"Our students are mostly from middle-class backgrounds": the rector of CEU defends her project in the Balearic Islands

PalmThe establishment of the CEU Beat Luis Belda affiliated center in Palma has reopened the debate on the growth of private universities in the Balearic Islands and the conditions under which new strategic degrees such as Medicine and Nursing are being authorized. Before this discussion is addressed in depth, the rector of CEU San Pablo, Rosa Visiedo, defends the project, rejects the notion that it consolidates an elitist model, and asserts its role within the university system. The project, promoted by CEU San Pablo University and planned for the 2026-2027 academic year, will be located in the former Riskal building and will involve a 40 million euro investment in the renovation of the space. Rector Visiedo argues that the decision to establish a presence in the Balearic Islands responds to an objective need within the healthcare system. "We conducted a study, and the Balearic Islands were identified as one of the regions with the greatest need for nursing and medical training places, as well as a significant shortage of professionals," he states. According to Visiedo, the archipelago is "the second region with the fewest nursing places per capita and the region with the fewest places to study medicine." This account aligns with the government's discourse, which has justified opening up to private universities to compensate for the limitations of the public system.

The CEU Beat Luis Belda center will have capacity for approximately 2,000 students and will initially offer Medicine, Nursing, Physiotherapy, and Psychology. Pharmacy and Dentistry will be added the following year, with plans to incorporate instruction in English. Between 200 and 300 students will enroll in the first year, and around 30 professors will be hired. A key element of the project is the agreement with the Juaneda hospital group. "We wouldn't have started the project without having the Juaneda group's alliance signed. It guarantees that we can offer hospital placements to students," the rector affirms.

The UIB says that placements in university hospitals are their responsibility.

Access to hospitals for internships is one of the most sensitive issues.UIB has already made it clear that the ones in the university hospitals are theirs.Both the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy have issued statements in support of the public system. Visiedo insists that CEU does not want to compete with public universities: "We are not here to compete or cause any problems. We are here to collaborate and contribute." Even so, the presence of several private university projects in a limited area has raised concerns about the system's saturation and its actual capacity to absorb students. Visiedo does not rule out the possibility that UIB professors may end up at CEU.

Construction on the Riskal project has not yet begun. "We're behind schedule, because we should have started before Christmas, but it's a matter of municipal permits," explains Visiedo. The administrative timeline and the speed with which the project has been processed as a project of strategic interest have fueled suspicions of possible preferential treatment following the political change in government, an accusation that the rector denies: "There has been no preferential treatment, neither here nor elsewhere. We have complied with everything that has been asked of us."

Catalan will be available, if people want it.

Another central focus is language. In a context of tension surrounding the role of Catalan in higher education, Visiedo defends a model of linguistic coexistence. "For me, language is always an asset and should be promoted and protected," she says, adding that "if students want classes in Catalan, there's no problem with that." The CEU's educational model, based on Christian humanism, also has limitations in degrees such as Medicine. "We will never allow practices that go against our principles, such as euthanasia or abortion," she affirms, advocating for "the protection of the family, the promotion of freedom of expression, and a robust scholarship system."

The rector responds to one of the recurring criticisms: the risk of a dual university landscape, with public and private institutions separated by social class. He rejects this idea and defines the profile of those who will study at the private university: "Our students are mostly from middle-class families. Families who make an effort so their children can study with us. There are also more disadvantaged people and people from upper-class backgrounds. The university is a reflection of the social structure."

The first year of studying Medicine at Luis Belda University will cost €22,355, while Nursing will cost €12,895; Physiotherapy, €10,950; and Psychology, €12,250. To put this in perspective, the average salary in the Balearic Islands is around €27,237 gross per year, so many residents earn below that figure. In fact, 50% of salaried workers earn less than €18,000 per year. This situation highlights the inequalities in access to higher education and the difficulties students face in combining their studies with economic sustainability.

To compensate for economic barriers, CEU emphasizes scholarships. "This year, CEU San Pablo has allocated 12 million euros to scholarships; in total, 30 million euros to scholarship programs." Of nearly 13,000 students, "around 7,000 receive some type of scholarship." The website of the new affiliated center does not provide specific information about tuition discounts.

The establishment of CEU Beato Luis Belda is part of a changing model that continues to generate resistance and controversy: the growth of private universities, pressure on urban space, access to healthcare practices, and a system that, according to its critics, can reinforce structural inequalities. The debate about what kind of university system the Balearic Islands want is already underway, and meanwhile, initiatives like those of CEU, Adema, and Felipe Moreno are progressing rapidly.