18 June 2025
Bilbao Campus
Once again this year, on 18 June, the University hosted the awards ceremony, organised by the Kale Dor Kayiko Association since 1989, to reward the academic success of Roma students in Biscay and Gipuzkoa.. This initiative stems from the core belief upheld and promoted daily by Kale Dor Kayiko: that only academic education can lift their community out of social exclusion and enable it to overcome the inequalities it currently faces.
In this sense, the objectives of the award include, on the one hand, expressing the pride felt by the Roma community in seeing its students take advantage of educational opportunities that, in most cases, their elders did not have. On the other hand, the award seeks to publicly acknowledge the efforts made by these students throughout their academic journey, as well as the dedication of their teachers and families; and finally, to encourage them to continue their studies and show their worth in the next stages of their education: Secondary education, Baccalaureate, Vocational Training, University,...
The KDK Prize is awarded to students who complete Year 6 of Primary School, Year 4 of ESO,and Baccalaureate, as well as an intermediate or higher vocational training course, diploma or degree. It also recognises the efforts of those who, without passing, deserve it for the interest and effort they have shown. In this 26th edition, thirty students from all over Biscay received the award. In a festive and celebratory atmosphere, the association expressed its gratitude to the students and their families for their efforts. The words of the award-winning students focused on thanking their families and classmates for their support, but also on transmitting encouragement to the students who come after them.
During the event, speeches were given by Óscar Vidaurrazaga from the KDK Association and Isabel Rubio, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Sport, as well as representatives from the Social Action Department of Bilbao City Council and the Education Department of the Basque Government. Además de los representantes de los departamento de Acción Social del Ayuntamiento de Bilbao y Educación del Gobierno Vasco.
The University of Deusto has collaborated with the Kale Dor Kayiko association for several years. In doing so, it provides an exceptional framework for a predominantly academic activity, and symbolically opens its doors to Roma culture, expressing its wish to welcome all members of this community who wish to be part of the campus, as well as its commitment to social justice within its immediate environment.
