The accelerated expansion of private universities in Spain has generated concern among both public and private institutions. Àngels Fitó, rector of the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), expressed her concerns about the impact of this phenomenon on the prestige of the university sector. Fitó noted that many of these new universities operate at a distance, a model in which the UOC was a pioneer and on which it has worked to maintain high standards of quality. She criticized allowing universities to open without the necessary accreditations, something that, according to her, does not happen in other European countries. The rector stressed the importance of administrations intervening to regulate this out-of-control growth and called for greater support for the public system to meet the growing demand.
In the context of its 30th anniversary, the UOC has implemented artificial intelligence to improve academic and administrative processes. The university, which is now located on the Rambla del Poblenou in Barcelona, has 90,000 students, many of whom study from geographically diverse locations, although Catalan students predominate. This year, the UOC introduces the degree in Biomedical Engineering, taught in several languages. Although it does not offer health degrees such as Medicine, Fitó did not rule out the possibility that in the future it could deliver online programs that traditionally require in-person training, thanks to current technological opportunities.
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