Ministry of Universities

The Ministry of Universities was a ministerial department in the Government of Spain responsible for proposing and carrying out the government policy on universities as well as representing Spain in the European Union and other international organizations regarding universities.^[2]

Ministry of Universities

Ministerio de Universidades
Headquarters of the Ministry
Agency overview
Formed	12 January 2020
Preceding agency	Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
Dissolved	20 November 2023
Superseding agency	Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
Type	Ministry
Jurisdiction	Government of Spain
Annual budget	€ 475 million, 2023[1]
Minister responsible	Joan Subirats, Minister

The department was created as part of the Sánchez II Government as a split from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. On 20 November 2023 the department was disestablished and its functions returned to the Ministry of Science^[3] after years of insistence by the scientific and university community..^[4]

The ministry had two ministers: Manuel Castells (2020–2021)^[5] and Joan Subirats (2021–2023).^[6]

Organization chart

The Department of Universities was structured in the following bodies:^[7][2]

• The General Secretariat for Universities
  • The Technical Cabinet
  • The Deputy Directorate-General for University Professors Training and Programming
  • The Deputy Directorate-General for Degrees and Planning, Monitoring and Management of University Education
  • The Deputy Directorate-General for Student Services and Institutional Relations
  • The Deputy Directorate-General for Research University Activity
• The Undersecretariat of Universities
  • The General Technical Secretariat
    • The Deputy General Technical Secretariat
    • The Deputy Directorate-General for Appeals and Relations with the Courts of Justice
  • The Technical Cabinet
  • The Deputy Directorate-General for Economic Management, Budget Office and General Affairs
  • The Deputy Directorate-General for Personnel and Inspection of Services
  • The Information and Communication Technologies Division

Ministry agencies

• The University Council.
• The University Policy General Conference.
• The State University Student Council.
• The College of Spain in Paris.
• The Menéndez Pelayo International University.
• The National University of Distance Education.
• The National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation.
• The Spanish Service for the Internationalization of Education.

List of officeholders

Office name:

• Ministry of Universities (2020–2023)

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Party		Government	Prime Minister (Tenure)		Ref.
		Took office	Left office	Duration
	Manuel Castells (born 1942)	13 January 2020	20 December 2021	1 year, 341 days		Independent	Sánchez II		Pedro Sánchez (2018–present)	[8] [9]
	Joan Subirats (born 1951)	20 December 2021	21 November 2023	1 year and 336 days		CatComú				[10] [11]