UNESCO Chair in E-Learning is organizing their Fourth International Seminar, with the title Web 2.0 and education. These conferences, addressed to academics and senior managers on university boards, have as their objective to debate and reflect on the changes that web 2.0 has introduced in the educational field. The opening session, entitled "Web 2.0 and education", will be led by the Vice-rector of Technology, Dr. Llorenç Valverde, and by the sub-director of the IN3, Julià Minguillón. The seminar will take place in the UOC support center for the Barcelonès region (Ave. Drassanes, 3-5).

Information Society

[10/10/2007]

The intelligent city is the focus of the debate for the 2007-2008 academic year inaugural lecture

10/10/07.- Lecturer in architecture and researcher from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), William J. Mitchell, is to give the inaugural lecture for the 2007-2008 academic year at the UOC, under the title of Intelligent Cities. With this paper, Mitchell, who is also an Honorary Doctor of our university, invites us to the virtual debate on the most immediate and distant future of the city within the information society. The Metropolis or Blade Runner? Imagining the urban future debate will be open from 10 to 22 October.

Information Society

[28/09/2007]

The UOC organises the I International Congress on Conflicts, Conflict Resolution and Peace

28/09/2007.- The Open University of Catalonia (UOC) â?"through the Campus for Peace and Solidarity, its solidarity initiativeâ?" is organising the I International Congress on Conflicts, Conflict Resolution and Peace. Initiatives and projects for living in peace, an international event being held in Barcelona on 22 and 23 October 2007.

Information Society

[27/09/2007]

The UOC creates the International Graduate Institute with more than 225 programmes

27/09/2007.- The Open University of Catalonia has created the International Graduate Institute (IIP), with the aim of being a reference point as a quality distance-learning ongoing education centre, through a range of open postgraduate programmes and bespoke company training. Its courses will be multilingual and have a clear international emphasis, both in respect to the incorporation of students and professors from around the world, as well as in the academic alliances with other universities.

Information Society

[25/09/2007]

Campus Project: Catalan universities join forces to create the technology of the university of the future in open code

25/09/2007.- On 3, 4 and 5 October, Barcelona will host the University Campus Conference, organised by the Regional Government of Catalonia, with the aim of publicising the Campus Project and an in-depth debate into the future of e-learning and educational technology.

Information Society

[20/09/2007]

Experts in multilingualism from twenty European universities meet at the UOC

20/09/2007.- The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) has organised a conference on multilingualism and invited members of the EUNoM (European Universities Network on Multilingualism) project. The UOC's Vice-Rector for Cultural Promotion and Multilingualism, Mavi Dolz, and the Director of the Linguamón-UOC Chair in Multilingualism, Isidor Marí, opened the meeting, which took place on September 17.

Information Society

[13/09/2007]

The UOC and the Fundación Cultura de Paz organise an event in Madrid to promote peace

13/09/2007.- The Fundación Cultura de Paz, led by Federico Mayor Zaragoza, and the UOC´s Campus per la Pau i la Solidaritat, with Eduard Vinyamata as director, are organising an event to reflect on peace. As well as the directors of both institutions, the Government Delegate in Madrid, José Cuervo, will be attending. The event will take place at the Blanquerna bookshop in Madrid (c/ Alcalá, 44) on 19 September at 7.30 pm.

Information Society

[06/09/2007]

Third City of Vinaros Digital Literature Award announced

06/09/2007.- Hermeneia, the UOC´s literature and digital technology research group, and the Culture and Education Department at Vinaròs Town Council have announced the third City of Vinaròs Digital Literature Awards. The aim of these awards is to encourage literary creativity in new forms of writing. Those interested in taking part should present their work by September 14.

Information Society

[06/09/2007]

The UOC provides a workspace based on free software for all students

06/09/2007.- The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) provides students on its officially recognised courses in Catalan and Spanish with a workspace based on free software. This initiative, which is now available for all of the UOC's qualifications, started last year with a pilot project involving 7,000 software engineering students. 70% of these students rated the initiative positively.

Information Society

[27/07/2007]

The UOC now has the Erasmus University Charter

27/07/2007.- The Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the European Commission has awarded the Erasmus University Charter to the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. With this document, the UOC can receive Erasmus students and, vice versa, the University´s students can go on Erasmus placements abroad, providing that the UOC applies to the European Commission for the necessary subsidies. This charter also allows the UOC to submit projects in all European programmes that require the Erasmus University Charter.

Information Society

[26/07/2007]

The UOC organises the 2nd Conference on the net on the European Space for Higher Education

26/07/2007.- The 2nd Conference on the net on the ESHE (European Space for Higher Education) will be held between 26 October and 16 November: sharing new teaching practices, and organised by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. The aim of this conference is to offer all Catalan university lecturers a communication and debating space about the experiences that are occurring in order to adapt to the ESHE and the opportunity to share new teaching practices that are being created to provide an answer and adapt university teaching to this new framework.

Information Society

[19/07/2007]

The KISON research group, part of IN3, will take part in two research projects with significant state recognition

19/07/2007.- Over the next five years, researchers with KISON, the research group into computer security of the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) of the UOC, will take part in two research projects that have recently received significant impetus and recognition from the Ministry of Education and Science. In broad terms, the aim of the two projects that will be conducted is to reconcile the data security and copyright protection systems in digital technologies with the right of confidentiality of the users of these systems.

Information Society

[25/06/2007]

Presentation of the results of Project Internet Catalonia, PIC

25/06/2007.- PIC is a research programme carried out from September 2001 to July 2007 by the IN3, the UOC's research institute. It is a basic research programme, defined by the researchers and co-led by Manuel Castells and Imma Tubella. It is made up of 7 research projects, all of which focus on Catalonia, but based on international research findings in each field.

Information Society

[21/06/2007]

The UOC publishes its research activities on the net

21/06/2007.- The Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), the UOC's research institute, has revamped its website. The new website looks, principally, to promote the dissemination of the University's scientific activities, which are focused on the interdisciplinary analysis of the information society, and to publicise the research activities developed within the framework of the IN3's research groups and programmes. The principal areas of research are e-learning, new technology and the educational system, e-governance, the new economy, law and ICT, technology and health, digital culture, new communication media, internet and daily life, computing and network technologies, information management, gender and ICT, immigration and ICT, and negotiation of risk.

Information Society

[20/06/2007]

The UOC starts off a video channel on Youtube

20/06/2007.- The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya is the first university in Spain to start an open channel through the YouTube platform. The goal is to make available to everybody conferences and events organized by this University, in order to share and spread the knowledge generated by their public activities. In this channel, among others, speeches by Antonio Damasio, and Mustafa Cherif, are already available. Professor Antonio Damasio was awarded the Príncipe de Astúrias award in 2005, and Mustafa Cherif is a well-known philosopher and former Minister of Argelia.

Information Society

[18/06/2007]

The UOC´s Campus for Peace and Solidarity is starting up a new website

18/06/2007.- The UOC´s Campus for Peace and Solidarity is starting up a new website containing information about the courses that it offers, its projects and activities. This is the first step in this initiative, the aim of which is to become an NGO-style virtual campus with practical information, training resources and a space that promotes relations and communication. The website is published in Spanish, Catalan and English.

Information Society

[15/06/2007]

Lecturer Manuel Castells leads the Creativity and Innovation in Digital Culture Seminar, in Seville

15/06/2007.- UOC lecturer Manuel Castells has led a working seminar entitled Creativity and Innovation in Digital Culture, organised by the Fundació Telefónica at the University of Seville. Also taking part was a group of leading scientists and creators, including Antonio Damasio, Hanna Damasio, Gilberto Gil, Sir Peter Hall, Lawrence Lessig and William J. Mitchell.

Information Society

[14/06/2007]

Investiture of Alain Touraine as Honorary Doctor

14/06/07.- Alain Touraine is to be invested as an Honorary Doctor at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC, Open University of Catalonia) on June 19. The event, which is to be attended by academic and political authorities, is to take place at the University's headquarters (Av. Tibidabo, 39) at 12 o'clock.

Information Society

[11/06/2007]

The contrasting ideas with respect to Catalan and Spanish under debate at the upcoming Linguamón-UOC Chair in Multilingualism lecture

11/06/2007.- "Legitimising languages: contrasting discourses with respect to language contact" is the title of the lecture to be given by Kathryn Woolard, anthropologist at the University of California, San Diego, on June 13 at the headquarters of the Institute of Catalan Studies (c. del Carme, 47). This is the third lecture organised by the Linguamón-UOC Chair in Multilingualism. The lecture, which is to start at 7 pm, is open to everyone.

Information Society