The collaboration between the hospital and the university dates back to 1997, when nursing students began their clinical placements at the hospital during the academic year. In 2017, medical students also joined the initiative, transforming the hospital’s facilities into an extension of the Sant Cugat Campus. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to training healthcare professionals with a comprehensive, patient-centred approach grounded in scientific rigour and teaching excellence.
To mark the hospital’s 40th anniversary, UIC Barcelona highlighted the strategic value of this collaboration in providing students with real-world clinical experience, promoting research and strengthening knowledge transfer in service of society.
The event was attended by Miguel Angel Cazcarra, chair of the Board of Trustees; Josep M. Torné, university manager; Cristina Monforte, vice-rector for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer; Luz Ortega, manager of the Cuides UIC Barcelona Clinic; Josep M. García Navas, manager of the Support Clinic and the University Dental Clinic; and representatives from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, including Boi Ruiz, director of the University Institute for Patient Care; Montserrat Virumbrales, deputy head of the Department of Medicine; Carlos García Forero, head of the department’s Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer Unit; and Encarna Rodríguez, head of the Department of Nursing.
Dr Esther Calbo, dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at UIC Barcelona, emphasised that “the synergy between the university and the Hospital Universitari General de Catalunya is one of the cornerstones of our educational model. It is essential for our students to grow alongside practising professionals who are also part of the university project.”
Dr Joan Izquierdo, medical director of HUGC, added that “the alliance with UIC Barcelona has been key to establishing ourselves as a benchmark in healthcare quality, technological innovation and the training of healthcare professionals.”
Image: © HUGC
