La Casa Nova became the headquarters of the University of Alicante and was presented at a ceremony at the Casa Nova, chaired by Manuel Palomar, Rector of the University of Alicante, Ana Sala, Mayor of Calp, Rebeca Merchán, Education Councillor, and Josep Ivars, Director of the new University Centre.
In his speech, Palomar stressed the willingness of the University of Alicante to be present in the different regions with the aim of "bringing our institution closer to people and society". The venues are and must be an instrument that enables us to have more continuous contact with the cities. They enable us to respond to the specific needs of each sector with training, research and culture. The Rector described Calpe's headquarters as "another step towards the consolidation of our University throughout the territory and an opportunity that we have been seizing for some time and which will now become a reality with a wonderful headquarters, such as La Casa Nova.
The mayoress, Ana Sala, for her part, said that "we are very grateful to the University of Alicante for having trusted Calp to make our town university headquarters," and focused on highlighting the space chosen to host the university headquarters: "The Casa Nova is a symbol for our municipality and since its recovery hosts different services that are now complemented with the University Headquarters of Calpe.
The director of the new university headquarters, Josep Ivars, professor of the Department of Regional Geographic Analysis and Physical Geography of the University of Alicante and a member of the University Institute of Tourism Research, said that "we will work to make a program that meets the needs of Calp and we also want to be the meeting point between the socioeconomic fabric and the University of Alicante”.
Inauguration
After the speeches at the door of the Casa Nova, the mayoress and the rector were responsible for unveiling the plaque that identifies this emblematic seventeenth-century building as the University Campus of Calp, just before touring the facilities that have a whole series of classrooms and spaces to develop training or cultural activities.
The event was attended by the University of Alicante, in addition to the rector, the general secretary, Esther Algarra, the vice rector of Culture, Carles Cortés, Campus, Rafael Muñoz, Quality, Francisco Torres, and Social Responsibility and Equality, María José Rodríguez. Also present were the manager, Rafael Pla, the director of the General Inspection of Services, Salvador Palazón, and the director of the Secretariat of University Campuses, Eva Valero.
The premiere of the new headquarters was completed with the exhibition "Graphic memory of the University of Alicante" and the performance of the group Game of Tones Acapella, students of the UA members of the Choir of the University of Alicante, and a sample "that in the University of Alicante can combine training in different degrees and also in other fields such as music, in this case," said the Vice Chancellor of Culture, Carles Cortés.
Memory
The rector received from the hands of the mayoress a souvenir of the inauguration of the new headquarters of Calp. Ana Sala handed Manuel Palomar a framed replica of the key to the door of the Casa Nova, which houses the Calpe University Campus.