Here you will find some key answers to the most frequently asked questions foreign students have before starting their CIMET study period in Spain. Please notice that this information is just indicative and might be subject to changes at any moment.

1.a. HOW TO GET A SPANISH VISA?
Depending on your nationality, you might need a visa to come to Spain. Visas are managed by the Spanish Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperación (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation) through its consulates and embassies around the world.

As a general rule, citizens of the European Union are not required to get a visa for Spain since they already have the right to residency. Obviously you do need an identity card or a passport though.

Non-EU citizens coming to work, study or live in Spain are required to obtain a visa. Note that this also includes non-EU spouses and dependents.

You must apply for and obtain your visa through the Spanish consulate nearest to your residence before you travel. Honorary consuls generally cannot issue visas but may provide application forms. Since visas are never issued in Spain, you must apply for it before you leave your country of residency. Do not attempt to enter Spain without a visa if you need one. There is no emergency procedure, your embassy in Spain can't help and you will probably be refused to entry.

Generally, you should apply for your visa about 8-12 weeks before the date of your arrival in Spain. You must first have a valid passport with at least three months until expiry in order to apply, so be sure to allow adequate time to obtain or renew both the passport and get the visa application processed. Don't leave this to the last minute or you put your travel plans at risk.

Procedures and documents
In order to enter and stay in Spain as a student, you must apply for a student visa at the Diplomatic Mission or Spanish Consulate in your country of residence. The minimum documents required for the student visa are: passport, admission or pre-registration evidence in an officially recognized educational or scientific center, public or private; course or research programme or training plan; medical insurance, and evidence you have enough money to cover your studies fees and stay costs.

For the application you must contact the consulate that has jurisdiction over your country of permanent residence to find out which procedure applies. You should address all questions concerning requirements and procedures for visa applications to your designated Spanish consulate, please check the link below:
The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation

1.b. HOW TO GET THE RESIDENCE PERMIT?

The Residence permit for EU foreigners
European Union citizens can freely enter, exit, travel and remain in Spain, and are not obliged to get the residence permit in order to live or stay in Spain for longer than 3 months. For EU citizens the residence permit is no more a formal requirement to establish their residence in Spain, although it is advisable to apply for it.

The Residence permit for non-EU foreigners
The non EU-foreigners need the residence permit to inhabit in the Spanish territory. To enter the Spanish territory the foreigner would be required to show his valid passport and the corresponding visa.
After a period of time exceeding 90 days, in order to remain in Spain it is necessary to obtain either a visa extension or a residence permit. The temporary residence permit allows you to remain in Spain for a period of time between 90days and 5 years).

For the temporary residence permit for non EU students you need to provide the following documents:
1) Valid passport.
2) Residence visa in force.
3) Certificate of criminal record* (that is, the police clearance certificate) issued by the authorities of the foreigner's home country.
4) Some passport-size photographs.
5) Medical certificate* (certificado médico)
6) Proof of financial income to support you Turing the period of residence in Spain, such as pensions, work salaries… (Grant letter)
7) Proof of health assistance (ACE Europe letter)

*NOTE: The criminal record certificate and the medical certificate must be originals. Both documents were submitted during your application to get your Spanish Visa and you should have them back when you received your Visa (So those documents must be originals)

In Granada the student residence permit application is processed at the main Foreign Office at the Police Station located in Calle San Agapito 2 .

Prof. Javier Hernández-Andrés
UGR CIMET Academic Coordinator
UGR Member of the CIMET Joint Graduate Committee (JGC)
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Fundamentals of spectral science” (2nd semester, UGR)
“Optical imaging and processing” (2nd semester, UGR)

Associate professor in the Optics Department at the University of Granada (Spain). Since 2007 he is Topical Editor in “Computacional & Machine Vision” for the Journal of the Optical Society of America A. He has published around 30 articles in refereed international scientific journals. He was programme Co-Chair 10th Congress of the International Colour Association - AIC Colour 05.
Teaching experience in optics, geometrical optics, visual optics, physiological optics, psychophysics, color science, color vision, general physics and Fourier optics at the University of Granada since 1996.
Research topics: Multispectral color science, illuminant estimation, reflectance estimation, basic and applied colorimetry, atmospheric optics, optimal sensor design, object recognition, illumination invariants, artificial vision, color vision.

Prof. Juan Luis Nieves Gómez
UGR Member of the CIMET Quality Assurance, Evaluation and Supervision Board (QAESB)
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Optical imaging and processing” (2nd semester, UGR)
“Human and computer vision” (2nd semester, UGR)

Ph.D. degree in Physics in 1996 at the University of Granada (Spain), and since 2001 is associate professor in the Optics Department at the University of Granada. He has participated in the organization of different national and international scientific meetings and has published more than 30 articles in refereed international scientific journals.
His teaching experience runs from Physiological Optics, Psychophysics, Color Science and Color Vision to Optics and Fourier Optics at the University of Granada since 1992.
Research topics: Multispectral color science, reflectance and illuminant estimation, basic and applied colorimetry, object recognition, image science and spatial and color vision.

Prof. José Antonio Díaz Navas
UGR CIMET Faculty Advisor
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Image analysis and processing” (1st semester, UGR)

Graduated in Physics in 1992 and member of the Vision & Colour Research Group at the Optics Department of the University of Granada. He got the Ph.D. degree in Physics in 1997 and has occupied several positions since 1994 to get the status of faculty.
He is instructor of the following courses in the Optics and Optometry School at the University of Granada:
1.- Physical Optics: Two semester introductory course of wave nature of light, propagation, interference and diffraction phenomena, as well as the principles of light-matter interaction.
2.- Optical Design. One semester course concerned with the basics of optical system design, including ray tracing, optical aberrations and evaluation of image quality.
Research interests: color imaging in hardcopy, digital cameras and displays, and optical system design and testing. He is involved in other research works with some colleagues in fields such as color vision, applied colorimetry, and more recently, physiological optics and optical system design. Member of the Society for Photo-Optical Engineering (SPIE), of the Spanish Visual Optics Network (SVON), and of the Topical Editors team of Applied Optics (Optical Technology Division).

Prof. Javier Romero Mora
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Photonics and Optics Fundamentals” (1st semester, UGR)
“Color Science” (1st semester, UGR)

He obtained his M.S. in Physics in1979 and his Ph.D.in Optics in 1984, both from the University of Granada (Spain). He is Professor of the Department of Optics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada (Spain). He has taught basic and advance courses of Optics for under-graduated students, courses of Fundamental of Photonics for students of Electrical and Electronic Engeenring and Courses of Colorimetry and Color Vision for post-graduate students. His research has been focused on Colorimetry, Color Vision, Optical Properties of the Atmosphere and more recently on Multispectral Color Imaging. He has occupied several research positions such as: President of the Spanish Color Committee (1991- 1994). Member of the Executive Committee of the AIC, (1997-2001) and Secretary-Treasurer of the AIC, 2007-2010.

Prof. Rafael Huertas Roa
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Color Science” (1st semester, UGR)
“Advanced colorimetry ” (2nd semester, UGR)

Rafael Huertas Roa obtained his Degree in Physics Science in 1997 by the University of Granada (Spain). In 2004 he earned the Ph. D. in Physics in the same university. Since 2004 he is Assistant Professor in the Department of Optics in the University of Granada. His research topics concerns basic and applied colorimetry. Specifically color-difference formulas, color spaces, color in images and color in food (oils and wines). He has participated as a researcher in 9 national and 4 international projects related to colour. He has presented 49 papers in scientific meetings and he has published 12 articles in refereed international scientific journals.

Prof. Pedro A. García
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Data analysis and statistics” (1st semester, UGR)

Pedro A. García is associate Professor at the Department of Statistics and Operations Research of the University of Granada. He teaches courses on applied statistics for engineers and statisticians. He has published referred articles on theoretical Statistics and applied Statistics in top refereed international scientific journals of Optics, Ecology, Medicine and Molecular Biology. Currently he is involved in several courses for postgraduate students of Civil Engineering and Statistics.
Research interests: Multivariate Statistical Methods, Statistical Measures in Colorimetry and Multivariate Statistical Methods applied to Ecology and Civil Engineering.

Prof. Francisco José Cortijo Bon
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Data analysis and statistics” (1st semester, UGR)

Francisco J. Cortijo Bon. is a permanent Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence of the University of Granada. He obtained his M.S. in Informatics in 1990 from the University of Granada. He obtained his Ph.D.in Informatics in 1995 from the University of Granada (Spain). His Ph.D. dissertation was centered in a comparative study of multispectral image classifiers where some pattern recognition an learning methods were evaulated to classify high-dimensional images. He has taught basic Pattern Recognition courses for under-graduated students ("Pattern Recognition", 5th year of Eng.Informatics degree), courses for Doctorate students ("Image Classification", "Advanced
Mathematics for Image Processing") and in this moment he is teaching "Mathematical Complements" from "Master in Multimedia Systems". His research has been focused on Pattern Recognition Techniques
(non-parametric classifiers -mainly- and contextual classifiers for image classification) togheter with image restoration

Prof. Eva M. Valero Benito
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Color Science” (1st semester, UGR)
“Fundamentals of spectral science” (2nd semester, UGR)

Eva M. Valero obtained her Ph.D. in Physics in 2000 at the University of Granada (Spain). Since 2001 she has been an assistant professor and since 2007 she has become associate professor at the Department of Optics of this University, teaching optics and laboratory experiments for physicists and some other courses for Optometrists.
Research interests: Spatial vision and colour vision. Imaging Science and Multispectral imaging.

Prof. Joaquín Campos Acosta
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Radiometry, sources and detectors” (2nd semester, UGR)

Joaquín Campos Acosta is tenure scientist in the Metrology Department of the Highest National Research Council (CSIC) at Madrid (Spain). He got a Master degree in Physics by the University of Granada in 1982 and afterwards started to work in the field of optical radiation measurements at CSIC and NBS (NIST nowadays). He got a PhD degree by the University of Granada in 1984. His research work during this years has produced more than 50 “peer reviewed” publications, about 30 technical reports on different matters (some of them CIE Publications) and 6 popularization articles of radiation measurements.
He has served as member of scientific and program committees of several national and international conferences in the field of colour and optical radiation measurements (AIC, CIE, Newrad, CGIV, Congreso Nacional de Color). He is the representative of Spain in Division 1 “Vision an Color” of CIE and member of different Technical Committees.
Teaching experience in Radiometry in different doctorate courses and specialization ones.
Research topics: Radiometric measurements with CCD and CMOS cameras, Standards for optical radiation measurements, Measurement methods, uncertainty and error sources.

Prof. Manuel Rubiño López
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Devices and instrumentation” (2nd semester, UGR)

Manuel Rubiño López is an associate professor of Radiometry, Photometry, Colorimetry and Optical Technology in the Department of Optics at the University of Granada (Spain). His research interests are optical and radiometric characterization of CCD and CMOS cameras, applied Colorimetry and applied Photometry.

Prof. Antonio Manuel Pozo Molina
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Devices and instrumentation” (2nd semester, UGR)

Antonio Manuel Pozo Molina received his M.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2008) in Physics from University of Granada (Spain), where he is also a graduate in Optics and Optometry. He is an assistant professor with the Department of Optics at the University of Granada. He has been conducting research
in physiological optics and experimental methods to evaluate image quality of systems based on CCD and CMOS detectors, publishing several papers in these fields.

Prof. Manuel Melgosa Latorre
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Advanced colorimetry” (2nd semester, UGR)
“Color in industry” (2nd semester, UGR)

He is Associate Professor at the Department of Optics of the University of Granada. He teaches courses on general optics, in particular geometrical optics, and colorimetry. He has published more than 70 articles on colorimetry in different journals: Color Research and Application, Applied Optics, Journal Optical Society of America A, Journal of Optics, Optik, etc. He has served as advisor of CIE TC 1-29 and member of CIE TC 1-47. Currently he is a member of CIE TC 1-63 “Validity of the range of CIEDE2000” and the TC 1-57 "Standards in Colorimetry" and chairman of CIE TC 1-55 “Uniform colour space for industrial colour-difference evaluation”. He has also served as Director or the Optics and Optometry School of the University of Granada (year 2001) and Director of the International Research Project Office of the University of Granada (period 2002-2004). Since 1995 he is Representative of the Optical Society of America at the Inter Society Color Council (ISCC). He is the current Secretary of the Study Group “Color Perception in the Elderly” of the International Colour Association (AIC), a member of ISCC Project 52 “Comparative list of color terms II”, Associate Editor of the journal “Color Research and Application”, and President-elect of the Colour Committee of Spain.

Prof. Sergio Nascimento
University of Minho (Portugal) Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Human vision and computer vision” (2nd semester at the UGR)

Sergio Nascimento has a degree in Physics and holds a PhD in Colour Science. He is Associate Professor in the Physics Department of Minho University, Portugal, where he teaches Physics, Optics and Vision Sciences. His research interests are colorimetry and colour vision and in particular, applications of multi and hyperspectral imaging, colour constancy and models of colour vision.

Prof. Laurence T. Maloney
New York University (USA) Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Human vision and computer vision” (2nd semester at the UGR)

Laurence T. Maloney has a BA in mathematics (Yale), an MS in mathematical statistics (Stanford) and a PhD in Psychology (Stanford). He is Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University, where he teaches applied mathematics. His research interests include mathematical and statistical models of biological perception and action with a special interest in surface color perception. He has published more than 70 refereed articles in scientific journals and has won several awards including the Troland Award of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) for work related to color science.

Dr. Gavin Brelstaff
Advanced Computing and Communication group -CRS4- Italy
Some seminars in the “Human vision and computer vision” (2nd semester at the UGR)

I obtained a B.Sc in Physics and Astrophsyics in the University of London, an M.Sc in Computer System Engineering in the University of Edinburgh, a Ph.D. at the Dept. Of Computer Science at the University of Edinburgh - with a thesis: Inferring Surface Shape from Specular Reflections.
I have been Research Fellow for IBM. at Winchester, UK. I was Research Associate at the Perceptual Systems Research Centre at Univeristy of Bristol UK and a Technical Manager at the
National Remote Sensing Centre, Farnborough, UK. I was re-elected for a second term as Topical Editor at the Journal of the Optical Society that completed 2007. I now work at the Sardinian regional R&D center: CRS4 as a member of the Advanced Computing and Communication group. My work at CRS4, Italy, covers a wide range of activities related to "Color in Informatics and Media Technology".
My current focus is in bio-medical computing - which involves image processing, pattern recognition, statistical analysis, HCI, and biometric face-processing. Visual perception also constitutes a significant part of my research. I have designed and ran a set of perceptual test to evaluate a large-scale multiscopic pseudo-holographic display. These tests make practical application of visual illusions. I am coauthor of several article that introduce and analyses novel visual illusions, in particular the remarkable Watercolor Illusion. I have carried out many projects in ICT especially in the field of healthcare.

Prof. Lucas Alados Arboledas
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Remote sensing and image processing” (2nd semester, UGR)

Lucas Alados Arboledas is Professor in the Applied Physics Department at the University of Granada.He is heading the Atmospheric Physic Group (GFAT) His research is focused on the field of aerosol and cloud radiative effect using different ground based active and passive remote sensing techniques, like Raman Lidar, sun and star photometers and UV spectroradiometer. He is PI of the EARLINET (European Aerosol Lidar Network) station of Granada and of the AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) station of Granada. He has coordinated several international experimental campaigns.He has participated and coordinated different research projects with collaboration of different international research teams. He has published more than 70 articles in refereed international scientific journal and more than 100 articles in Refereed Scientific Conferences. He has supervised eight Doctoral Theses on various aspects of atmospheric radiative processes and remote sensing.
His teaching activity is related to Atmospheric Physics and Atmospheric Remote Sensing at the graduate and postgraduate level.

Prof. Francisco José Olmo Reyes
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Remote sensing and image processing” (2nd semester, UGR)

Francisco José Olmo Reyes is Associate Professor in the Applied Physics Department at the University of Granada (Spain) since 1997. He has participated in different research projects related with Atmospheric Radiation and Remote Sensing Techniques. He has published around 60 articles in refereed international scientific journals, and around 80 articles in refereed Scientific Conferences.
Teaching experience in Meteorology, Climatology and Energy for Environmental Sciences students; Fundamental Physics, Applied Physics and Experimental Methods for Physics and Architecture students; Remote Sensing and Atmospheric Radiative Processes in PhD Courses.
Research topics: Atmospheric radiative processes, Earth’s energy balance, Atmospheric remote sensing.

Prof. José Manuel Benítez
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
“Algorithm design and analysis” (1st semester, UGR)

José M. Benítez is Associate Professor at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Granada. He teaches courses on Data Structure, Algorithm Analysis and Design, Metaheuristics, Data Mining, Computational Intelligence and Machine Learning. He is a member of the "Soft Computing and Intelligent Information Systems (SCI2S)" (sci2s.ugr.es) and head of the "Distributed Computational Intelligence and Time Series Lab (DiCITS)" (dicits.ugr.es). He has published around 30 papers in International Journals and many more in International Conferences. He has served as a member in the Organizing Committees and Program Committees in a number of International Conference. Currently he is Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Computational Intelligence Research. He also serves in the Editorial Board of some International Journals.

Prof. Francisco Imai
UGR Member of the CIMET Teaching Staff
Erasmus Mundus Visiting Scholar
“Fundamentals of spectral science” (2nd semester, UGR)

Most of the CIMET courses will be taught in the Sciences Faculty at the UGR. In particular, at the Edificio Mecenas (see the map). This building is within an easy walking distance of the city centre (about 8 min) and is where most CIMET professors have their offices as well as their research and teaching labs.

Link to a map of Granada in google.maps (Latitude: 37.18º N, Longitude: 3.61º W)

City map where the Edificio Mecenas, the CLM (Center of Modern Languages) and the International Relations Office are highlighted: download here (PDF file).

COMPUTER ROOM

At Granada University there is a CIMET Computer Room devoted to lab sessions and where you will be able to access at any time during the open timetable of the Mecenas building. Only students with an electronic card will have access to the computer room whenever the computer room will be free of CIMET lectures. To have such a personal electronic card you will have to pay a deposit of 50 Euros. This amount will be returned to you at the end of the semester if the card will be looking good and in operating conditions (not stolen, not broken, etc.).  

Key-card system: For SECURITY reasons, once you are inside the computer room by using your personal electronic card, you are not granted to open the door to other persons (even if they nock the door, etc.). Thus, PLEASE, CLOSE THE DOOR when you will be inside the computer room. For SECURITY reasons, the caretakers (doorman) of the Mecenas building no longer give you the key to access the Computer Room. For SECURITY reasons, your card is PERSONAL. You cannot lend this card to other persons and you are not granted to access the Computer Room with other person by using your card. For SECURITY reasons, if you suspect your card is lost or it has been stolen you must inform us as soon as possible to disable it.

Your responsibility: The card which is issued is personal. The holder of the key card is personally responsible for the card. The key card shall always be kept safely and may never be given or lent to another person. With the application for the key card the holder has read the regulations and conditions below.

I am aware that I am personally responsible for the key card, have read the conditions below, and as a card holder I undertake:

• not to give or lend the card to any other person
• not to admit unauthorised persons
• not to prop the door open with waste paper baskets or other objects
• to see that the doors and windows are locked when leaving
• to follow the special instructions put up in the computer room
• on loss of the key card, to report the loss as soon as possible to CIMET staff
• to the best of my ability, to contribute to a high level of security in the university premises
• to inform CIMET staff or at the caretakers department on the discovery of irregularities or faults
• to return the key card to the CIMET staff at the end of my period of study at the university

Anyone who does not follow these rules will be responsible for the damage caused, e.g. unnecessary cost for alarms, and he/she might also lose the rights to use the premises for a certain time. If your key card will be lost you are required to report it to CIMET staff to de-activated it in the system. If you want a new card you may get one by depositing an additional 50 Euros. The deposit make for the lost card will not be refundable.

Using the Key Card: Show the key card to the card reader at the respective door. When the card reader has registered your card the door is unlocked after a few seconds, then you can go inside. An unauthorised person waiting outside the door can easily slip in through your door opening if you are not observant. If this occurs, invite to this person to leave the computer room. Finally, if you have problems in that situation, contact immediately to CIMET staff or caretakers of the Mececnas Building.

From October to June the University refectories offer a daily (except Sundays) lunch (3 course meal) for 3 Euros. Open times: from 13:00 to 15:30. More info: www.ugr.es/local/scu

The University refectories has also a new "take-away" service for lunch and dinners, from monday to friday for 3.50 Euros. More info: www.ugr.es/local/scu (Click on "Para llevar" on the top menu). This new "take-away" service allows you, as a student of the UGR, to take-away your lunch and dinner (each one for 3.50 Euros) from monday to friday.

How to use it? To use that "take-away" service you have to fill in with your personal data (surname and family name) a electronic form one day in advance (the day before, no later than 15h), stating that you are a student, and the place where you will pick up the lunch and/or the dinner (in your case, the closest place to the Edificio Mecenas is "Fuentenueva". You can also read the lunch and dinner menus one day in advance. There are three menus (you can choose only two per day): lunch, dinner and vegeterain menu. To pick them away you have to show your UGR student card.

The University of Granada Library is comprised of the Hospital Real library and the libraries which serve the university colleges, graduate technical schools, university schools and other centers and services; in addition to the technical and management services which support all libraries.

You will have free access to the areas designed for the public in the different libraries of the UGR. You will also be able to use the holdings set in free access or in restricted depot, by identification with a membership card valid for this purpose over the whole country.

Furthermore, you will be able to access home loans according to the regulations established for that purpose.

The UGR will keep updated all the necessary user manuals of the different services in order to make it clear to users what they can and cannot demand from this service offered by the BUG.

With your UGR international student card you must apply for the Sciences Faculty library card for loan books at that Library (Library located in the main Sciences Faculty building), just in front of the CIMET venue. Most of books and references recommended for the CIMET courses are in this library.

More info: http://biblioteca.ugr.es/?lang=en

We recommend you several options for finding the most appropriate accomodation that fits your expectations:

UGR's ACCOMMODATION SERVICE
The UGR's Accomodation Service provides information and assistance concerning all the options open to students searching for somewhere to live during their stay (shared flats, with a family, halls of residence,...)
e-mail: alojamiento@ugr.es
web: http://estudiantes.ugr.es/alojamiento
Phone: (+34) 958 244072
Fax: (+34) 958 243134

SENIOR CIMET STUDENTS
Senior CIMET students could give you very nice advice about where to rent, different options, how to do, etc. They are probably the best source of information for you.

WWW.ERASMATE.COM Website
The website http://www.erasmate.com focuses on (international) student-to-student housing for short term periods and can be used for free by students. This website could incoming students with finding their housing more easily.

ACCOMODATION OF EUROCONGRES
Eurocongres offers you different shared apartment or university residence in the center of Granada at a walking distance to the CIMET venue and also to the CLM venue. If you need more information, contact with us in the e-mail: comercial@eurocongres.es

You can download the prices and the norms of coexistence here. (PDF file)

"ABILILLA" Apartments
www.granada.cat offers you nice totally equipped apartments in the Granada city downtown. The apartments are located in a typical "corrala" and very close to the city center and to the Center of Modern Languages (where you will receive Spanish classes). They are totally equipped (TV, DVD, first quality furniture, microwave, vitroceramic, fridge and freazer, washing-machine, wireless, etc.)
E-mail: lavikinga@hotmail.co.uk
phone: (+34) 686 73 77 91
Fax: (+34) 902 333 365

International students often ask us about the cost of their stay in Granada. Here are a few examples, for purely orientative purposes:

• Flat share - 250 € per person/month plus utilities (gas, water, electricity, internet, etc)
• Spanish Menu of the Day (3 course meal) = 8.00 €
• Lunch at the UGR refectory - 3.50 €
• Ticket for the local bus - 1.10 €
• Credibus card with a credit of 20 € - 0.57 € per ticket
• Bus pass: 35€/month (you can purchase it on the bus)
• University library card - 1 €
• A glass of wine in a bar (+free tapas) - 2.00 €
• Beer in a bar (+free tapas) - 1.50 €
• Can of coke at the supermarket - 0.40 €
• 'BigMac' - 3 €
• A cup of coffee/tea - 1.00 €
• Breakfast (coffee with toast) - 1.80 €
• Loaf of bread - 0.65 €
• Bottle of water (2 liters) - 0.80 €
• Litre of milk - 0.90 €
• Shower gel - 1.60 €
• 2L detergent - 3.50 €
• Toothpaste - 0.90 €
• Ticket for the cinema - 5.00 €
• Ticket for the Alhambra = 10.00 €
• Entrance to the Cathedral = 3.50 €
• Entrance to a club/disco = 6.00 € (normally includes a free drink)
• Gym subscription: 50€/month (plus initial 50€ to become member)
• Ice-cream = 1.50 €
• A pair of jeans = 25.00 € - 35.00 €
• A T-shirt = 5.00 € - 15 €
• A sandwich or a kebac = 3.50 €
• Daily newspaper= 1.00 €

9.a. GRANADA CITY

Welcome to Granada!

The city of Granada, in southern Spain, is a major centre for international scientific and cultural events. Its excellent modern hotel facilities and efficient communication and transportation network (an airport with direct low cost flights to London, Rome, Frankfort, Milan, Liverpool, Madrid, Barcelona) all help to make it the ideal place to hold such events.

The city itself is surrounded by a wealth of natural beauty; to the south the Sierra Nevada mountains (with a famous ski resort) at a height of more than 3,000 metres are the highest in the Iberian peninsular and to the west the wide vistas of the luxuriant fields and woodlands of the plains of the river Genil. The Mediterranean sea and beaches lie just sixty kilometres to the south, where the climate becomes sub-tropical.

Granada has long enjoyed the privilege of witnessing major developments in the fields of culture, learning and discovery, all of which have emerged in response to the city's location at a veritable cultural crossroads, as a key centre both in mediaeval Islamic and Christian history. As such it saw many of the advances in science and art made by the Muslims during the years of the Nasrid dynasty and then under the Christian monarchs became the city which provided the impetus for the discovery of America and indeed for the entire Spanish renaissance. But Granada is first and foremost a university city; its university was originally founded by the Emperor Charles V in 1526 and is considered to be one of the foremost institutions of higher education in Spain. Currently it has more than 60,000 students and its academic, cultural and economic influence is clearly felt throughout the city.

9.b. CULTURAL EVENTS
Many cultural events take place every year in Granada. Three theatre halls have a stable programme of theatre plays, opera, music concerts, flamenco, etc., and the Granada City Orchestra shows its prestige in the Manuel de Falla auditorium. The International Jazz Festival (October), the International Magic Festival (November), the International Music and Dance Festival (June and July), the International Film Festival (June), the International Tango Festival (March), the International Comic Show (February and March), the International Organ Music Week (October and December), the International Young Film Directors Festival (April), the Classic Film Festival (January) are only some examples of this cultural activity.

9.c. GRANADA CITY MAPS

• Granada street plan from the Campsa Guide
• Another Granada street plan
• Granada map from the Town Hall
• Satellite image from Google Earth

9.d. GRANADA LOCAL TRANSPORTATION

Close to the Edificio Mecenas (CIMET venue at Granada city) there are several bus stops (lines 10, 11, 21, 22, 5 and U).
Close to the Center of Modern Languajes there are several bus stops (lines 23, 30, 32, 34).
Local bus lines map: download here (JPEG file). Link to the local bus service

Local buses prices (you can purchase all kind of tickets or credibus on the bus; free change of line during the first 45 minutes after buying the ticket)

• One ticket for the local bus - 1.10 €
• Credibus card with a credit of 5 € - 0.65 € per ticket
• Creditbus card with a credit of 10 € - 0.59 € per ticket
• Creditbus card with a credit of 20 € - 0.57 € per ticket
• Bus month pass: 35€/month

9.e. GRANADA CITY WALKS

Granada is a city that has always fascinated visitors. They are spellbound by the beauty of the architecture and design of the Moorish citadel and palaces of the Alhambra and the sensual harmony of water and gardens in the Generalife, and equally enchanted by simple but unforgettable sights such as the sunset from the squares in the old Albaicín quarter, the picturesque streets of the Realejo and the splendid renaissance cathedral and royal chapel. Above all, Granada is a city to walk through, taking one's time, a city of majestic buildings and small squares, streets and old houses, a city which can trace its history from the Iberians, through Romans, Arabs and Christians to the present day.

Apart from its most well known monuments, Granada has a wealth of other equally magnificent convents, monasteries, churches and civil buildings which are all worth visiting. Of these latter, the "corral del carbón" is a rare surviving example of an Arab "caravansai" or travellers inn "alhondiga" or medieval market bulding, which has undergone many vicissitudes during its 700 years of life; and the "bañuelo" is one of the few remaining public baths of the hundreds that dominated social life before the Christian conquest in 1492.

Amongst Christian renaissance buildings are the "Real Chancillería", the Royal Chancillery, built to house Spain's highest court of law at the beginning of the XVI century, and still today serving the same function; and the "Hospital Real", one of Spain's first public hospices and now the rectorate and seat of government of the University of Granada. Alongside the Alhambra, King Charles I, grandson of the Catholic monarchs Isabel and Ferdinand, built his renaissance palace, where he might have lived had he not been distracted by the exigencies of continuous foreign wars.

Christianity gave to the city the sober church of Saint Jerome and its adjoining cloister, the Carthusian monastery, in which the typical materials and workmanship of Granada are adapted to the newly arrived baroque style, and the architectural exuberance of the churches of San Juan de Dios and La Virgen de las Angustias.

Granada also has many museums, among which is that attached to the cathedral, with its magnificent Flemish paintings and baroque images. Within the Alhambra the museum of Arabic art contains many examples of polychrome ceramics typical of the mediaeval Muslim period in Granada, and the museum of fine arts has some fine examples of XIX and XX century paintings. Once again in the city centre there is the José Guerrero museum of modern art, in which this painter expresses the dynamic strength of colour. Other museums, such as the "Casa de los Tiros" and "Casa de los Pisas", contain exhibits of many facets of Granada's social, artistic and religious history. Today Granada boasts one of the finest Science Museums in Spain, where excellent interactive exhibitions related with physics, technology, biology, vision and so on are held.

For music lovers the home-museum of Manuel de Falla is a place of interest, in which the visitor can get an impression of the peaceful environment in which this composer, a contemporary of Ravel and Debussy, composed the main body of his work. Just above de Falla's house, in a tree-lined avenue leading to the Alhambra, is the modern concert hall, named after him. In the same avenue is the Carmen de los Mártires, a mansion with splendid italianate gardens and incomparable views of the city and the Sierra Nevada.

Admirers of Granada's poet, Federico García Lorca, can visit his family's summer house on the outskirts of the city, now incorporated into a park bearing his name. The house where he was born is in a small village not far from city and has also been preserved as a museum of the poet and his times.

Granada is above all a university town in the mediaeval tradition and like all such towns the university is not in a certain part of the town, it is the town. The university occupies many of its oldest buildings and the new faculties are scattered throughout the rest of the city. In term time the students turn Granada into a vibrant hive of activity, both studious and recreational. The residents willingly share their streets and squares with this bustle of youth, knowing that they are an essential part of the lifeblood of the town. Both young and old enjoy together the enchantment of a city which contains its own interior spell, an enchantment which grows on you the longer you are here.

9.f. GRANADA SURROUNDINGS

The 13,000 square kilometres of the province of Granada contain an unimaginable number and variety of tourist attractions. Firstly of course, the Alhambra, which is the most visited monument in Spain and one of the most beautiful in the whole of world. The Sierra Nevada ski resort is the southernmost in Europe and in less than a couple of hours a visitor can drive from the snow of the mountains to the subtropical climate and beaches of the Costa Tropical, which even in winter enjoys a most agreeable climate.

Its diversity of landscapes, climates, products and resources makes the province of Granada a microcontinent for tourism. At any time of the year visitors can choose from the widest variety of ways to spend their days: visiting historic and artistic monuments, enjoying small hostels in the many villages dotted along the byways and tracks that form a network of rural tourism in the hills and mountains, skiing or taking part in the other sports on offer at the ski resort (including its social life) or sun and a leisurely life on the beaches, all of which can be organised around conferences or incentive breaks at Granada's congress centre, university facilities or those of the many luxury hotels in the city and province.

The monuments of the city of Granada, redolent of its turbulent history as the capital of the last Muslim kingdom in Europe and then the favoured city of the Christian King and Queen, Fernando and Isabel, never fails to capture the hearts and stimulate the imagination of everyone who stays there. There are also many cultural events, some of international fame such as the summer music festival, and others based on local traditions. Granada is at heart a university city and its 60,000 students turn it into a veritable hive of activity, the bars and taverns buzzing with life, particularly in the student area of Pedro Antonio de Alarcon street, the Campo del Principe and the area by the river below the Albaicín on one side and the Alhambra on the other. Somewhat more exotic is the area of the Calderería with its oriental tea shops and aromas and tastes of the East.

For those who prefer the peace of the countryside to the bustle of city life there are six nature reserves, including the Sierra Nevada national park. The foothills to the south of the Sierra Nevada, known as the Alpujarras, form an area of rugged natural beauty, with villages dating back to the middle ages, when this was an impenetrable enclave of Muslim farmers and smallholders. With its dramatic scenery, benign climate and complete peace and quiet, visitors often find it difficult to leave. Further inland, the area of the Marquesado and the high meseta provide starkly contrasting almost lunar desert landscapes surrounded by cool, leafy hillsides. And in the westernmost parts of the province there still can be seen many interesting remains of the Muslim kingdom and its fortresses when this was the frontier between Granada and the Christian provinces to the west.

9.g. GRANADA, ANDALUCÍA AND SPAIN LINKS

Welcome to Spain: the official website for tourism in Spain
Tourism in Granada: the official website for tourism in Granada
Information about the city of Granada
Official site for Tourism of the province of Granada
Official Tourism website of Andalusia
Virtual visit to the Alhambra and Generalife
Video about the University of Granada

10.a. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OFFICE (ORI)

Website: http://internacional.ugr.es/

Pro-Vice-Chancellor for International and Institutional Relations:
Dr. Dorothy Kelly
International Relations Office Manager:
Ms. Mercedes López Roldán

Information Service:
Tel.: (+34) 958 249 030
Fax: (+34) 958 243 009
E-mail: orinfo@ugr.es

Over 4,800 graduate and postgraduate students choose the UGR, through full study programmes or via the approximately 800 network and bilateral exchange programmes in which the UGR is involved.
For a full version of the International Student Guide, consult:
http://internacional.ugr.es/pages/archivos/informacion/guiapdf/!/

Postgraduate studies also include the Erasmus Mundus and Erasmus Mundus External Co-operation Windows Programmes in which the UGR is involved. For more details:
http://internacional.ugr.es
E-mail: intlerasmusmundus@ugr.es

Our University's firm commitment to the internationalisation of higher education, along with maximum exchange-mobility opportunities for students, teaching staff and admin. staff, is reflected in its international-relations structure. Management, planning, academic co-ordination and administration of the UGR's international arm directly involves over 80 people, plus all those playing an indirect role in the whole process.

The sheer size of the UGR made it clear, many years ago, that the most efficient International Relations (IR) structure would consist of a main IR Office (the ORI), working alongside other international offices/units located in the different Faculties, Schools and Research Institutes (F-S-RI). All international initiatives are managed and co-ordinated by the main office on a central level. The academic co-ordinators and admin. staff located in each F-S-RI ensure the smooth running of the programmes and exchanges they are involved in, playing a key role in the UGR's international policy.

How to get in touch with the International Relations Office - Staff Structure:
http://internacional.ugr.es/pages/organigrama/organigrama_ori