The university of cantabria (UC) has added the portrait of ángel pazos carro to its gallery of rectors, located in the university's paraninfo, a ceremonial hall. Pazos served as rector from 2016 to 2025. The artwork, created by retired professor and artist joaquín martínez cano, enriches a collection that serves as both a testament to the history of the UC and a showcase of artistic creation linked to the region of cantabria.
The portrait was unveiled during a ceremony presided over by the current rector, conchi lópez, and attended by members of pazos's former administration, the current rectoral team, and other representatives from the university community. With this addition, the gallery of rectors continues to document the institutional memory built over more than fifty years of the university's history, reflecting the contributions of those who have led the institution.
“Our university has just over half a century of existence and has been built thanks to the work of successive rectoral teams. This gallery is also a way to recognise that collective effort and preserve the memory of those who have helped make the UC what it is today,” said lópez.
López also expressed gratitude for martínez cano's work, emphasising the significance of having a former professor create the portrait. “We are fortunate to have individuals of such artistic talent in our university community, and it is gratifying that this portrait also bears the signature of someone from our own ranks,” she added.
Pazos, in turn, expressed his hope that viewers of his portrait would see not only the individual who held the rectorship but also all those who contributed to the university's functioning and progress during his tenure. He highlighted the collective nature of university management, where each team aims to leave the institution in a better state than it was received, and underscored the seriousness and responsibility that guided his leadership at the UC.
Beyond its institutional significance, the gallery of rectors at the UC features works by numerous artists associated with cantabria, who have interpreted the figures of the institution's leaders through various styles and artistic languages. Notable artists represented include eduardo gruber, pedro sobrado, fernando bermejo, fernando calderón, adolfo estrada, and ramón alonso verástegui. Their contributions allow for a journey through the evolution of the university from its early days as the university of santander to the present, while also highlighting the presence of artistic creation within the university's heritage.
The newly added oil painting of ángel pazos, executed by martínez cano, aims to capture the essence of the subject's personality, with a characteristic gesture of his hands resting on the table, emphasising this close-up detail.
Martínez cano, originally from noja, studied fine arts in valencia and madrid and spent part of his teaching career at the university of cantabria, where he is now a retired professor. His work has been exhibited both in spain and internationally and is part of collections such as the museo nacional centro de arte reina sofía and the museo de arte de santander.
Pazos, a professor of pharmacology, assumed the rectorship in april 2016 and was re-elected in december 2020, leading the UC until february 2025. His nearly nine-year tenure was marked by the management of the covid-19 health crisis and the adaptation of university activities to unprecedented circumstances. In 2020, the UC participated in the establishment of eunice, an alliance of ten european universities formed under the european commission's “european universities” initiative. This period also saw the celebration of the university's 50th anniversary, culminating in the official opening of the academic year for spanish universities, presided over by king felipe vi in the paraninfo in september 2023. Another significant milestone was the signing in december 2024 of the first multi-year programme contract between the UC and the government of cantabria for the 2025-2027 period.
