Dr. Josep Maria Carbonell: "We have to make Blanquerna become the space of humanization that Pope Francis talks about"

The day of Sant Tomàs, which was celebrated on the 26th, began with the speeches of Dr. Josep Maria Carbonell, president of Blanquerna, and Dr. Giorgia Miotto, general director. The last part of the day featured a lecture-talk by Professor Javier Solana, president of EsadeGeo (Esade's center for global economics and geopolitics) and former secretary general of NATO (see section of the report).

Dr. Carbonell wanted first to express his gratitude for the "massive participation" in the two events celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Blanquerna: the Eucharist celebrated in Santa Maria del Mar and the concert in the Sagrada Família. "More than a concert", he said, "it was an affirmation of the foundation's vitality and a commitment to the country's culture". As president, he said, "I have the task of enforcing the decisions of the Board of Trustees" and he highlighted three topics: The future studies of medicine; sustainability; and identity. On the first point, he explained that work on the new building on Travessera de Gràcia will probably begin in the summer, and "we will go from 5,000 to 11,000 m2, creating a health campus; it will probably be possible to begin studies in medicine in 2026".

Regarding sustainability, he admitted that growth in recent years has been asymmetrical and the slight drop in the number of Nutrition and Communication students, which is a more generalized crisis, will have to be analyzed. He advocated for dialogue as the best method to strengthen the institution. And finally, on identity, he stated that in these times of uncertainty, of loss of values, identity is an asset. In this regard, he recalled the recent audience of Pope Francis in Rome on the occasion of the centenary of the IFCU, during which he reminded them, in his speech, that more important than confessionalism is humanization, "we must make Blanquerna that space of humanization that makes us understand that man has values and that these must be respected".