During his speech, the Rector has congratulated the entire school and has emphasised the university’s international recognition. “Top 75 worldwide in civil engineering for UPV in the Shanghai Ranking,” he stated, referring to the results of the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2025 by Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Capilla has also stressed UPV’s international commitment, particularly in China, where the institution has been “the first university to establish a centre abroad”. In this regard, he explained that “we have opened enrolment for joint master’s programmes, and the response has been a real success.” He also noted that the university “will continue to promote initiatives in the field of civil engineering in China.”
Regarding technological transformation, the Rector warned that “AI is a challenge in every field: what we must teach and how.” He acknowledged that “the evolution of these tools is so fast” that it creates uncertainty, and pointed out that “there is significant concern about the misuse of AI.”
He also thanked the support of the business sector, highlighting that “thanks to our environment,” UPV can continue advancing in innovation and knowledge transfer.
The event also included the awards ceremony of the 19th Photography Contest 2026 and the 5th edition of the Torrescamara Innovation Challenge Award, and featured a lecture by Josep Vicent Boira on the urban evolution of Valencia.