José Manuel Colmenar Verdugo takes office as director of the ETSII

Marine Sources

The event was presided over by the rector, Abraham Duarte, and was attended by the secretary general, Marta Albert, and members of the ETSII management team, as well as various academic authorities.

During his speech, José Manuel Colmenar expressed his gratitude "for the support received from the School and for the management team that has agreed to continue working with me on this project," and stated that he is taking over the reins "with great enthusiasm and responsibility." The new director highlighted the growth of the ETSII in recent years, driven by the incorporation of new degrees, and noted that one of the main objectives of his mandate will be "to maintain sustained growth within the economic context in which we find ourselves."

In his speech, Colmenar emphasized the importance of consolidating the undergraduate program offering, paying special attention to the new degrees that will have their first graduates this academic year, such as the Bachelor's Degree in Artificial Intelligence and the Bachelor's Degree in Data Science and Engineering, the latter jointly offered by the Fuenlabrada School of Engineering. He also announced his intention to "promote the launch of programs in collaboration with other institutions, such as the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and the Faculty of Economics and Business Sciences," as well as the aspiration to offer an online group for the Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering "which could open the doors to Latin America for us."

The new director also focused on the need to strengthen the postgraduate offering. "We must strengthen the master's program offering, consolidating current ones and creating the future Master's in Artificial Intelligence, which we are working on," he stated, emphasizing that this discipline "must be a fundamental pillar at the ETSII." Colmenar emphasized that his goal is to promote the development, training, and ethical use of artificial intelligence, and extended his support "to those centers that have initiatives related to AI, to advance the teaching offerings in line with the times we live in."

He also emphasized the importance of continuing to support innovative initiatives by teachers that contribute to improving the teaching and learning process, and recognized the work of the school's technical, administrative, and service staff, calling for "better working conditions and more personnel to carry out the tasks necessary for managing the school, especially in quality assurance processes."

For his part, the rector of the Rey Juan Carlos University, Abraham Duarte, praised the new governing team at the ETSII and expressed his confidence in Colmenar's work. "I have known José Manuel for more than fifteen years and I know of his commitment, his approachability, and his capacity for work," he stated, also recalling his own time at the School of Computer Engineering, where he also served as director before being elected rector.

The ceremony concluded with the signing of the minutes book and the institutional photograph of the rector and the secretary general alongside the new director. This inauguration marks the beginning of a new era for the ETSII, focused on innovation, continuous improvement, and collaboration between schools.

You can see all the photos of the event here