The University of Oviedo has officially opened this morning the 2012-2013 academic year in a ceremony with more than a hundred members of the cloister disguised and the presence, for the first time, of the President of the Principality of Asturias, Javier Fernández. The Rector of the University of Oviedo, Vicente Gotor Santamaría, presided over the solemn ceremony held in the Historic Building's Auditorium and he was accompanied by the main regional authorities and other social representatives.

The General Secretary of the University, Ignacio González del Rey, was in charge of giving the first lecture with the annual report of the activities carried out by the Asturian institution. Later, it was the Professor of Constitutional Law, Ramón Punset, who gave the inaugural lecture of the 2012-2013 academic year and who received a standing ovation after his dissertation on The Reform of the Constitution.

Vicente Gotor began his speech showing the university's total institutional loyalty to the Government of the Principality to set out a way of collaboration which should join efforts in these harsh economic times we are going through.

Recently appointed Rector for the second time, the Rector also thanked the students who trust him in the last Election to the Rectorship. Gotor emphasised his intention of consolidating a strategic plan that for the last few years has opted for the international expansion of the University, has been pioneer in the implementation and consolidation of the Bologna Project and has set the teaching and researching excellence as a goal for the academic institution.

Regarding the crisis affecting the country and the administrative cuts being applied, the Rector appreciated the efforts made by the members of the university community and insisted on "vindicating the role of the University as a public service to guarantee the equality of oportunities"

The President of the Principality of Asturias, Javier Fernández, guaranteed that "the University will not be alone in the achievement of its objectives. We will assume a joint effort of expenditure restraint to be social responsible." The President highlighted the importance of the University as a leading researcher in the region and stressed that "investment in knowledge is investment in progress."