24 September 2025
Bilbao Campus
On 24 September, the University of Deusto held the opening ceremony for the 2025–26 academic year, embracing a decisive challenge with responsibility and enthusiasm: «educating, attracting, and anchoring in our region the people who will help shape the future of the Basque Country». Driven by its commitment to the common good through service to society, the University aims to address one of the Basque Country’s main challenges: the education, attraction, and retention of talent.
Rector Juan José Etxeberria highlighted that the challenge of talent is complex and requires comprehensive, sustained, and coordinated strategies involving multiple stakeholders: businesses, educational centres, universities, vocational training institutions, and the various levels of public administration. In his view, it is as a shared responsibility, with the public-private partnership playing a key role. «Deusto, in shared responsibility with all of them, will continue to strongly support the strategies addressing the talent challenge», he stated.
In this regard, he cited some contributions the University is already making and others that still need to be strengthened. Among them, he highlighted preparing students to become outstanding professionals, evidenced by the high employability of graduates, which, according to the latest Lanbide data, stands at 90%, with 87% in roles closely matching their qualifications. He added that new bachelor’s and double-degree programmes have been introduced in the two fields with the greatest shortage of professionals — STEM and Health. At present, there are more than 2,400 undergraduate students in Health Sciences and 1,900 across the various engineering disciplines.
The Rector of Deusto also emphasised the all-round education offered, which goes beyond technical excellence to include transferable skills and distinguishing values such as teamwork, lifelong learning, and ethical conduct. He also highlighted the close mentoring provided to students and the supportive environment that enables them to discover their personal purpose, while emphasising multilingual education and diversity management as a strategic factor for innovation, competitiveness, and the social and economic well-being of the Basque Country.
One conviction and three challenges
It is in this context that Deusto addresses the talent challenge: «guided by a single conviction and three key challenges that shape our present and future». For Juan José Etxeberria, «talent cannot be improvised: it must be cultivated». In his view, true talent is that which is put at the service of others, and for this reason, Deusto not only imparts knowledge but also inspires people to lead responsibly, innovate with social awareness, and build an inclusive future. This is the conviction that guides him and the certainty that inspires him to face three challenges with hope.
The first challenge is to «make the Basque Country a land of opportunities». The goal is not only to attract the best talent to Deusto’s classrooms, but also to ensure they wish to stay in the Basque Country. To achieve this, the Rector explained that «we work hand in hand with businesses, institutions, and social stakeholders to create attractive, innovative, and sustainable opportunities. Retaining talent does not mean being insular. It means opening up avenues of collaboration that anchor people in this region and make the Basque Country a place where they can grow and look to the future».
The second challenge is to be «a university open to the world». Deusto has a strong international focus. It welcomes students from more than 60 countries and collaborates with universities from all continents. Indeed, «attracting global talent enriches teaching and research, strengthens our community, and positions the Basque Country on the world stage», the Rector noted. At the same time, efforts are being made so that local talent does not have to choose between thriving and staying. «We want our students to have the opportunity to go abroad, learn, and grow through other cultures, while also finding a dynamic and open ecosystem upon their return to develop their full potential», he added.
For this reason, over the coming years, Deusto will continue advancing on this path of openness to the world and international collaboration, confident that only with broad horizons can we meet the challenges of an uncertain yet opportunity-filled future. The extensive network of Jesuit universities worldwide, together with the UNIC European Universities Alliance, provides excellent opportunities, which will continue to be developed.
And as a third challenge, Rector Etxeberria spoke of «humanism, innovation, and community» because in a time when technology is advancing at a rapid pace, the university is called to provide a humanising perspective, one that combines expert knowledge with a broader humanistic education, grounded in ethics and centred on people. This perspective not only transforms the university but also «builds society, fosters cohesion, and makes our region a more attractive place to live and work. A society that fosters innovation without losing its human dimension is one capable of attracting diverse, creative, and committed talent».
The Rector concluded his remarks by noting that tomorrow’s talent is being shaped today, and that «our commitment is to nurture the talent that builds society, fosters hope amid uncertainty, and opens paths to the future where doors appear closed». Full speech.
Peace is always possible
The opening ceremony for the academic year began, following a Mass in the Gothic Chapel (Homily by the Bishop of Bilbao, Joseba Segura), with the presentation of the 2024–2025 academic report by the General Secretary, Stella Solernou, who provided a breakdown of the main figures from the previous year. Deusto welcomed 3,433 new students and exceeded a total of 16,000 enrolments, including undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and continuing education programmes. A total of 1,011 international students joined the University, and 832 participated in mobility programmes. Advantere, its business school in Madrid, had 203 students, mostly international. A total of 2,358 people completed their studies and the university community consisted of 3,475 staff members. In the field of research, staff numbers rose to 1,043; 58 doctoral theses were defended, and more than 1,000 articles were published in high-impact journals, within the framework of 365 active projects.
Deusto’s recognition as a leading institution in the main national and international rankings was also highlighted, along with updates to its academic programmes, including a specific course in the ethical and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence, which was attended by around 600 students. She also recalled the University's important scholarship policy, which has benefited 1,364 students. To this end, the University of Deusto allocated more than 2.5 million euros of its own funds - an increase of more than 100,000 euros compared to the previous academic year - and managed more than 1.6 million in grants from the Basque Government.
The General Secretary concluded her remarks with a tone of deep humanity, reflecting on the harrowing images of death and suffering coming from Gaza. Faithful to Christian tradition and the universal principles of humanity, she expressed on behalf of the University of Deusto: «our condemnation of the systematic violation of fundamental rights and the disregard for human dignity. Peace cannot be built by erasing an entire people from the map. With sorrow, but also with hope, we affirm that peace is always possible. Humanity calls on leaders to have the courage necessary to protect the civilian population of Gaza». Full academic report.
Family: a school of humanisation
This was followed by the Inaugural Lecture entitled: «Familia: lazos que deciden vidas» (Family: Bonds that Shape Lives), by Dr Ana Martínez-Pampliega, Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, followed by the words of the Regional Minister of Science, Universities and Innovation, Juan Ignacio Pérez Iglesias.
In her keynote lecture, Professor Pampliega emphasised that the family is a fundamental setting in shaping identity and subjectivity—not only as a biological or legal structure, but as a symbolic and relational framework that provides belonging, meaning, and continuity to those who are part of it. Beyond family structure, what matters most is the quality of the bonds, based on reciprocity, recognition, and validation, which support emotional life and mental health.
In her view, family bonds are crucial throughout the entire life course: in childhood, they lay the foundations for security and self-esteem; in adolescence, they support the construction of identity; in adulthood, they enable intimacy and the capacity to love; and in old age, they shape the experience of companionship or loneliness. For all these reasons, the family remains the first and most decisive school of humanisation. She therefore believes that «acknowledging its complexity and nurturing its bonds is an essential ethical requirement to promote the overall well-being and mental health of present and future generations». Full opening Lecture
