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Camilo José Cela University held the solemn investiture ceremony for Jaime Olmedo as the new rector at the Almagro Campus, the ceremony was attended by prominent members of the UCJC academic staff, authorities and students. It was a simple event aimed at prioritising the continuity of teaching activities on all UCJC campuses. At the beginning of the event, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of the victims and the consequences of the storm that is affecting different areas of the Spanish Levant.
Nieves Segovia, president of SEK Education Group, recalled that this year Camilo José Cela University celebrates its 25th anniversary, an event that also includes the investiture of the new rector, and stated that “this twin anniversary marks the continuity of our educational mission and the renewal of our commitment to the values that have guided us since our founding.” Service, excellence, freedom and improvement for the education of ethical and engaged citizens.” On the other hand, she dedicated a few words to Jaime Olmedo, of whom she said that he is “above all, a good man and exceedingly humble” and recalled that “in the academic tradition, the rector is the guardian of truth and virtue, characteristics that gain even more value in the era of artificial intelligence.”
Carmen Iglesias, director of the Royal Academy of History, was in charge of giving the laudatio speech. In it, she highlighted Olmedo’s academic achievements in his professional career, his work at the Royal Academy of History and his impact on the digitalization of cultural heritage, “after having worked with Jaime day after day at the RAH for 22 consecutive years, with a 50-page resumé in which his impressive education is showcased, his exceptional and profound intellectual abilities are revealed” and concluded by stating that “as Albert Camus recounted in his posthumous book, The first man there are beings that justify the world, that help us live with their mere presence. And Jaime is one of them.”
The ceremony included iconic moments, such as the presentation of the rector’s cap, baton and medal to the new rector by President Nieves Segovia. Ana Sánchez, a student on the Joint in Audiovisual Communication and New Media, also participated in the ceremony as a representative of the students and Professor Max Römer, representing the faculty of Camilo José Cela University.
Commitment to university excellence
During the ceremony, the new rector highlighted the pillars that will guide his mandate, including the combination of advanced technology with comprehensive and humanistic training. Olmedo pointed out the pride he felt, as a philologist, in taking up the post of rector at a university named after Camilo José Cela.
In his speech he reflected on what a university should and should not be today, because “university is much more than a place of diplomas, it is an institution dedicated to teaching the truth and cultivating the human being,” and that “it must continue to nourish and feed not only all those who learn there, but also those who were there at one time.” He also referred to the role of university culture, which “must strive to be the best space for the best people.” Let us make the university a place of excellence, a balance between intelligence and goodness.”
The event culminated with the performance of Gaudeamus Igitur, a symbol of the university spirit. The ceremony, broadcast live to the university community, was an opportunity to reaffirm UCJC’s commitment to the future of its students and its educational mission.
