The University of Deusto has presented the UNIC project for the European University to take part in the initiative.
 
The Minister, together with the Deputy Minister for Universities and Research, Adolfo Morais, met with the Rector of the University of Deusto, Jose Maria Guibert, on 28 February at the Basque Government's headquarters in Bilbao. As in recent meetings with the rector's teams of the UPV / EHU and Mondragon Unibertsitatea, the reason for the meeting was to get to know the project presented by the University of Deusto for the European Commission's European University initiative. On behalf of the University of Deusto, along with the Rector, Alex Rayon was also Vice-Dean for External Relations and Continuing Education at the Faculty of Engineering of Deusto.

The three universities that make up the Basque University System have already presented their projects to the European Commission. This European initiative promotes the creation of international alliances to become universities of the future, thus strengthening strategic partnerships between higher education institutions throughout the European Union.

The European universities created through these alliances are networks of universities across the EU that will enable them to promote the quality and competitiveness of higher education on the continent. Other proposals include systematic mobility for all university groups, recognition of stays at associated universities, and additional curricula. Projects for these university alliances should focus on sustainability, excellence and European values, as well as offer curricula that take the student to the center, taught together on inter-university campuses.

The ultimate goal of the European University initiative is to create a new generation of European creators who will be able to work together, across languages, borders and disciplines, to face Europe's great social challenges and disabilities.

UNIC European University Project

The University of Deusto, together with seven other European universities, is a member of the UNIC - European University of Post-Industrial Cities project. The eight universities involved in the project share the same past and experience, as they are located in cities that know how to reinvent themselves after an industrial past.

One of the key features of UNIC is that it will use this successful experience to work together in more innovative, accessible and inclusive ways of teaching, research and learning; to respond appropriately to the challenges and needs of future cities and universities. Along with Deusto, the universities participating in the project are in Bochum (Germany), Cork (Ireland), Istanbul (Turkey), Liege (Belgium), Oulu (Finland), Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Zagreb (Croatia).

The strategic alliance formed by the universities of the UNIC project will place a dialogue with the city at the center of the training. Its aim is to promote student mobility and inclusion. This mission is closely linked to the city and with the intention of creating a social impact within the city, and at the same time it is learned from the city.

Attracting talent to the Basque Country

At the meeting, the Minister of Education reminded that the commitment to the internationalization of the Basque University System is one of the main axes of the Department of Education's Basque University System Plan (2019-2022), and therefore that this European initiative is fully in line with the university policies. Both the Minister and the Rector agreed in emphasizing the opportunity that the initiative offers for the competitiveness of the participating universities and for the experience and quality of training of the students.

Uriarte also considered this European initiative particularly important for the Department of Education, given the current and future needs of attracting talent to the Basque Country, and therefore the initiative is fully in line with the department's lines of work. Minister Uriarte also welcomed the challenge-based approach of the projects involved in Basque universities, so that students, academia and external partners can work together in interdisciplinary groups to address the most important problems facing Europe today.