Michael Murphy, president of the European University Association, will inaugurate the UOC's academic year

Professor Michael Murphy, president of the European University Association (EUA), will inaugurate the academic year 2022/2023 on 17 October at 7 p.m. with a lecture titled "Universities Without Walls – Adapting to Change in Europe". The lecture, recorded at the UOC's headquarters on 4 October, will be broadcast online on 17 October at 7 p.m. Register in advance to watch it on the UOC's YouTube or LinkedIn channels.

Michael Murphy has been president of the EUA – an organization bringing together more than 850 different universities from 49 European countries – since 2019. The EUA played a key part in the implementation of the Bologna Plan in European universities, and works to achieve cooperation and interaction between these institutions and to promote European higher education and research.

The inaugural lecture was recorded on 4 October, and the participants included Josep A. Planell, the UOC President, Pere Vallès, President of the UOC Board of Trustees, and Gemma Geis, then Minister for Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia. On 10 October Geis left that role; she was replaced as Minister for Research and Universities by Joaquim Nadal i Farreras on 11 October.

Who is Michael Murphy?

Professor Michael B. Murphy graduated in medicine from University College Cork, the start of a career dedicated to academic research in this field. He was awarded a doctorate by the National University of Ireland in 1984, after which he worked as a researcher and assistant professor at the University of Chicago. In 1992 he returned to University College Cork, first as a professor and consultant physician, before going on to become dean of medicine and health sciences and eventually president of the university.

In addition to his pursuits in medical research, Murphy has been an active and long-standing member of various academic organizations. The roles he has fulfilled include Vice Chancellor of the National University of Ireland, Chair of the Health Research Board of Ireland, Chair of the Irish Universities Association, and Chair of the Permanent Working Group of European Hospital Doctors. At present, in addition to his leadership of the EUA, he chairs the Steering Committee of the European Learning and Teaching Forum and the Advisory Board of U-Multirank.