Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain)
The Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) was founded in 1991 and has five campuses in Reus, Tarragona, Vila-seca and the Baix Penedés, and Terres de l’Ebre regions. It offers approximately 50 studies in various disciplines and is currently home to 15,000 students. The URV is a leading university in Catalonia and Europe in terms of its teaching quality, its commitment to education and its excellence in research, development and innovation.
The URV’s commitment to social responsibility is expressed through its Strategic Plan for the Third Mission, which was approved in 2009. This plan established a series of objectives and actions regarding social activity, volunteering and development cooperation.
Service Learning Program
The Service-Learning programme brings together reflexive practice, service to the community and the acquisition of knowledge, values, skills and competencies. Students learn about the real needs of their environment so that they can take steps to improve it. The students, the teaching staff, the university community and the university itself all benefit from the programme. Service-Learning Programme Website
Development Cooperation Center – “URV Solidaria”
The URV Solidària Centre for Development Cooperation promotes the URV’s development cooperation activities by managing projects aimed at members of the university community, cooperation projects with NGOs and awareness activities in the form of conferences, seminars and exhibitions. The Centre offers grants to initiatives by organizations that work with the most disadvantaged in society. “URV Solidària” Website
Volunteer Office
The Volunteer Office focuses on connecting individuals from the university community with volunteer organizations that work on behalf of the community and that need the help of volunteers. Volunteer Office Website
Chair for Social Inclusion sponsored by ONCE (Spanish National Organization of the Blind)
This chair carries out training and awareness activities and research regarding social groups that are excluded from society on the grounds of economics, culture, ethnicity or disability.
Environmental Plan
The URV’s Environmental Plan aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 compared to those recorded in 2005. As part of the plan, the URV collates data regarding its annual emissions, the impact of increased student mobility and its electricity consumption, in addition to implementing various strategies to reduce its environmental impact. Environmental Plan Website