Extr@UOC is a Network of Former Employees of the Open University of Catalonia (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, UOC). The Network of UOC Former Employees is a UOC participation program aimed at promoting and maintaining the connection between this community and the University.
As part of the celebration of the UOC’s 30th anniversary, the Network of Former Employees has proposed an activity to commemorate three decades of contribution to the world of online higher education. Under the motto “A Sound Journey Through 30 Years of the UOC”, they are presenting a podcast series of 10 episodes, each lasting 25 minutes, called Extr@UOC30 Podcast.
The Extr@UOC30 Podcast is hosted by journalists Josep Nieto, the UOC’s first head of press (1994–1999), and Àngels Doñate, head of press at the institution between 2002 and 2006. It gathers the testimony of 85 people, including former rectors and faculty members, offering an overview of the initiatives that have made the UOC a global benchmark in distance education.
Our CEO, Luis Villarejo, took part in Episode 07: Research and the Doctorate.
In this episode, they discuss one of the UOC’s major commitments for the future: research and doctoral programs, essential pillars for remaining a benchmark in the academic world. Since its beginnings, the UOC has not only been an innovative university in online education, but has also focused on generating knowledge.
You can also listen to the full Episode 07 podcast here. Starting at minute 18:02, Luis Villarejo speaks about how Immersium Studio emerged from the UOC. Luis began working for the language services department, testing new technologies such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, and they realized that these services were in demand by companies. With the support of the UOC, we decided to found our company in 2018, and we have worked with Doctors Without Borders, the University of Barcelona, Pompeu Fabra University, the DTI Foundation, the United Nations, and others. The UOC’s support has been key to our development and growth.
You can listen to the full interview “From the UOC to Immersium Studio: Entrepreneurship to Transform Learning” with Luis Villarejo here.
At Immersium Studio, we are very grateful for all the support and guidance we have received from the UOC since our beginnings. Our journey would have been much more difficult without them, as they have provided both support and significant visibility. We want to sincerely thank the UOC for this ongoing guidance, and we are confident that we will continue collaborating with them in events as well as in various immersive learning projects.
