The University of Oviedo has celebrated this morning the festivity of its patron Saint Cathertine of Alexandria with an academic ceremony for presenting last year's Final Degree Prizes awarded by the academic institution. The traditional ceremony, held in the Library of the Historic Building, was attended by students, sponsors, lecturers and relatives.

The Rector, Vicente Gotor, and the sponsors presented the prizes to a total of 65 students from the University of Oviedo, distinguished as the best students in their areas in the 2011-2012 academic year. The awarding ceremony came to an end with Diego Turrando Blanco, graduated in Technical Industrial Engineering in the branch of Mechanics and distinguished with the Best Academic Record of the University of Oviedo last year, who was presented the Cajastur Prize by Carlos Siñeriz de Paz.

In his speech, the Rector of the University of Oviedo congratulated the Final Degree Award winners and encouraged them to commence a university research career within the institution. "I know these are times of uncertainty, but it precisely for going out of this situation that we need the best ones: and these are you", he highlighted.

After showing his gratitude to the sponsors for their recognition of last year's most outstanding academic records, Vicented Gotor stressed the neeed of strengthening links between the University and companies for funding research and innovation. At this point, the Rector highlighted the need of higher education personnel not being affected by budget cuts "because no scientists, no science".

This essential collaboration between the business and university worlds was the guiding thread of the lecture given by Laureano Simón Buela, Managing Director of Progénica Biofarma, who spoke about the creation and management of new companoes with a technological basis and underlined the importance of the Government boosting patronage laws that should open the door to greater private collaboration in university funding.