28 November 2025
Bilbao Campus San Sebastian Campus
The University of Deusto held the closing session of the Ahotsak Congresson 28 November. The role of the social and human sciences in addressing today’s challenges, organised by the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences. Over three days, the event brought together hundreds of people on the Bilbao and San Sebastian campuses — including academic staff, students, technical staff, professionals, and institutional representatives — to collectively reflect on two highly topical challenges: democracy and technology.
A space for shared thinking and transformative action
At the closing ceremony, Dean Ane Ferran Zubillaga emphasised that the congress "has fulfilled one of its essential objectives: to weave, embody and share the contributions of the social and human sciences". She underlined that these days have demonstrated the power of a holistic approach to understanding contemporary challenges: from democratic disengagement and institutional transformation to the rapid emergence of technologies that pose unprecedented challenges for social justice.
“We are social and human. We are sciences that explain the why while looking at the what for; sciences that study, question, and take action. We exist to transform and to transform ourselves,” said Ferran, acknowledging the work carried out over two years by the scientific committee, the degree programme teams, and the technical staff.
The Dean emphasised that the challenge now is to turn reflection into action, noting that social transformation requires both thought and practice: “Orain entzundakoa jaso, gozatu, ikasi… eta egin”.
The importance of listening: a compass for the university’s future
Rector Juan José Etxeberria underlined the uniqueness of the congress by placing the voices - their diversity and authority - at the centre of the meeting. "Ahotsakhas taken precedence over any content. It has prioritised the plurality of voices over any scientific claim,” he noted.
The Rector argued that this closing should be understood as a gesture of committed listening, not as a mere farewell: to listen to what has been experienced, acknowledge its value, and embrace the commitment to carry it forward into the future.
In his address, he invited attendees to understand the congress as a “celebration of listening,” emphasising that no voice can be meaningful without a structured space to receive it: “A voice, to be fruitful, needs a place where it can express its uniqueness and influence.”
Likewise, Rector Etxeberria reminded attendees that the social and human sciences provide something irreplaceable in today’s university context: deep understanding, critical memory, public ethics, and the ability to envision just and sustainable alternatives. "The social and human sciences are a form of knowledge with a character of their own. They not only analyse the present, but also help us imagine the future. The university must listen to them, support them, and place them at the forefront of its mission,” he concluded. Speech.
A collective compass built from all voices
Throughout the congress, students from the Faculty acted as rapporteurs, developing a conceptual “compass” that reflects the four themes running through the sessions: education, professionalisation, research, and social transformation. This collective, critical, and creative work will serve as a reference document to guide future academic directions and collaborative projects.
The closing ceremony thus marks the formal conclusion of this edition, but also — as emphasised by the Dean and the Rector — the beginning of a shared commitment: to continue listening, researching, and taking action to build fairer, more plural, and more democratic societies.
