The rector of CEU San Pablo University, Rosa Visiedo, has been elected as Vice President of the Conference of the Rectors of the Spanish Universities (CRUE) at its General Assembly meeting, held at the University of Cordoba. Until now, she has served as a member of the Standing Committee. She replaces Josep Maria Garrell, former rector of the Universitat Ramón Llull, and joins the team led by Juan Romo, current president of the CRUE and rector of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.

During the meeting, Romo awarded the CRUE’s Gold Medal, for his important work at the head of the institution between 2019 and 2022, to his predecessor, José Carlos Gómez Villamandos, former rector of the University of Cordoba and current Minister of Universities, Research and Innovation of the Regional Government of Andalusia. Also present at the event were the rector of the University of Cordoba, Manuel Torralbo; the secretary general of the CRUE, María Teresa Lozano; and the secretary general of the Ministry of Universities, José Manuel Pingarrón.

Romo expressed to Gómez Villamandos the rectors’ gratitude for his work in advancing "with firm steps on the development of the roadmap and turning CRUE into the main interlocutor with the Government, playing a key role in all regulatory developments affecting Higher Education: the University Law of Coexistence, the Law of Science and the LOSU, now going through parliament". In his speech, he also highlighted Gómez Villamandos’ leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, in which "the CRUE proved to be crucial, coordinating the response of the universities and effectively managing the Supera Covid-19 Fund, which mobilized more than eight million euros to tackle this virus from within the University".

Gómez Villamandos also highlighted the University 2030 project, which, he said, "has served to demonstrate what the University wants to be", as well as the CRUE’s efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, which "proved the need for its existence". He made a call for unity of the university members of CRUE, as "it contributes to the cohesion of the University System and to the structuring and development of the territory. CRUE is the voice of the universities and we must continue on this path of unity".