To Mr. Mariano Rajoy Brey, President of Spain; Mr. José Ignacio Wert Ortega, Minister for Education, Culture and Sport; Ms. Lucía Figar de Lacalle, Regional Counsellor for Education, Youth and Sport of the Madrid Region; and Mr. José Carrillo Menéndez, Rector of the Complutense University of Madrid.

Excellencies,

I would like to express my deepest concern regarding the alarming news from Spain about the critical situation and uncertain future of the Complutense University of Madrid.  I have had the pleasure of working and participating in events and scientific projects with professors and researchers from this institution on a number of different occasions.  Therefore, it is with despair that I hear that one of the oldest universities in Europe cannot continue with the teaching and research duties it has been carrying out over many centuries due to increasing and repeated financial cutbacks.  

Especially alarming is the fact that funding cutbacks should put at risk the research potential and work carried out by the younger generations of teachers and researchers —after all they are the future of the university. They constitute, indeed, the most dynamic group of faculty members who, on top of their teaching duties, carry out a large proportion of national and international research. Yet their jobs are being jeopardized due to the vulnerability of their contracts.

For all these reasons, I request the European institutions, the Spanish Government, the Community of Madrid and the Rectorate of the Complutense University to consider the extremely adverse consequences for the survival of the institution and its staff of the current budget constraints. I therefore call upon them to effectively resolve this situation, if necessary by means of arbitration and devising appropriate financial measures so that the UCM can continue to conduct research while providing society with reflection and knowledge. In times of crisis like these, such a contribution is more urgent and necessary than ever.

Yours sincerely,