Canary Islands secure €1.3 billion annual university funding boost

Spain’s Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, met on Monday with the rectors of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Lluís Serra) and the University of La Laguna (Francisco García) to discuss a new financing agreement for the Canary Islands’ public universities. The deal adds €1.3 billion of free‑disposal funds each year and earmarks €700 million for investments over the next three years, replacing a system that had not been updated for 17 years.

The agreement also includes a specific plan to reinforce university teaching staff, allocating €5.4 million up to 2028, and proposes stricter requirements for the creation of new private universities to safeguard quality. The ministers framed the measures as a matter of social justice to ensure equal opportunities for all students.