04 March 2022
Bilbao Campus
A total of 224 new graduates of the university master's degrees gathered on the afternoon of 4 March in the auditorium of the University of Deusto to receive their diplomas. These were students from the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 graduating classes of the Master's in Business Management (MUDE); the Master's in Human Resources; the European and International Business Management (EIBM); the Master's in Auditing (MUAC) and the 2019-20 graduating class of the Master's in Competitiveness and Innovation (MUCI); the Master's in Advanced Marketing (MUMA) and the Master's in International Business (MIB).
The graduation ceremony, at the start of which the Deustoarrak choir performed Agur Jaunak, was hosted by the professor and corporate director of Deusto Business School in Madrid, Marta Aguilar, who addressed the attendees to congratulate them and to whom she gave a lecture based on the rule of the two C's: the C for quality and the C for warmth.
Marta Aguilar explained that this rule of the two Cs implies applying excellence both in what is done and in the way it is done "because beyond what we do, which is important of course, it is how we do it that gives us differential value in the world of business and in life in general", she argued.
The godmother of the graduation ceremony furthered the idea of the importance of the 'how' by stating that "the 'whats' are easily plagiarised; they are commonplaces. However, it is the hows that differentiate and identify us". He explained the main characteristics that humanist leaders should have, "which are what our society needs".
During his speech, he stressed the importance of "Human Marketing, an approach to marketing as it should always have been, humanistic, with a focus on the people of the organisation itself and of society in general". He stressed that Human Marketing is in fact an attitude, "a philosophy, and a form of strategic management in the company whose objective is to make life easier for people and which, let's not forget, has a positive impact on the profit and loss account".
He also assured that this humanistic approach to marketing should not be limited to a single department of the company, "but needs the involvement of the entire organisation, as the value chain that it is, from the CEO to the last employee". He concluded by remarking that the practice of this humanistic approach within any organisation requires the figure of leaders who embody the attributes associated with humanistic leadership, "which is what we promote here at the University of Deusto", he concluded. After his speech, the choir performed Maitia Nun Zira.
The presiding table was made up of the Dean, Álvaro de la Rica Aspiunza, the Vice-Dean for Academic Organisation, María García Feijoo, the Director General of Deusto Business School, Almudena Eizaguirre and the Secretary of Deusto Business School, Macarena Cuenca. They were accompanied, in addition to the sponsor of the event and speaker, Marta Aguilar, by the directors of the programmes whose students were graduating: José Antonio Idígoras (MUDE); Aitziber Elola (MUCI); Inmaculada Freije (HR); Mikel Larreina (EIMB and vice-rector of International Relations); Amaia Arizkuren (MIB); José Antonio Madariaga (MUAC) and Elvira Arrondo (MUMA).
The ceremony continued with the solemn declaration of the graduation commitment that the students Natalia Mercedes Ramírez (Spanish); Naiara Azcue (Basque) and Mikel Brabec (English), pronounced on their behalf and on behalf of the rest of their classmates.
After the swearing in and the presentation of credentials, the Dean of Deusto Business School, Álvaro de la Rica Aspiunza, took the floor to congratulate the new graduates on their achievement. He stressed that when they chose to study at Deusto they opted, "not only to study, but also to attend a university that aims to leave a mark on its graduates through the values it transmits".
De la Rica referred to the turbulent times we are living in and reminded those present that personal development is absolutely insufficient if it is separated from professional development. "Knowledge, the central axis of the era in which we live, is in people, in ourselves". For this reason, he explained that, even once you have successfully completed your studies, "it is essential that you are open to constant training to learn from this world that is advancing at breakneck speed, that continues to pose new challenges and that requires a humanistic leadership that, if possible, is increasingly necessary, because we are the people who manage and lead".
The dean of Deusto Business School ended his speech by encouraging the new graduates to walk through their profession and through life as luminous people, but not before recalling the objectives of the University of Deusto "which is none other than to train free, responsible citizens and competent professionals, committed to the transformation of society, the achievement of peace and justice, here or wherever life takes each one of you".
The ceremony ended with the performance of the Gaudeamus Igitur by all those present, who enjoyed a cocktail in the cloister of the University.
