26 September 2026
Bilbao Donostia-San Sebastián
September 26 marks the European Day of Languages, an initiative launched in 2001 by the European Commission and the Council of Europe to celebrate Europe’s linguistic diversity and promote language learning. The University of Deusto also joins this celebration, drawing on its multilingual character and international outlook.
Indeed, the University of Deusto community reflects this linguistic and cultural diversity. Around 700 international students from more than 50 countries share their languages and cultures at Deusto while, at the same time, engaging with local languages and cultures. This exchange enriches everyday life at the university and encourages the sharing of international experiences.
University initiatives
To mark the European Day of Languages, a video featuring students has been produced and shared on TikTok and Instagram. In the video, students from the University of Deusto greet one another in different languages from around the world. Through this simple gesture, the video showcases the different backgrounds, languages and cultures that come together at Deusto, while highlighting the contribution that this exchange makes to the university community.
In addition, to explore linguistic diversity at first hand, the IIBZ Library on the Bilbao campus has organised an exhibition featuring 15 books. Each book is written in a different European language, and visitors are invited to match each book with the corresponding language. The exhibition also provides a brief explanation of each language. In this way, members of the university community can discover Europe’s linguistic diversity in a participatory and engaging way.
Collaboration in support of the Basque language
The Basque language holds a special place in the University of Deusto’s language policy. The 2025–2030 Language Policy Master Plan aims to move towards effective multilingualism by strengthening Basque, Spanish and English across all areas of university activity.
In this context, on 15 September 2026, Deusto and UZEI signed a five-year collaboration agreement at the Donostia campus to advance the modernisation, standardisation and normalisation of the Basque language. Among other measures, the agreement aims to strengthen the standardisation of Basque terminology and promote the EUSKALTERM terminology bank, while also opening up new avenues for collaboration in applied research on the modernisation of Basque.
Furthermore, on 3 June 2026, Deusto and the Etxepare Basque Institute signed a five-year collaboration agreement to promote and disseminate the Basque language and Basque culture in academic, cultural and social settings. The agreement provides for the promotion of training and cultural activities, research and creative projects, and international collaboration initiatives, with the aim of strengthening the international profile of the Basque language and Basque culture.
In this way, the European Day of Languages provides an opportunity to showcase the linguistic and cultural diversity that is part of everyday life at Deusto and to celebrate the ability of languages to bring people, communities and cultures together.
