New Year greetings from the President of the Compostela Group of Universities 2023

Dear community of the Compostela Group of Universities,

I would like to start this message by expressing our gratitude for your commitment to the network. Your support is the pillar underpinning the consolidation of our activities and the driving force behind new initiatives.

In 2022, we doubled the number of face-to-face meetings of the governing bodies of our member universities, thus fostering the strengthening of ties and the debate on the current challenges of higher education. After the favourable reception of the first edition, we invited you to attend the II International Meeting of Rectors at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. A few months later, the University of Freiburg received us at our general assembly, and you could witness the awarding of the XXVI International Prize Grupo Compostela-Xunta de Galicia to the former president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer.

We were also recognised for our work through the presentation of an award to our representative in the Scholars at Risk network, Professor Julia Wojnowska-Radzińska of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. A distinction for her dedication to the protection of at-risk academics.

Furthermore, I would like to highlight the growth of our initiatives aimed at research teams and students. The network’s VI Research Pitches Contest reached record participation last year. In the second edition of the Compostela Debate Tournament, co-organised with the University of Pécs, we extended the duration of the activity and the number of places, due to the interest raised in our community.

Likewise, I would also like to highlight the launch of the Compostela Group of Universities-CETYS Chair, an initiative that offers faculty and research staff the opportunity to carry out an academic exchange at CETYS University.

Among the projects of our Compostela Academy on the Camino, the CGU Maris, which allowed a group of students to discover the maritime heritage of the pilgrimage route, attracted great curiosity. We closed the year with CAMIÑOLAB II, a laboratory of academic experts who disseminated their research on cultural heritage management through a website and a training course.

In the coming year, we will continue to work to foster collaboration and promote dialogue in all fields related to higher education. We look forward to seeing you at our next General Assembly, which will be hosted by the University of Seville on 21-22 September 2023.

On behalf of the members of the Executive Committee, the CGU team and my behalf, please receive with the deepest affection, our best wishes for the year 2023.

Marek Kręglewski
President of the Compostela Group of Universities