In its contribution to helping the health fight against the virus, Manuel Gala Sports Pavilion has turned into an emergency hospital, helping to decongest the Prince of Asturias University Hospital of Alcalá (HUPA). Housing from the CRUSA university residence has also been transferred to health personnel who are temporarily working in the hospital.

A laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences has also been set up for COVID-19 PCR testing in collaboration with the Military Emergency Unit (UME). In addition, 3D printers from the Polytechnic School are being used to develop protective visors for the sanitary ware, prototypes of respirators and pieces of clinical use in patients' ventilation. The Faculty of Pharmacy has prepared hydroalcoholic gel to distribute in different centers.

As for human resources, 75 Nursing degree undergraduate students are working as volunteers in the HUPA, HUGU and Ramón y Cajal Hospital Universitario in Madrid (HURyC). Teachers of the same degree are also working at the Hospital de Alcalá.

The science and research of the UAH is being of great help in this crisis, since the Counterfog technology, developed by a Technological-based Company of the Universidad de Alcalá, is facilitating the National Police and to the UME the tasks of vehicle decontamination, large areas and interior spaces. And thanks to a map prepared by research group of the UAH Polytechnic School, it´s possible to continue the evolution of the cases of COVID19 around the world through this website.

As for the actions that UAH is taking to assist its own community, financial aid stands out, since it is planned to increase the Underlying Situation Aid Fund so that students who have economic, occupational or other difficulties, as a result of this crisis, can complete their studies without problems. Also, a fund of Solidarity has been created from the donations of the proper university community that they will help teachers and administration/services staff who have economic difficulties or require some kind of support.

Mental health is also being harmed during this confinement, so the UAH´s Psychopedagogical Cabinet has made available an online counselling service to the university community and will organize activities to reduce emotional stress.

The Alumni Office of Entrepreneurship and Patronage has also launched online mentoring and systems of on-line advice. The target is that the students and Alumni could improve its career and labor.

Due to the abolition of face-to-face classes, the use of online teaching systems, distance access to teaching and researchers resources from the University Library, and teleworking systems has been strengthened.

In order to make access to them universal, around 200 teams will be acquired that, thanks to the General Foundation of the Universidad de Alcalá, will be transferred free of charge to students who do not have these technological possibilities, studying other alternatives for, either with UAH's own funds or through donations from other entities, to enhance this initiative.

Universidad de Alcalá, as it has been doing so far, is also developing activities to help society in general during this crisis. For this reason, UAH and its dependent entities (General Foundation of the University of Alcalá, CRUSA and Alcalingua) have created a free website with access to culture and leisure activities and, both on the web and in the networks of the University. There have been shared tutors and experts' advices, including to specific groups, like children and elders: doing sports at home, tips to promote psychological well-being, appropriate nutritional guidelines, educational and playful activities for children, etc.

Like these examples, many members of the University Community are also contributing to make the situation we live in more pleasant. This is the case of the UAH´s Tuna which has composed a new version of Alcalá de Henares anthem as a recognition of the health staff.

UAH´s Entrepreneurship School has launched a virtual channel to promote the development of entrepreneurship projects, with special emphasis on those that contribute to providing solutions to the emergency that Spain is living: assistance to individuals and collectives with difficulties, challenges of teleworking, logistics and supply, etc.

Finally, also, the students of the Master's degree in Teacher Training of ESO, Bachillerato, FP and Language Teaching have created, under the supervision of their teachers, a free-access website with resources and educational activities for secondary school students. In adittion, LEA-SIECE group of the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts has launched an project of online bibliotherapy for reading through Instagram with the 2nd course students of the degree in Humanities and the Double degree in Humanities and the Master's of Primary Education in the framework of the subject 'History of Reading'.  

These are just a few examples of many initiatives developed by the whole university community, composed by women and men committed to society. We are confident that united and with the cooperation of all, we will overcome this crisis.

Publicado en: Inglés