The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, and the rector of the University of La Laguna (ULL), Francisco García, held a meeting yesterday with the aim of advancing relations between the City Council and the academic institution. This is the first institutional meeting between the representatives of both entities since Francisco García was elected rector of the University, last April, and Luis Yeray Gutiérrez revalidated his position as mayor of La Laguna, in May. The vice-rector for Sustainability and Infrastructures of the ULL, Candela Díaz, was also present at the meeting.
Among the issues addressed were the expansion of the Guajara Campus and the project for the construction of a new Faculty of Education, as well as a Faculty of Health Sciences. Francisco García assured that “for the university it is a priority to find a new location for the Faculty of Education and Guajara is the ideal place for it.” Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, for his part, has promised to study the availability of public land in the area with the capacity to house a new building, according to reports from the City Council.
The putting into use of the garden of the central building of the ULL was another important issue. During the past term, several conversations were held to find a legal formula that would allow the public use of this space, with the aim of transforming it into a place of recreation in the city; however, the initiative could not materialize. “We share the need to improve this space, so we are going to resume work to study all possible alternatives,” said the rector.
Another of the topics discussed has been the need to improve residential alternatives for students in the municipality. In this sense, the rector indicated that “some of our residences, such as the one in Parque de las Islas, need improvements and perhaps an extension to increase the number of places.” Both the mayor and the rector reiterated their purpose of working together when it comes to facilitating housing resources for students.
In cultural matters, from the ULL it is considered that the City Council can have a greater role in actions up to now characteristic of the University. Likewise, there is the will to continue consolidating lines of work already underway.
Luis Yeray Gutiérrez celebrated “the desire to strengthen the collaboration between the City Council and the University that the new rector and his team have conveyed to us.” “We are convinced that this cooperation is not only beneficial for the student community, but for La Laguna society as a whole. That is why we are going to redouble our efforts,” he added.
Francisco García assured, for his part, that “the interests of the University and the municipality of La Laguna are practically identical, and the mayor and I have started from this conviction in this first meeting, which has been very fruitful. We have raised many aspects in which we can collaborate and from now on we are going to have technical meetings to materialize these projects”.
