madrid

The Spanish government announced last week that it plans to introduce a new university position, based on a four-year contract, with the same responsibilities and salaries as existing tenured positions.

The new contracts form part of a set of university reforms to be debated in parliament next month. Also included is a proposal to reduce the number of local university representatives on five-member appointments committees from two to one (see main story).

The government hopes that both moves, which have been approved by the secretary of state for universities, Manuel Jésus Gonzalez, will increase the employment prospects for well qualified PhDs. They stress that winning one of the new teaching contracts will depend on an independent national agency evaluating a candidate's research experience.

It says that the proposed changes to the legal framework governing universities — whose funding and administration is the responsibility of individual provinces — will increase the rigour and openness of the selection process and raise teaching standards.