3 October 2026 · Sara Marugan
Invited to the opening of the UAB academic year
This article was machine-translated from Sara's Catalan original. The writing is hers; the translation has not been reviewed by a person. Read the Catalan original →
As a mentor at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, I was invited to the opening ceremony of the 2026-2027 academic year. It took place on 2 October at the UAB Rectorate, and it was also the official opening of the academic year for the whole Catalan university system.
It is a special year: the UAB is devoting it to Catalan culture. The inaugural lecture was given by the American translator Mary Ann Newman, a specialist in Catalan literature and culture, on Catalan culture in North America. Throughout the year, the new edition of the Vagó de la Ciència (the science train carriage), podcasts and other institutional activities will explore the many sides of Catalan culture.
The UAB wants to present Catalan culture as a meeting place, shaped by both continuity and change. It is a way of understanding it that I share, and the one I try to pass on in my classes.
I am part of the Mentoria UAB programme, the Alumni UAB initiative that supports final-year students as they move into the working world. Becoming a mentor is not automatic: there is a selection process, and the mentors include renowned scientists and professionals.
Thank you to the UAB for including me at the start of a year devoted to our culture.
The UAB explains it here:
Cover photo: “Camí al rectorat UAB 2018”, by Kippelboy (Wikimedia Commons, CC0). It shows the path to the UAB Rectorate.
