Teaching

The UAB of the year 2030 will be a university recognized for its public service vocation, high commitment to its territorial and social environment, high degree of autonomy, flexibility, dynamism and efficiency of all its activities and model of sustainable management.

Likewise, it will be internationally recognized for its contribution in responding to social challenges, the multidisciplinary approach in teaching and research, and for having a global campus with a diverse community and a strong sense of belonging.

There will be a need for singularization of universities in order to create their own identity, which can be built from a specialization in branches of knowledge, by give different intensities to the research and teaching activities, thanks to the type of academic programmes offered (undergraduate versus graduate), for the commitment between proximity to the territory and internationalization, or for its the relationship with the business world.
 
As a starting point, the objectives the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona poses to overcome current educational challenges by 2030 are:
 
 
1. To have a quality, flexible and non-uniform teaching offer, adapted to the needs of society and attractive for the labour market which can position the UAB in the national and international university systems.
Within this objective, the following actions are proposed:

1. To work on critical, rigorous thinking, with depth of knowledge and proven quality.
2. To continue to be a benchmark in quality by promoting excellence accreditations, among other aspects.
3. To exploit multidisciplinarity as a differentiating factor of the UAB with an offer of open curricula, double degrees, dual master's degrees and contact spaces among students of different branches of knowledge, breaking the classic barrier of science and arts and introducing in general ethical, democratic and supportive values.
4. To move towards a more internationalized university in certain strategic fields, both to train local students better and to attract talent from outside, proposing double degrees between different European universities, dual master’s and international master’s degrees in English, etc.
5. To increase the social relevance of the training offer, adapting the programmes, if deemed appropriate, to the new tendencies of society and the labour market in a flexible way.
6. To focus the specialization of knowledge in the master’s degrees and make undergraduate programmes more generalist.
7. To incorporate aspects which will be crucial in the future, such as the use of massive data (big data) and artificial intelligence, and associated capacities, responding rapidly to any new socially transforming knowledge.
8. To increase relationships among faculties with the aim of providing a multidisciplinary academic offer.
9. To encourage innovation in degrees with the participation of internal and external experts in the design of training programmes.
10. To offer training designed for different audiences and for different student profiles.

 
2. To develop an innovative teaching model, combining face-to-face and online work, the theory-practice balance and the link with research, in a context of the use of ICTs.
Within this objective, the following actions are proposed:

1. To implement new learning models based on the use of ICTs, that is, with more basic online education and less classroom lessons, but maintaining and enhancing their usefulness, developing small groups and seminars and providing inspirational face-to-face lectures.
2. To bring teaching, research and transfer closer together and incorporating the results of research activities into the teaching content for students.
3. To balance theoretical-practical relationships with different approaches depending on the type of degree (more professional or academic degrees), ensuring that teachers of certain disciplines are highly familiar with the current professional situation.
4. To promote a more autonomous, active, responsible and collaborative student profile in the learning process.
5. To promote training in cross-curricular competences, such as the capacity for synthesis and communication, emotional intelligence, conflict management and entrepreneurship.
6. To increase the funding for teaching, especially in aspects of teaching innovation.

 
3. To move towards a new model for capturing, retaining and boosting talent in the PDI teams.
Within this objective, the following actions are proposed:

1. To define a new model of academic dedication, supported by a system of internal recognition of the activities of teaching, research, transfer and management, and based on a model of indicators and incentives.
2. To implement a management model for academic staff adapted to the characteristics of each discipline.
3. To ensure a good generational relay of the PDI staff.
4. To articulate reinforced processes of attracting and training talented researchers, enhancing the incorporation of profiles providing heterogeneity and a significant contribution.

 
4. To evolve towards a new, more decentralised, organisational structure, based on an increase in the autonomy of the different units and good accountability.
Within this objective, the following actions are proposed:

1. To redefine the internal organisation, the operation and role of centres, departments and other structures, considering the possibility of creating intermediate structures.
2. To increase the role of the centres in the academic programming and the monitoring and evaluation of teaching, and expand their functions in the management of teaching staff.
3. To provide the centres with the necessary resources so that they can act with more management autonomy, with the consequent accountability.
4. To advance to achieve more interdisciplinary departments.
5. To establish a programme contract system with the different centres and services to favour the decentralisation of the University and autonomy in management.

 
5. To move towards a more flexible, agile and productive management system, thanks to the simplification of processes and the introduction of technology in all areas.
Within this objective, the following actions are proposed:

1. To simplify and adapt internal processes by avoiding duplicities, especially those related to the academic organisation, such as the development of curricula, the opening and closing of degrees, etc.
2. To reinforce teaching and research facilities and support services, integrating them into the teaching and research processes.
3. To reduce the bureaucratic burden, with more autonomy and accountability.
4. To provide flexible management structures which are adaptable to changes.
5. To understand the real costs of products and services.
6. To promote a digital transformation, rethinking teaching and management processes, promoting digital administration and reducing the use of paper.