The President of the Government, Marga Prohens, will inaugurate the Universitat de Mallorca Forum with a lecture on the challenges of politics and public action.
>> The initiative, driven by the University of Mallorca within the framework of the Social Sciences Foundation Year, will bring together institutional leaders and representatives from the political, economic, and social spheres through next March to introduce students to the major challenges of our time. The President of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Marga Prohens Rigo, will inaugurate the Universitat de Mallorca Forum on October 29. This is a new series of academic and institutional gatherings launched by the Universitat de Mallorca (UMAC-ADEMA) with the aim of fostering analysis, critical reflection, and dialogue regarding the major social, political, economic, and institutional transformations of contemporary society. The inaugural session will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Can Prunera in Sóller, where the President of the Government will deliver a lecture titled “Governing in Times of Transformation: Challenges for Politics and Public Action,” focusing on the challenges the current context poses for the exercise of institutional responsibilities and government action. The Universitat de Mallorca Forum was launched as an initiative linked to the Social Sciences Foundation Year within the Faculty of Polytechnic Studies, designed to broaden students’ educational experience through direct contact with policymakers, institutional representatives, professionals, and specialists from various fields of knowledge. Under the theme “Encounters to understand the social, political, and institutional transformations of our time,” the series aims to turn the university environment into a space for the exchange of knowledge and for reflection on issues that directly impact the evolution of society. The program will take place during the 2026–2027 academic year and will address, from various perspectives, issues related to governance, municipalism, the challenges of insularity, socio-economic development, business, employment, and social cohesion. A space for connection between the university and institutions The project reflects the University of Mallorca’s commitment to fostering university education that is connected to social and institutional realities, incorporating into academic activity the experiences and knowledge of those directly involved in society’s decision-making and transformation processes. From this perspective, the Forum seeks to strengthen ties between the university and its surrounding community, foster critical thinking, and promote knowledge transfer through interactions among students, public officials, and socioeconomic stakeholders. A program featuring representatives from the Balearic Islands’ leading institutions. Following the inaugural session led by the President of the Government, the next lecture will take place on November 26 at ADEMA’s Inca Campus, featuring the Mayor of Inca, Virgilio Moreno Sarrió, who will address the role of cities in social transformation in a talk titled “The City as the Primary Social Laboratory: Municipalism, Citizenship, and Proximity.” On February 25, 2027, the President of the Council of Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés Verger, will headline an event at the ADEMA Coll Campus focused on the territorial, social, and political challenges of insularity, titled “Mallorca Facing Its Limits and Opportunities: The Social and Political Challenges of Insularity.“ The program will continue on March 18, 2027, at the Inca Campus with a panel discussion on “The Socio-economic Future of the Balearic Islands: Business, Labor, Territory, and Social Cohesion.” Participants will include Francesc Fiol Amengual, President of the Economic and Social Council of the Balearic Islands; Eduardo Soriano Torres, President of the Mallorca Chamber of Commerce; and Antoni Riera Font, Technical Director of the Impulsa Balears Foundation. The session will be moderated by Dr. Carles Francesc Baeza. With this initiative, the university incorporates into its academic project a space for dialogue and analysis that seeks to bring students closer to major contemporary debates and contribute to the generation and transfer of knowledge from within the university setting.
The University of Mallorca attends the German Unity Day celebration.
>> The rector, Dr. Pere Riutord, exchanged views with the new consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, Angelika Saake. The Rector of the Universitat de Mallorca (UMAC-ADEMA), Dr. Pere Riutord, attended the reception marking German Unity Day, hosted by the new Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, Angelika Saake. “The fall of the Berlin Wall and the country’s subsequent reunification on October 3, 1990, represent a pivotal historical event for Spain as well,” stated Dr. Riutord. In a moving speech, Saake recalled and honored the yearning for freedom and the courage of those whose protests in 1989 made this “political miracle” possible. At the same time, he warned that, 36 years later, “a worrying historical amnesia is spreading across certain sectors of German society—regarding both the crimes and inhumane ideology of National Socialism and the injustice and repression of the communist dictatorship. Both chapters of German history remind us how precious democracy, freedom, and the rule of law are—and how quickly they can be lost if we do not defend them.” Civil and military authorities were present at the event, as were prominent figures from the German community in Mallorca. The University of Mallorca was also represented by the newly appointed Vice-Dean of Social Sciences, Ciro Krauthausen, who for nearly twenty years headed the German-language newspaper *Mallorca Zeitung*. Photography: Nele Bendgens
Straumann rewards the scientific talent of two ADEMA dentistry students and sends them to the ITI Congress Iberia 2026.
>> The award-winning projects focus on innovation, the personalization of treatments, and the improvement of clinical practice. >> Lucía Guardiola Zafra and Mateusz Pekacki were recognized for their scientific presentations during the recent International Week of Teaching and Research in Dentistry and will participate in the ITI Congress Iberia 2026 in Madrid on October 22 and 23. Lucía Guardiola Zafra and Mateusz Pekacki, Dentistry students at the ADEMA University School, have received Straumann’s Scientific Communication Awards for work presented during the recent 8th ADEMA Dental Week—an international event dedicated to teaching and research in dentistry. Through its partnership with ADEMA, Straumann—a global leader in implant dentistry solutions—reinforces its commitment to education and emerging talent, supporting the next generation of professionals and contributing to the future of dentistry. The two students will participate in the ITI Congress Iberia 2026, which will be held on October 22 and 23 in Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium, bringing together more than 400 professionals. The 8th Dental Week brought together students, faculty, researchers, and industry professionals for a scientific program that combined lectures, workshops, oral presentations, and poster sessions, with a special focus on innovation, research, and new clinical approaches in dentistry. Mateusz Pekacki received the Award for Scientific Communication – Oral Presentation for his participation in the oral presentation category. During the event, he presented the paper “Management of traumatic crown fracture in permanent maxillary incisors of a child with autism spectrum disorder: a case report,” developed in collaboration with María Florencia Leopardo, Anushiravan Maher Lavandero, Carla Larenas Olim, and Catalina Bennasar Verger. This report addresses the management of dental trauma in a pediatric patient with autism spectrum disorder, highlighting the need to tailor treatment to each patient’s specific characteristics. The case involved a progressive approach utilizing short, spaced-out appointments, desensitization strategies, positive reinforcement, visual aids, and techniques such as “Tell-Show-Do.” For her part, Lucía Guardiola Zafra received the Award for Scientific Communication – Poster Presentation. The student participated in various scientific projects during the meeting, including the poster “Laser-assisted frenectomy,” produced in collaboration with Marta Rubio Bujosa and María Motta Cánovas. This study analyzes the potential clinical advantages of laser-assisted frenectomy compared to conventional techniques. The scientific review points to potential benefits such as reduced intraoperative bleeding, less postoperative pain, a reduced need for sutures, and greater patient comfort, while also highlighting the need to further expand the available scientific evidence. Both Pekacki and Guardiola have expressed their satisfaction with this recognition, which serves as motivation to delve further into their research and seize new opportunities, such as participating in the ITI Congress Iberia. The awards recognize not only the quality of the work presented but also the students’ ability to communicate, argue, and defend scientific findings—competencies that are increasingly relevant in the training of future healthcare professionals. Dr. Pere Riutord, Vice-Dean of Dentistry at the ADEMA University School, has emphasized the importance of introducing scientific research at the university level. “We want our students to view research as an integral part of dental practice. It is not merely about acquiring clinical knowledge, but also about learning to formulate questions, seek out evidence, analyze it critically, and communicate results with rigor. Recognitions such as these demonstrate that our students are capable of rising to that challenge while still at university,” he stated. Riutord stated that the participation of both students in Madrid will make it possible to “build upon the work done during Dental Week and bring students closer to scientific and professional environments where they can discover new lines of work, share experiences, and connect with dental professionals.” Dental Week is conceived as a forum for academic and professional exchange aimed at promoting excellence in dental education, fostering collaboration among institutions, and consolidating a scientific culture linked to clinical practice.