15 June 2026
Bilbao
In an age characterised by increasing pace, fascination with technological immediacy, algorithmic governance and measurable productivity, the Rector of the University of Deusto has championed the irreplaceable value of the humanities and asserted that “they are not merely knowledge of the past; on the contrary, they are the disciplines of the future”. He made these remarks during the ceremony held on 16 June for the appointment of Gorka Urrutia as the new Dean of the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences.
In his view, technology provides the capacity to indicate how things are done, while the humanities and social sciences safeguard the intellectual maturity needed to ask why and to what purpose. In line with Pope Leo XIV’s reflections in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas on the human person in the age of AI, the Rector argued that the key question in today’s ecosystem should not focus solely on what technology can do, but on what kind of humanity it strengthens or weakens. Against a backdrop of polarisation and the erosion of certainties, he stressed that “these disciplines are more necessary than ever to safeguard balance, critical thinking, empathy and a sense of justice”.
Looking ahead, Juan José Etxeberria outlined the main strategic commitments for the new team led by Dean Gorka Urrutia, with a view to navigating a period of profound transformation while maintaining a steady course. Among the priorities, he highlighted the need to consolidate, within a Faculty with a presence in Bilbao and San Sebastian, “a shared two-campus project in which each campus contributes its specific strengths to a common institutional vision and shared identity”.
He also underlined the importance of promoting academic sustainability and international outreach, with the challenge of incorporating the essential skills needed for new generations to operate in complex, technology-intensive environments. In his view, this is a strategic opportunity for the development of cutting-edge academic programmes situated at the intersection of disciplines and shaped through active inter-faculty cooperation.
The third challenge is to make progress towards more excellent and better-connected research, in which the distinctive value of the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences is clearly demonstrated. “We aim to educate men and women who stand out for their scientific rigour, their critical capacity, their sensitivity to social justice and the care of our common home, and their ability to build networks of collaboration with others,” he said. To this end, he believes it is a priority to focus the potential of our research and knowledge transfer on the social fractures of our time, thereby directly reinforcing our educational mission.
To lead this demanding agenda, the Rector highlighted that the appointment of the new Dean rests on strong consensus and a deep atmosphere of trust within the academic community. Addressing Gorka Urrutia, the Rector shared the views expressed by his colleagues: “Your testimonials describe an honest, sensible person, deeply committed to dialogue, who stands out for his strong alignment with Deusto’s Identity and Mission.” He also highlighted his unquestionable capacity for hard work, his approachable nature and his “deep empathy in accompanying others”, adding that he enjoys the unanimous support of the Faculty and the entire Management Board. Speech.
A career dedicated to human rights and minority issues
Gorka Urrutia holds a PhD from the University of Deusto and a degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of the Basque Country; he is a senior lecturer in the Department of Social and Human Sciences at the University of Deusto. Since 2015, he has served as Director of the Pedro Arrupe Institute of Human Rights. With over 20 years’ experience, his research focuses on human rights, religious diversity, migration and minorities, topics on which he has participated in numerous competitive research projects at both national and international level. He is a member of the excellence research team “Human Rights: Social and Cultural Challenges in a Changing World”, recognised by the Basque Government.
In the academic sphere, he teaches at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels. His profile has a strong international dimension and a clear focus on knowledge transfer and societal impact. He has served as President of the Sociology of Religion Research Committee of the Spanish Federation of Sociology (FES). He was also Adviser to the Basque Government’s Human Rights Directorate on matters relating to religious diversity (2011–2012), as well as Director of the Joint European Master in International Migration and Social Cohesion (MISOCO) and of the Human Rights Training Programme for Indigenous Leaders in Latin America (University of Deusto, in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights).
He is currently a member of the Executive Board of IMISCOE, the international migration research network, and is actively involved in advisory bodies such as the Basque Council for Development Cooperation and the Basque Forum on Migration and Asylum. He is a trustee of the Gernika Gogoratuz Foundation – Research Centre for Peace, and a member of the Governing Board and Treasurer of the Basque Association of Sociology and Political Science. Throughout his career, he has received significant accolades, such as the First Pluralism and Coexistence Research Award (2016), presented by the Ministry of Justice’s Pluralism and Coexistence Foundation.
