The Observatory is committed to offering a positive and constructive view of today’s world, while applying the critical insight needed to discern the strengths, opportunities, risks and weaknesses of each trend. “We want to understand where society is heading, while remaining close to the key social issues,” explains the Observatory’s director, Fernando Sánchez Costa.

To support this aim, the Observatory publishes a quarterly journal, Panorama de tendències, whose first issue is titled “The Return of the City-State?” It features expert analyses of what is happening to large cities today, arriving at a clear conclusion: Madrid could become a major Atlantic capital, partly thanks to its links with Latin America, while Barcelona has the potential to serve as the great capital of the Mediterranean.

In this way, the journal opens up the debate and presents a range of perspectives, thanks to the collaboration of specialists who propose potential solutions and new lines of thought. The first issue is a monograph with contributions from the anthropologist Félix Pérez, who traces the growth of cities throughout history, from the earliest urban developments to the concept of the global city first coined in 1991, and on to the rise of so-called megalopolises. Finally, he outlines the strengths and weaknesses of Barcelona and Madrid as global cities in the context of this urban expansion, highlighting several key indicators used to position cities in global rankings.

According to Fernando Sánchez Costa, the Observatory’s research will take a multidisciplinary approach – covering medical, sociological and economic fields, among others. In addition to academics and experts, upcoming issues of the journal will also feature contributions from around ten students from the Faculty of Communication Sciences at UIC Barcelona, who will produce audiovisual content for the digital version of the journal.

"This is a way to engage the university community and offer students the opportunity to interview the experts and researchers who will contribute to each issue,” Sánchez Costa explains. In an interview with UIC Barcelona, he shared a preview of the theme for the next issue: Barcelona as the capital of the Mediterranean, continuing the thread of the first publication and placing the spotlight on the Catalan city.

The Observatory of Social Trends will also host debate forums featuring politicians, business leaders, and figures from the social and cultural sectors, to address the key issues raised by the Observatory. The first of these events will take place in autumn 2025.

Together with the Observatory on Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies and the Observatory on Family Policies, UIC Barcelona now has three observatories in operation, reflecting its commitment to knowledge transfer, a cornerstone of the University’s mission.