Oriol Amat is elected new rector of UPF with broad support from the university community

Oriol Amat, professor of Financial Economics and Accounting, was elected as the new rector of the Pompeu Fabra University on Wednesday, May 5, after obtaining 65% of the votes in favor. As a result, Amat replaces Jaume Casals, professor of Philosophy, who has been rector for the last 8 years.

Jaume Casals himself congratulated the rector-elect and said that "from now on, for those of us who feel involved with the trajectory of the UPF, the world is divided between the things Oriol will want to do and the things we will want him to do". He admitted that this division "is perverse, but it is real". "My proposal is that we help him as much as we can to do the things he wants to do, because he is a person who knows how to listen and who has a clear idea of the best path," he rejoiced.

Upon officially announcing the news, the Director General of the UPF Barcelona School of Management, José Manuel Martínez-Sierra, remarked that "UPF-BSM is proud that its dean is the new rector of the University". "It is an objective of the school of management of the UPF to bring the best of itself to the university," he said.

To have an educational leader who has developed his most outstanding project in the school now bringing his knowledge and experience to the leadership of the University is the best of news 

The election of Amat, who has been dean of UPF-BSM during the 2018-2021 period, is a "great satisfaction" for Martínez-Sierra, who has considered that "to have an educational leader who has developed his most outstanding project in the school now bringing his knowledge and experience to the leadership of the University is the best news for both UPF and UPF-BSM".

Amat, guarantee of good management and work capacity

"The fact that our next rector is a person with such a strong connection to and knowledge of the school can only be good news," said Llorenç Bagur, Vice Dean for faculty at UPF-BSM. In this regard, Bagur assured that Amat's experience in different positions of responsibility, both inside and outside the university, "are a guarantee of good management and work capacity".

According to Bagur, the broad support received by the professor of economics during the election process is evidence of "a clear consensus on the suitability of Amat's profile to occupy the position"."Because of our leadership in training leaders in both the public and private sectors, we are particularly pleased with this result," concluded the Director General.

Having Amat's support from the rector's office can be a leverage for change and the opening of a new stage in the history of the school and in its process of international recognition.

For both Martínez-Sierra and Bagur, Amat's arrival as UPF rector is "good news" for the school, since, according to Bagur, "he understands UPF-BSM as an integral part of the University". Having his support from the rector's office, along with the new leadership of the Director General, can be a leverage for change and the opening of a new stage in the history of the school and in its process of international recognition," said the Vice Dean.

The Electoral Board will officially pronounce Amat as the elected candidate next Wednesday 12 May. Friday 21 May is the date set for Oriol Amat’s inauguration ceremony as rector of Pompeu Fabra University.

This is the second time that the elections for the UPF rector have been fully digital; voting took place between 3 and 5 May. The e-Vot platform was used, which is hosted and managed by the Consortium of University Services of Catalonia (CSUC) and enables universities to set up and manage digital elections. 

Brief biography of Oriol Amat i Salas

Oriol Amat i Salas has been professor of Financial Economics and Accounting at Pompeu Fabra University since 2001.

He holds a PhD in Economic Sciences (UAB) and a degree and MBA in Business Management and Administration (ESADE), and has taught at UPF since 1992. He has undergone residencies in a number of leading international centres. His lines of research include the analysis of factors for successful organisations and the ethical aspects of finance. He has supervised over fifteen theses and has written scientific articles and more than forty books, among other publications.

His interest in the four main dimensions of academic life (research, knowledge transfer, teaching and management) has led him to hold a number of academic and management posts, inside and outside of the University.

At UPF, he was the dean of the UPF Barcelona School of Management (2018-2021), director of the Department of Economics and Business (2003-2005), vice-rector of Economics, Information and Service Systems  (1997-2001) and, specifically in the area of teaching, director of the Centre for Teaching Quality and Innovation (2006-2011). He has also actively collaborated with various civil society institutions, such as the Association of Economists of Catalonia, of which he is the dean; the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona, PIMEC and the Catalonia 2022 working group, set up to design the post-covid strategy.