UNED Torrevieja has formally joined the Chair of Childhood and Adolescence of the Universitat Politècnica de València, marking an important step in strengthening its institutional commitment to the protection, education and well-being of children and adolescents.
This development coincides with the graduation of the first cohort of students from the Degree in Early Childhood Education taught at the Torrevieja centre, a programme that has significantly reinforced the academic and social focus of the institution on childhood-related issues within the local community.
The application for adhesion to the Chair was submitted in 2024 by the coordinator of UNED Torrevieja and was supported by a solid record of academic and social initiatives. These included the organisation of the international conference Child Poverty in Spain and the hosting of the national meeting of the Network of Universities for Childhood and Adolescence, which brings together thirty Spanish universities committed to research, training and advocacy in this field.
The formal signing ceremony of the collaboration agreement took place on 16 January 2026 in the Honoris Hall of the Rectorate Building of the Universitat Politècnica de València. The event was presided over by the Rector, José Esteban Capilla Romá, and was attended by the Vice-Rector for Employment, Lifelong Learning and Languages, Elena de la Poza Plata, as well as the Director of the Chair of Childhood and Adolescence, Vicente Cabedo Mallol. Representatives of eleven collaborating institutions from the humanitarian, educational and social sectors of the Valencian Community participated in the ceremony, signing a four-year agreement that consolidates a shared commitment to interdisciplinary cooperation in defence of children’s rights.
Founded in 2020, the Chair of Childhood and Adolescence of the Universitat Politècnica de València aims to promote training, research, dissemination and knowledge transfer activities related to childhood and adolescence from an interdisciplinary perspective. Its mission is to enhance professional practice among those who work directly with children and adolescents, support the continuous training and advisory needs of public administration personnel, and promote the dissemination of the rights of one of society’s most vulnerable groups, while actively combating violations that undermine human dignity during childhood and adolescence.
Looking ahead, UNED Torrevieja intends to play an active role in the Chair’s programme by promoting initiatives that address key challenges affecting children and adolescents today. These include actions related to child poverty, emotional education and mental health, environmental awareness and marine conservation, the educational impact of digital screens, visual health and learning from a medical perspective, autism spectrum training, and the preparation of volunteer educators working with children in vulnerable or fragmented family environments. Through these initiatives, UNED Torrevieja reinforces its role as a socially committed institution and contributes to positioning Torrevieja as a city firmly dedicated to the comprehensive development and protection of children and adolescents.
