Through this partnership, two fully funded scholarships will be awarded for doctoral programmes offered by UIC Barcelona. They will also include support for accommodation, living expenses, health insurance and a travel allowance.
One of the scholarships will be offered under the junior category, aimed at students who have completed undergraduate and master’s studies at an Ibero-American university outside Spain and who wish to begin a three-year doctoral programme at UIC Barcelona. The other will be a senior scholarship, intended for non-Spanish Ibero-American university lecturers under the age of 45 who wish to undertake doctoral studies at the University.
The agreement was signed on 27 June by Mariano Jabonero, Secretary-General of the OEI, and Alfonso Méndiz, Rector of UIC Barcelona, during a ceremony held in the boardroom of the University’s Barcelona Campus.
“With the inclusion of the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya in the Paulo Freire Plus programme, we are taking a significant step forward in our commitment to building a shared space for higher education and research across Ibero-America,” explained Mariano Jabonero. “These doctoral scholarships not only foster academic excellence, but also strengthen cooperation between our universities, offering meaningful opportunities for personal and social transformation through knowledge.”
Rector Alfonso Méndiz welcomed the agreement, noting that “this alliance is perfectly aligned with UIC Barcelona’s mission to be a global, forward-thinking university committed to social transformation through knowledge. These scholarships offer a unique opportunity for researchers to develop their talent in an international and interdisciplinary environment, while also deepening academic and human ties across the region.”
UIC Barcelona’s Vice-Rector for International Relations, Eduardo Mirpuri, added that “this agreement forms part of the University’s broader internationalisation strategy, which includes initiatives such as the European EduCare Alliance, the DigiCare project, and the development of double degrees and new academic programmes, among others.”
The Paulo Freire Plus programme is an OEI initiative designed to promote academic mobility and expand doctoral-level training in Ibero-American countries. It is part of the OEI’s broader “Universidad Iberoamérica 2030” strategy, which seeks to build a shared space for higher education and research across the region.
