'SEAT Classroom' Comes to University of Valladolid

MARTORELL, SPAIN – February 27, 2009: The “SEAT Classroom”, a roving exhibition taking the car brand to different Spanish universities throughout the academic year, today reached the University of Valladolid. The aim is to bring engineering students in close contact with the total development process of a vehicle, from the initial idea on the designer’s drawing board to the final customer.

The official opening, un the general heading of ‘SEAT: design, development, safety and sportiness’, was attended by Evaristo Abril, Rector of the University of Valladolid, Mª Angeles Martin, director of the Polytechnic College, and Ramón Paredes, SEAT’s Vice-president for Human Resources.

In his presentation, Mr. Paredes underscored the importance of the university-company link “at SEAT we are acutely aware of the importance training has in the development of a society and its industrial fabric. It provides the raw material for the fight for the best talent and the race for the best and quickest innovations. Because of this, a person’s qualifications are a key factor in a company’s competitiveness.”

Of the several presentations made during the day, special mention should be made of the lecture to be given on vehicle design process. Likewise, SEAT’s official team driver, Jordi Gené, will talk about the competition strategy that has taken SEAT to top spot n the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). Other aspects such as the chassis, electronic integration and production systems will also be covered.

And students will also be given the opportunity to analyse in detail all the components of a car, since a cutaway model of a SEAT León will be put on display, side-to-side with a SEAT León WTCC. Also, within the Ibiza Universitour initiative, travelling round the university campuses of the main cities, students will be offered a chance to practice good driving habits behind the wheel of the new Ibiza SC or León on a specially prepared closed circuit.

In addition to the various presentations, the meeting at Valladolid also includes a live passive safety test with the new SEAT Ibiza at the headquarters of the CIDAUT –Foundation for Research and Development in Transport and Energy – which a group of students will be able to attend.