Joaquin Goyache, the 347th Rector of the Complutense University of Madrid has visited us as part of his first official visit to Harvard University. The reason for the visit has been the inauguration of our academic year. As it is known, the Rector is the President of our institution jointly with the President of Harvard, Larry Bacow JD ’76, MPP ’76, PhD ’78.
Among the activities in his agenda, the Rector joined the President of the Committee of General Scholarships and other Harvard academic authorities for the welcome event for Harvard University international students. He also made an official visit to the Harvard University Marshal where he had the honor of signing the Harvard University Guest Book. The Rector also attended several work meetings, among them, one with the Vice-Provost for International Affairs, Prof. Mark C. Elliot, as well as with all the Harvard University members of the RCC Academic Council: Prof. David Kennedy from the Harvard Law School, Prof. Jose Antonio Gomez-Ibañez from the Harvard Kennedy School, Prof. Ajay Singh form the Harvard Medical School, Prof. Luis Giron from the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, Prof. Gonzalo Giribet from the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, both from the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and with the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean for International Affairs, Margot N. Gill.
Rector Goyache, together with the RCC Academic Council Members and its Director, officially inaugurated the academic year 2019/2020. During his speech, the Rector highlighted the celebration of the RCC’s Thirtieth Anniversary as a central part of the academic year, as well as evidence of the strength in the relationship between Complutense University and Harvard University. The Rector expressed his thanks to everyone that during this time has exercised the necessary leadership for the continued success of the joint project.
During the inauguration, 70 of the 102 fellows that will be part of the RCC for this academic year presented their research and study projects. In his speech, the Rector particularly highlighted the responsibility that comes with being present at Harvard and invited everyone present to respond to the collective effort that has been carried out in order to make it possible for this dream to become a reality by giving back to society: “at both sides of the Atlantic, we are facing global and structural challenges to which we will not be able to find a solution without the determined participation of the University and its staff, students, researchers and faculty.”