In 1949, Harry Truman - who four years earlier had been elected President of the United States - stated in the inaugural speech of his second term: "Half of the world's population lives in miserable conditions. But for the first time in the history of mankind, we have the knowledge and techniques to free people from this suffering.

Unfortunately, progress in the fight against poverty has been slower than President Truman had predicted. However, progress in this area over the last few decades is undeniable. Between 1990 and 2010, the number of people living in extreme poverty in non-developed countries fell from 43% to 21% of the population of these countries. However, 1.1 billion of the world's 7 billion people still live on less than one euro a day. According to leading experts, it seems realistic to set the goal that by 2030 virtually no human beings should live in extreme poverty.

Research for social progress

In preparing these words, I was thinking that - fortunately - university work makes it possible to participate in projects of this magnitude; it makes it possible to contribute - together with many other people and institutions - to making life in a miserable economic situation part of history. In the case of the University of Navarra, the research group on Poverty and Development, which is part of the Institute for Culture and Society, is dedicated to this task and tries to identify the obstacles that hinder economic growth in the world's poorest countries.

Other research groups at the University of Navarra also address issues of unquestionable social impact: work on palliative care seeks to preserve the quality and dignity of human life in each patient's final moments; research on global law aims to lay the foundations for dialogue and coexistence in increasingly intercultural societies; the Institute of Tropical Health 's studies on dengue fever, malaria and leishmaniasis seek to discover therapies to cure diseases that affect hundreds of millions of people in Africa and Latin America. These research projects are some examples of university work at the service of people, especially those most in need, that have emerged in recent years at the University of Navarra.

Good teachers who guide and motivate

Alongside research, the university's other major task is to provide students with the best possible education. Here, too, exciting challenges arise: the right conditions must be devised with an innovative mind to enable students to set high goals for themselves, so that they can make the most of their talents and abilities. The key to this task is the figure of good teachers, who guide and motivate; both educational aspects are essential: it is necessary to show the path to follow - it is necessary to guide - and it is necessary to motivate, or show students that the effort they are asked to make is worthwhile, because the reward consists in being able to help many other people, using the knowledge they have acquired as a lever for this spirit of service.

As my colleagues present in this Aula Magna are well aware, one of the most popular customs at any university - and the University of Navarra is no exception - is to discuss changes in curricula and teaching methods and to analyze the frequent legal reforms that affect the university. I confess that I am increasingly convinced that a good university is characterized above all by having a large number of professors who act as true teachers: wise professors who love their students and who, therefore, help them to set magnanimous and supportive goals.

We have now completed the implementation of all the degrees in accordance with the European Higher Education Area; it is, therefore, an appropriate time to evaluate the achievements and to introduce improvements, always with the students' education in mind. Among other novelties, this year for the first time we are offering a double degree in Philosophy and Law, the Governance and Leadership Program as an international itinerary for the degree in Economics, new international programs in Architecture, Medicine and Nursing, and the itinerary in cultural management for the degree in Humanities.

Creative, innovative and educated students

At the University of Navarra, we want students in all undergraduate and graduate programs to acquire a solid humanistic education, so that they may become educated men and women, with criteria, prepared to understand the complex world in which they live. Good training tends to make people more creative, more innovative, more caring, more capable of understanding others; for these reasons, good training is also very useful for finding a good job.

As we all know, the main concern of citizens today is the deterioration of the labor market. The figures - known to all - are sufficiently eloquent. In addition, most of us are experiencing the tragedies of people who have been unemployed for months or even years. The University of Navarra feels the responsibility to contribute what it can to alleviate this problem. Specifically, I think we have to make an effort in two directions: first, to continue working to enhance the employability of our graduates; second, to increase the number of jobs that arise in the University's environment by promoting new spin-offs and favoring initiatives driven by entrepreneurs trained at the University of Navarra.

Last year's objectives

I would now like to dwell on the fulfillment of the objectives I set out in the opening ceremony of last year's academic year. In September 2012, I proposed three lines of progress for the coming years: 1) to promote research by launching and strengthening new centers inspired by the CIMA and CEIT models; 2) to strengthen the international dimension of the University; and 3) to consolidate our postgraduate offerings. I also told you that in order to achieve these goals we must be able to improve our ability to raise sufficient funds to finance these projects.

In the first objective -new research centers- we have been able to make progress despite the fact that we are affected -as we all are- by the economic uncertainty in our environment. CIMA is reorganizing its research activity under the new leadership of Dr. Jesús Hernández with a translational approach that will allow research to reach patients as soon as possible. You will allow me to make a small digression to thank Francisco Errasti for his magnificent work during these years at the head of CIMA, recognized last year with the Gold Medal of the University.

There have been other relevant developments in the field of research: the Nutrition research center has started its activities -although still on a small scale- and the Bioengineering center will soon follow. Moreover, Dr. Jesús San Miguel has been appointed Director of Clinical and Translational Medicine at the University; the ICS has reinforced its staff by incorporating young researchers from internationally prestigious institutions (including universities such as Yale, Harvard or Cambridge); these are doctors who have seen in this new University center an original opportunity to develop interdisciplinary research. I think that this in itself is a hopeful sign.

We are also moving - this is our second major objective - towards a more international University, attracting talent, professors, researchers and students from many countries. This trend is reflected in the geographic origin of students and professors, in the focus and languages in which undergraduate and graduate degrees are taught, in student exchange agreements and in the countries in which our graduates begin to work. We already have 15% of foreign students and all the centers have developed their internationalization plans.

Quality postgraduate studies

Our postgraduate offerings - our third priority objective - are increasingly highly valued. Last year, 1,581 master's degree students and 963 doctoral students studied at the University. The number of students taking one of the 38 master's degrees offered by the Pamplona centers grew by 32%. In San Sebastian, the masters in Industrial Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering and Production in Automotive Companies are starting this year.

In addition, we have signed a number of agreements with organizations and institutions in various countries - especially in Latin America - that provide scholarships and grants to enable students with limited resources to take one of our graduate programs. In this area, our flagship continues to be IESE, which offers some of the best-ranked MBAs in the international rankings.

Last year without Museum

During this new academic year we hope to see the end of the work on the Museum of the University of Navarra. The architect -Rafael Moneo- is doing an excellent job, and -at least so far- has met the deadlines and avoided deviations in the budget. A few weeks ago I was visiting the works with a former student, who runs a newspaper in Madrid, and he commented to me: I am not surprised that you are so enthusiastic about the Museum, because it will improve the life of the University and the city. Pamplona and Navarra -said this journalist- will increase their tourist attraction and will strengthen their commitment to the cultural avant-garde.

Less than 25% of what a Welsh player is worth

It is true that we are excited about the Museum: we intend it to be the axis of the cultural life of the campus, to become a place for research and artistic experimentation, to serve as a gateway to the University for the citizens of Navarre and we also hope that it will attract visitors from many other regions and countries. But we will continue to need a lot of help from institutions -public and private- so that the funding will allow us to offer a program that is truly differential. After all, the amount we need is less than 25% of what it costs to sign a Welsh footballer.

This year we also hope to know the date of the beatification of Don Álvaro del Portillo, who succeeded St. Josemaría Escrivá as Chancellor of the University of Navarre. Last July was the last step towards his beatification, when Pope Francis signed the decree recognizing a miracle attributed to Don Alvaro's intercession. In speaking of the Pope, it seems appropriate to recall Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Many of us remember his unforgettable visit in 1998 - at that time as Cardinal Ratzinger - when he came to receive a doctorate Honoris Causa from the University of Navarra.

With courage and good humor

I think that the fact that the founder of the University and his first successor were two holy men is a great responsibility for us. Both remind us with their lives that we have to work with magnanimity and hope, with an eagerness to understand and serve others, overcoming difficulties with courage and good humor. We can also turn to the intercession of St. Josemaría and Don Álvaro to help us carry out the projects we want to promote.

Another new feature of this academic year is that the first year students of the Management Assistant degree, taught by ISSA, will have their classes in Pamplona. I welcome them on behalf of all of us. The San Sebastian campus will therefore be configured as a technology campus, with the nine engineering degrees taught by TECNUN and the CEIT, the center for research in technology applied to business. ISSA's progressive move to Pamplona coincides with the celebration of its first half-century of life. In these 50 years ISSA has established itself as a highly valued academic center in society, as evidenced by the high number of job offers received by its graduates. The new location in the Amigos Building will undoubtedly improve the services available to students, strengthen research and enhance the interdisciplinary nature of the Institute.

The digital revolution

The future is - for everyone - full of unknowns and challenges. For example, in the university world we have been considering the consequences of the Internet revolution and social networks on our daily work. Other activities have experienced their own revolutions, which have penalized those who were not adequately prepared to face such rapid and radical changes. For example, newspapers and magazines are now wondering whether they will still be around in 25 years on paper. I dare to predict that in five years' time there will be many ways of distributing information, and one of them - albeit a smaller minority than now - will be paper.

But what will be the effect of this unstoppable revolution in universities? Will virtual classrooms replace real campuses? Will students attend classes distributed through various online platforms? Will the exchange of knowledge between professors and students give way to forums and chats on the Internet? In our case, we are already experimenting on several fronts: this year some of our master's degrees will be offered completely or partially online; we have also begun recording some classes that we will offer on the web, following the model of the famous MOOCs that have achieved great notoriety, especially in the United States; and we are attentive to new possibilities of using the web to increase the educational and cultural impact of our professors and researchers.

If I may make another prediction, I have an intuition that in 25 years' time, the teaching of online will have increased its influence with a wide range of content offerings and more interactive teaching methods, but - at the same time - it seems to me that we will continue to mow the campus lawn.

I would like to end with the deepest gratitude to all the people and institutions of Navarre -many of them present here- who support us in a generous and disinterested way. I am also grateful for the help we receive from other more distant places, and very particularly from the Association of Friends. I am also particularly grateful to Prof. Ángel Luis González for his inaugural lecture, an excellent starting point for the course we are beginning today. Finally, I would like to thank all the employees and students of the University of Navarra whose work, commitment and loyalty allow us to reach higher goals every day, in the service of society.