The Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) has initiated the tender for the construction of a new building for the Faculty of Psychology. The building, which will be located next to the School of Medicine, will consist of four independent modules with a total area of 10,000 square meters. The rector, Javier Lafuente, aims to have the executive project completed by next summer and the first phase of construction finished for the 26-27 academic year.
Lafuente emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary teams and creating synergies between different disciplines. He believes that the Faculty of Psychology being located alongside Medicine makes more sense than being with other faculties such as Philosophy and Letters. The new building will also house the Institute of Neurosciences, which was founded in 2003 to bring together specialists from various disciplines working in the study of the nervous system.
The estimated cost of the first phase of the building is 37 million euros. Lafuente is confident that the financing will be finalized with the Ministry of Research and Universities before the end of the year. While the primary goal of the new building is to improve facilities and foster collaboration, Lafuente acknowledged that it would also provide the opportunity to expand capacity if there is a demand from society.
The Faculty of Psychology at UAB is one of the largest centers on campus, with over 2,000 undergraduate and master’s students. It offers 360 new access spaces for the Psychology degree, which is one of the most sought-after programs in university pre-registration. The demand for psychology professionals is also high, with a shortage of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists in Catalonia.
The lack of mental health professionals has led to territorial inequalities in mental health care, with services and professionals predominantly concentrated in Barcelona. The UAB aims to address these issues through its commitment to health and its global vision of healthcare, which includes veterinary medicine.
Overall, the new building for the Faculty of Psychology at UAB aims to improve facilities, foster collaboration, and cater to the growing demand for psychology professionals. The project aligns with the university’s commitment to multidisciplinary teams and its global health vision.