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Catalan Association of Public Universities and Global University Network for innovation

The Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP) is an association formed by the universities of Barcelona (UB), Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Girona (UdG), Lleida (UdL), Rovira i Virgili (URV) and Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). It was established in 1997 with the aim of representing and promoting the public universities of Catalonia. ACUP's mission is to support the work of its member universities and unite their strenghts for knowledge sharing and good practice. The Global University Network for innovation (GUNi) is an international network creating in 1999 by UNESCO and UNU after UNESCO's World Confenrece on Higher Education in 1997. The mission of GUNi is to strenghten the role of higher education in society, contributing to the renewal of the visions, missions and policies of higher education across the world under a vision of public service, relevance, sustainability and social responsibility. The network is currently composed of 227 members from 80 countries, which includes the UNESCO Chairs in Higher Education, higher education institutions, research centers and networks related to innovation and the social commitment of higher education.

Carina Garcia Mesegué

Carina works as a Communications Officer for the Catalan Association for Public Universities (ACUP) and the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi). She holds a B.A. in Journalism (UAB) and an M.A. in African Studies (SOAS, University of London). During her professional life, she has interned for several newspapers, and she has been working as a communications officer in multiple non-profit organizations, both in Spain and in Senegal. She is experienced in the dissemination of European projects (Erasmus+, H2020), the organization of events, and managing 360 communication. She is currently studying an M.A. in Corporate Communications, Protocol and Events (UOC).

Jaume Fortuny

Jaume Fortuny joined the Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP) and the Global Universities Network for Innovation (GUNi) as International Project Officer in January 2022. In TeRRIFICA, he is working in the pilon region of the metropolitan area of Barcelona.

Before working at ACUP-GUNi, Jaume worked coordinating projects of the University of Barcelona for capacity building in Higher Education in Africa, India and Latin America. He was also a partner in numerous projects throughout Europe (including the Balkan area and the neighbourhood of the European Union) and in the Middle East. He participated in the HAQAA (Harmonisation of African Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation) initiative between the European Union and the African Union. And was also part of the technical support team of HERE (Higher Education Reform Experts), coordinated by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), in cooperation with the DG Education and Culture of the European Commission.

Jaume holds a B.Eng. in Telecommunications (UPC), as well as a M.B.A. focused on Innovation (UB-EAE) and a Postgraduate Degree in Project Management (UOC).

Marta Cayetano i Giralt

Marta is currently working as Communications Officer at the Association of Catalan Public Universities (ACUP) and the Global University Network for innovation (GUNi). She is involved in the communication and dissemination of the H2020 European project TeRRIFICA and she has been working since 2015 as a comms officer with the H2020 project HEIRRI at the Global University Network for innovation (GUNi). She has hold hold different positions in the communication field since 2006, such as account executive in a design studio and press analyst.

She is also a current editor and contributor at www.indienauta.com and has volunteered at the communication department of the NGO SETEM and the community developement project Kufunda in Zimbabwe. She was also a trainee at CCCB Barcelona Contemporary Culture Centre.

Marta Cayetano holds a B.A. in Audiovisual Communication (Pompeu Fabra University) and and B.A. in Translation and Languages (UVIC) and holds a Postgraduate Degree in Strategic Digital Communication (IDEC-UPF) and a Postgraduate Degree in International Development and Cooperation (Setem-UPC).

Núria Jové

Núria Jové (Barcelona, 1986) is Head of Projects at the Catalan Association for Public Universities (ACUP) since February 2019. Her work at ACUP focuses on coordinating the Research and Innovation area of the association and implementing the activities promoted in the framework of the Knowledge, Territory and Innovation Platform (PCTI), an strategic project aimed at strengthening the socio-economic development of Catalonia through stable cooperation between universities, public administrations, companies and civil society organizations.

During a period of more than eight years, Núria consolidated her knowledge and experience in project management in the field of higher education and research cooperation in her capacity of Project Analyst at the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfMS), an intergovernmental institution bringing together 43 countries to foster dialogue, cooperation and integration in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Prior to joining UfMS, Núria developped her first working experiences in press office and public affairs at the Parliament of Catalonia and at the Association of Political Scientists and Sociologists of Catalonia (COLPIS) and in media journalism at the El Punt newspaper.

Núria holds a B.A. in Political Sciences & Public Administration and a B.A. in Journalism (both by the Universitat Pompeu Fabra) as well as a Postgraduate course on State and International Protocol & Ceremonial (by the Universidad de Oviedo and the Diplomatic School of Spain).

Josep M. Vilalta

Josep M. Vilalta is Executive Secretary of the Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP) and Director of the Global University Network for association (GUNi). Before he held the following positions and responsibilities: Deputy Director General for Research of the Government of Catalonia, Head of the Evaluation, Studies and University Cooperation of the Government of Catalonia, Head of the Strategic Planning Unit of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair for University Management, Deputy Director of Management of the Laboratori d’Enginyeria Marítima (Ocean Engineering Laboratory) (UPC) and Executive Secretary of the International Centre for Coast Resources. He has lectured in the fields of public management, public policy and university and research management in different universities and centres. He also promoted and coordinated a Master in University Management and Policy.

He holds a degree in History and Geography (Universitat de Barcelona), a Master in Public Management (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), a Master in Political and Social Theory (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) and a postgraduate degree in Higher Education Management (Open University and Universiteit Twente). He has been a visiting lecturer at the University of London (Great Britain) and at the University of Twente (The Netherlands).