He Social Council Today, January 14, the plenary session approved the overall amount of the 2025 budget for the University of La Laguna, valued at 174 million euros, with an increase of 680,000 euros, which represents an increase of 0.39% compared to the previous year.
The document was presented by the university's manager, Teresa Covisa, who detailed both the expenses and income for this year. Taking into account rising inflation and outstanding payments from previous years, the university should receive an additional 13 million euros to cover increased costs, salaries, and the major maintenance contracts, she explained.
The context for the 2025 budget is therefore one of spending restraint and adherence to fiscal rules regarding the restriction of the use of treasury surpluses, Covisa added. Nevertheless, the continuity of key services and recurring contracts is guaranteed, while the workforce will be strengthened through internal university savings and spending efficiency.
“There is a lack of stable, increased and secure basic structural funding in a multi-year model from the autonomous community, to eliminate the uncertainty with which this budget is prepared in each year,” Covisa stated at the end of his speech, also indicating that this is a requirement of the Organic Law of the University System.
The president of the Social Council, Francisco Almeida, agreed that the funding of the academic center is insufficient and also needs a clearer economic outlook, apart from the need to improve some internal procedures and control of the university institution itself, such as the presence of staff.
The rector, Francisco García, added that three million euros in extra-budgetary funding have been secured, one million of which will be entirely dedicated to infrastructure. “We are one of the regions with the lowest student tuition fees, which we consider reasonable, but this is not offset by additional contributions from the regional government.” The rector pointed out that more resources are needed to attract talent, a situation exacerbated by the delays in the Regional Ministry of Universities' authorization of calls for applications to hire faculty, some of which have been pending since last August, he specified.
Other matters
During this morning's session, held entirely in person, the governing body also reviewed the proposal from the Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer, Antonio Aparicio Juan, to create the spin-off company Biogás Canarias SL, which has already received the approval of the Governing Council. This entity will be dedicated to generating methane from the digestion of organic waste and will be led by three researchers from the academic center. This brings the total number of spin-off companies resulting from research activities at the University of La Laguna to six.
Aparicio Juan also presented to the collegiate body the creation of another research unit, called the Joint Institute for Research in Tropical Diseases and Public Health of
The rector, Francisco García, and the president, Francisco Almeida.
The Canary Islands government aims to incorporate the Canary Islands Health Department into the existing institute, fostering greater synergies by sharing personnel, resources, and publications, thereby advancing research output in this field. The joint institute is structured through a four-year agreement, renewable for the same period, and a contribution of one million euros from the Canary Islands Health Service, pending final approval by the Canary Islands government.
The Social Council also approved its own budget for this fiscal year, valued at €731,500, and that of the General Foundation of the educational institution, as an in-house entity of the academic center. Training, innovation and knowledge transfer, employability, and the management of university projects are the main areas of activity of this latter entity, which will have a budget of €16 million in 2025, as highlighted by its managing director, Julio Brito.
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