During the opening of the new academic year at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Rector Joxerramon Bengoetxea advocated for a unique university model. The ceremony took place at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities on the Álava Campus, and was declared inaugurated by Bakartxo Tejeria, president of the Basque Parliament.
This year, 8,859 new undergraduate students have begun the academic year, which will be marked by the new university plan and the draft of a new universities law. Bengoetxea stressed that this new law should serve to "configure a unique university model," and stated that "we will continue working to project the UPV/EHU's leadership and ensure its recognition as a public university".
The Rector also addressed the challenges posed by competition from international rankings. He noted that the university has a "solid and competitive research base" in Spain, but there is a "significant gap" compared to universities better positioned in the ARWU ranking, particularly in international scientific impact and recognition of research excellence. Therefore, he thanked the community members for their work in improving other indicators not measured by ARWU, such as multilingualism, teaching, scientific outreach, transfer, social commitment, and care for people.
Bengoetxea also warned about the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and the corporations developing it. "We do not want to demonize AI," he said, "but rather total dependence on it." He indicated that its impact on education and university teaching is "enormous" and that it is necessary to analyze its possibilities "without falling into epistemological enslavement, nor handing over all knowledge to it".
Finally, he highlighted the challenge of demographic change and announced an academic meeting with the Mexican University UNAM, which will be held in November in Bilbao.
Bengoetxea recalled the three pillars that guided the previous academic year and, "keeping our word," presented the university's needs assessment for the budget; the Strategic Plan 2026-2028 was developed and approved; and the Senate debated, voted on, and approved the new Statutes of the UPV/EHU. He expressed "great pride" in both the outcome and the commitment shown by the UPV/EHU community.
In her speech, the president of the Basque Parliament, Bakartxo Tejeria, emphasized the "fundamental role of the university in guaranteeing a country's economic, scientific, and cultural development, strengthening cohesion and citizen well-being, and advancing in solidarity and social justice." After congratulating the UPV/EHU for being ranked among the top 400 universities globally, she highlighted the "commitment of the Basque institutions to our university system" so that it continues "orienting towards excellence and generating talent and advanced knowledge in response to the economic and social development of Euskadi and the technological-digital challenge".
For his part, the Minister of Science, Universities, and Innovation, Juan Ignacio Pérez Iglesias, addressed key issues for the university sector in the coming years: the academic career of faculty; and the psychological well-being of the university community and research, with special reference to its international character. He stressed the importance of "good universities" being measured in an international context, compared to the best, but "without losing sight of the community they serve, their needs, and their aspirations".
Leire Garmendia, Secretary General of the UPV/EHU, began her summary of the past academic year's report by highlighting the approval of the new UPV/EHU statutes and the 2026-28 Strategic Plan, as well as the community's participation. She also underscored positive data in training, research, and transfer. Last year, 566 doctoral theses were defended, 46% of which received international mention; of the 82 theses defended in Basque, half obtained international mention. Furthermore, 55.6 million euros were secured in competitive research support calls (4% more than the previous year), 11.7 million in international research calls, and 10.5 million in the "Knowledge Generation" project call.
Additionally, over 1,500 projects were carried out in collaboration with external agents, generating over 14 million euros in revenue, and the UPV/EHU has been awarded 5 prestigious grants from the European Research Council (ERC).
Among the innovations in training, she cited university micro-credentials. Thanks to a program funded by Europe, 121 micro-credentials were offered (three times more than planned), enrolling over 2,700 professionals from 80 organizations, companies, and public administration institutions.
Regarding the UPV/EHU's employability rate, she recalled data from the Basque Employment Service-Lanbide: 92% of graduates are employed (a 2% increase from the previous year), and UPV/EHU graduates find their first job in less than three months.
Among those present were former UPV/EHU Rectors Nekane Balluerka and Iñaki Goirizelaia; public authorities such as Xabier Aizpurua, Vice-Minister of University Policy, and Sara Urionabarrenetxea, Director of University Planning and Organization; Jon Nogales Prieto, Provincial Deputy for Sustainable Mobility and Road Infrastructure; Irma Basterra, President of the General Assemblies of Álava; Xabier Barandiaran, Ikoitz Arretxe, Patricia Campelo, and Muriel Larrea, members of the Parliament's Science, Universities, and Innovation Commission; and Sonia Díaz de Corcuera, Councilor for Education and Culture of Vitoria-Gasteiz.
From the academic sphere, attendees included the Rectors of the University of Deusto, Juan José Etxeberria; Mondragon Unibertsitatea, Bixente Atxa; and EUNEIZ, Eva Egiguren; UPNA Secretary General Roldán Jimeno; UEU Director Aitor Bengoetxea; UNED-Gasteiz Director Rubén González; and the Director of the School of Engineering at TECNUN (University of Navarra), Javier Planes.
