"The time has come for the University of Navarra and the UPNA to join forces, to undertake new projects together -also in collaboration with the UNED associated center in Pamplona- in order for Navarra to become one of the European regions with the highest quality in the university field". This was stated today by the rector of the University of Navarra, Alfonso Sánchez-Tabernero, during the opening ceremony of the 2015-2016 academic year. "May Pamplona become increasingly known as a university city, an attractive destination for students and professors from many countries and cultures," he added.

Professor Sánchez-Tabernero stressed that the University is a place to dream, to work with courage, to live with magnanimity: "In our environment we always detect social problems - poverty, unemployment and now more acutely the drama of immigration - that call for an active and supportive response".

On the other hand, he referred to the political change in Navarre. "In the University of Navarra -he assured- we are convinced that we will maintain an excellent harmony with the institutions of the region: first, because we do not engage in partisan politics and our educational project welcomes everyone; second, because the university spirit favors this good understanding; and third, because we have already perceived this same attitude in those who have been elected by the citizens to lead the political action in Navarra in the coming years".

The rector spoke of the priority aims of any university - teaching, research and transfer of services - but also defined innovation as "key", because it introduces a factor that drives renewal. "Change is complicated, but necessary. And one of the most effective ways of driving innovation is to show the devastating effects of resistance to change."

In this regard, he highlighted three requirements for an organization to be able to effectively drive strategic change: "It must have a clear and stimulating mission ; it must have professionals committed to this project; and there must be an internal culture of freedom and daring".

10 Horizon 2020 projects

Finally, he focused on the Horizon 2015 program, which was initiated five years ago to give priority to some strategic projects of the University of Navarra and which, as he pointed out, "have had a high degree of compliance". He then publicly presented the Horizon 2020 program, which includes some objectives grouped into 10 major projects, including social and environmental responsibility, and the search for a headquarters for the Museum of Natural Sciences.

He specifically referred in his speech to four of these ten projects: the improvement of the teaching offer, with the implementation of new undergraduate and postgraduate degrees; the increase in the quality of research, by strengthening research centers and giving priority to interdisciplinary research in areas such as Nutrition and Social Sciences; the creation of the Entrepreneurship Office, which supports the initiatives of students, professors, researchers and alumni, from the ideation phase to the creation of start-ups; and the Madrid campus, which has begun with the construction of a new headquarters for the Clinic next to which a postgraduate building will be located.

"Emotions in social communication".

The opening ceremony began with a Eucharistic concelebration presided over by the Archbishop of Pamplona and Bishop of Tudela, Francisco Pérez. After the academic parade of doctors, the ceremony began with the intervention of the Secretary General, Gonzalo Robles, who summarized the most important research and teaching data of the Academic Report of the 2014-2015 academic year. Then, the professor of the Faculty of Communication José Javier Sánchez Aranda gave the inaugural lecture, entitled "Emotions in social communication".

Among the authorities who attended the event were the President of the Government of Navarra, Uxue Barkos; the President of the Parliament of Navarra, Ainhoa Aznárez; the Government Delegate, Carmen Alba; the Archbishop of Pamplona, Francisco Pérez González; the Delegate Councilor for General Services of the City Council of Pamplona, Patricia Perales; the President of the High Court of Justice of Navarra, Joaquín Gálvez; the Regional Minister of Education, José Luis Mendoza; the Prosecutor of the High Court of Justice of Navarra, José Antonio Sánchez Sánchez-Villares; and the Rector of the Public University of Navarra, Alfonso Carlosena.

Also in attendance were the second secretary of the Parliament of Navarra, Óscar Arizcuren; the vice-president of Economic Development of the Government of Navarra, Manuel Ayerdi; the second vice-president of the Parliament of Navarra, Alberto Catalán; the ombudsman of Navarra, Javier Enériz; and the president of the Chamber of Comptos, Helio Robleda.