Educational support structures in higher Education: analysis of Chairs in Spain based on selected cases

Abstract

This article analyses the “Cátedras” (Chairs) in the Spanish university system, offering an overview of their nature, advantages, and problems. It does so based on a study of the organic legislation that allows universities to create this kind of support structure for teaching and research, as well as an examination of four representative cases: the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, the Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea and the Universidad de Valladolid.