The ACUP report on teaching and training at the Catalan public universities also highlights the increase in the numbers of doctoral students

20% of graduates from the Catalan public universities undertake a study visit in Europe. This is one of the conclusions highlighted in the Report on Teaching and Training Indicators at the Catalan Public Universities (2018) which has been presented at the University of Barcelona. In the 10 years since the implementation of the European Higher Education (EHEA), the education offered by universities and the range of activities that they undertake consolidate their impact on society. In particular, there has been a notable increase in levels of training among 30 to 34 year olds.

Since the 2015-2016 academic year, the numbers of doctoral students has continued to increase. Likewise, in the last 5 years, a total of 286 industrial doctoral programmes have been taught to 404 students and involving 352 companies. In terms of employment rates, between 88% and 96% of doctoral students are employed depending on the area of knowledge, and more than 50% of doctoral graduates are employed in areas related to their doctoral training.

The numbers of teaching and research staff have increased by 9.4% to 1466 individuals during the 2013-2017 period, the total increase being 137 people. Of the 17,014 members of the teaching and research staff, 41.8% are women and 63.4% are doctoral graduates.

The report also highlights the quality of the courses on offer. The Catalan public university system stands out internationally and at European level for its quality. The number of graduates who undertake study visits abroad has increased to 20%, in line with EU objectives. The data show that Catalan universities are attractive as host institutions.

Another finding in the report is that student performance has improved in the period since EHEA was created, and has gone from 72% to 82% at bachelor’s level and 88% to 92% at master’s level. With the progressive implementation of the new bachelor’s programmes, more than 40,000 university students have gained direct work experience through the professional internship programmes at companies and institutions. Professional internships undertaken during university studies have been found to increase the employment prospects of graduates, as is evidenced by the 12% who gain access to their first jobs in this manner.

This second edition of the report contains a monograph on the training and social commitment of the universities, and includes specific experiences that illustrate the key role that they play as agents of social transformation. Regarding the URV, the report pointed to the university’s Community Vegetable Gardens Programme and the Service Learning project in which URV students and students on Vocational Training programmes collaborate to design and manufacture mechanical tools.