With less public than usual and many security measures due to COVID, the inauguration of the URJC summer courses was held yesterday on the Vicalvaro campus, which this year has had two exceptional sponsors: the lawyer Antonio Garrigues Walker and the journalist María Rey. Along with them was also the rector of the university, Javier Ramos, accompanied by other representatives of the academic world.

Garrigues and Rey discussed the challenges the world is facing today, such as the aging of the population, loneliness or mental problems, which have increased exponentially during the pandemic. For the lawyer, Spain's main challenge continues to be ending economic inequality, but he highlighted the progress made in terms of gender equality: "In just a few years, women have come to play a fundamental role in all areas and that is something that we have done better than other countries around us such as Italy or even Germany”. Both were optimistic about the future and the transforming role of citizens: “We cannot blame the politicians entirely. From civil society we can also improve things, but for that we have to organize ourselves and react”.

The vice-rector for University Extension, Mercedes del Hoyo, was in charge of presenting the event. In her acceptance speech, she highlighted that the success of this edition lies in the theme of the courses "very connected to current events, which unfortunately is still COVID." Among the twenty courses that will be taught in the next two weeks there are very diverse subjects, from economics to art, but the pandemic and how to combat its consequences continue to play a leading role in most of them. 

During the act, the rector also presented the prize for the best design of the poster for the summer courses, which went to Miguel Ángel Campillejo, a double degree student in Marketing and Advertising. As a final point of the ceremony, the university orchestra, directed by Gemma Camps, performed the soundtrack of the film Life is beautiful.