Dear Josep,<\/p>\n
Today dawned sad. The November fog and the light rain seemed to herald your departure. Autumn, with its infinite range of hues, will no longer feature your drawings. And we at ESDI find it very difficult to accept that you are gone. It is hard for us to accept that you are gone, that you, our Rector with the bold hat and restless gaze, that man who observed everything with the wonder and respect of true masters, have left us.<\/p>\n
Dear Professor, it is hard to believe that someone who was a role model for so many of us has left us. You guided many students throughout their academic lives, numerous doctoral candidates\u2026 and also many professionals who grew up alongside you. You were, as Plato said, the teacher who accompanied his disciples to discover what was already within them.<\/p>\n
You were my academic father, my teacher, and my friend. Intellectually, you gave me the opportunity to embark on a path that changed my life, and you taught me how to teach: how to look at the classroom with attention, respect, and love. From you, I learned that teaching was a great responsibility that required immense generosity. You always said that teaching is about making one’s knowledge available to others so they can improve upon it. Your wisdom was as great as your kindness, Josep.<\/p>\n
I always felt under your protection, even when you didn’t say so. You had that unique way of caring quietly, of demanding with affection, of trusting unconditionally. From you, I learned that educating is also about accompanying, and that behind every decision lies an immense responsibility.<\/p>\n
We shared trips, conferences, and endless conversations about the most improbable topics. You loved life, your family, your profession, and supporting young people. I met you as a doctoral student in the early years of ESDI. Back then, the School was already much more than an institution for you: it was a collective dream, a home built on talent, effort, and conviction. You loved design because, for you, as the great humanist you were, it represented the most beautiful way of thinking about the world, a way of uniting reason and sensitivity, technique and emotion, present and future.<\/p>\n
You deeply believed in creativity as a dialogue between ideas; a bridge between curiosity, analysis, and commitment to people. \u201cThe good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.\u201d Forgive me, I couldn’t help but remember you by paraphrasing Aristotle. That phrase defines you so well\u2026 You lived with a love for teaching and a profound respect for knowledge.<\/p>\n
Your absence leaves an enormous void, but also a deep imprint. You will continue to be present in every class, in every conversation about the meaning of design, in every attempt to build a more humane, more creative, and more courageous University, like the one you dreamed of.<\/p>\n
Thank you, Josep, for believing in me, for your example, for your generosity, and for the privilege of having shared part of your journey. Your legacy at ESDI, at Ramon Llull University, and in all of us who knew you will live on in every act of honesty and every creative endeavor.<\/p>\n
Farewell, Josep, teacher and friend.<\/p>\n
Open letter to Josep A. Rom, Rector of Ramon Llull University, written by the Academic Director of ESDI-URL, Dr. Encarna Ruiz, on behalf of the entire ESDI community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"