Opening of the 44th Summer Courses of the UPV/EHU in Donostia/San Sebastián

Miren Arzalluz, Director General of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, gave the keynote lecture entitled ‘Art Without Borders. Overcoming Boundaries, Exploring Languages’.

The 44th UPV/EHU Summer Courses (UIK) were officially opened today at the Miramar Palace in Donostia/San Sebastián. Nearly 200 people attended the event. Members of the organising committee, authorities, course directors and speakers, along with representatives of the media, were among those present. Nearly  a further 100 people followed the ceremony online.

Lehendakari Imanol Pradales, the Basque premier, officially opened the 2025 Summer Courses; he was accompanied by Joxerramon Bengoetxea, Chair of the UPV/EHU Summer Courses Foundation and rector of the UPV/EHU; Eider Mendoza, Gipuzkoa Deputy General; Eneko Goia, Mayor of San Sebastián; Silvia Churruca, Institutional Relations and Communication Director of the BBVA Foundation; and Idoia Otaegui, Academic Director of the UPV/EHU Summer Courses.

Lehendakari Imanol Pradales started by lauding the spirit behind the setting up of the Summer Courses and stressing the value of bringing knowledge to Basque society; he pointed out that ‘the passion for learning is linked to the desire to build a better future and a more advanced society. It is key to grow as people, as community and as a nation. It is the beacon of progress’.

Joxerramon Bengoetxea, Rector of theUPV/EHU, highlighted the importance of the freedom of research and of the Basque language as a factor for inclusiveness. ‘Freedom to research is fundamental, because without freedom, developing science would be difficult. That is precisely our best contribution to knowledge. The UPV/EHU is striving to extend its sphere of influence and reach most society; along with guaranteeing and fostering safe spaces for knowledge, science and critical thought, of which the summer courses are an example. And in Basque as well. We are convinced that the Basque Language is not an obstacle for researchers and lecturers, but rather an opportunity as a means of integration and an opportunity to feel members of the community’.

The Gipukzoa Deputy General, Eider Mendoza, underscored the success of the Summer Courses in recent decades, as – while universities are beginning to be targeted in some countries – ‘on this side of the ocean, a window is open to science and knowledge every year’. ‘We are doing our bit to advance, reach out and build a Gipuzkoa and a Basque Country based on equality. In short, our small part to develop a people that is ever more democratic. Reason, the constructive debate of science, knowledge… are an essential cornerstone to uphold the identity and democracy of our community. This territory, Gipuzkoa, and our Basque Country have successfully and decisively committed to science, innovation and knowledge in general in recent decades. These Summer Courses are further proof of that commitment’, she added.

During his speech, the Mayor of San Sebastián, Eneko Goia, explained that there are many reasons for Donostia/San Sebastián to be considered a city of science and knowledge. ‘Our city is home to four universities and nearly six thousand people work in the field of research and knowledge. Furthermore, we are facing major challenges; the IBM quantum computer will be up and running in the coming months and such a major achievement would not be possible without the support and drive of the institutions present here today, or without the top-tier scientific ecosystem to be found in Donostia/San Sebastián’. ‘In the words of Eneko Goia, the real meaning of the activity of the University of the Basque Country’s Summer Courses can be found in this context of commitment to knowledge and scientific development’.

Silvia Churruca, Institutional Relations and Communication Director of the BBVA Foundation, recalled that the BBVA Group had supported 36 editions of these courses, 30 of which as the BBVA Foundation. ‘At the BBVA Foundation, we also believe that knowledge is an essential, non-exclusive asset that must embracemed dialogue and lifelong learning as the cornerstones of a fairer society that is ready for today’s challenges’, he added.

Idoia Otaegui, the Summer Courses’ Academic Director of the Summer Courses, thanked the institutions making up the Organising Committee –- the BBVA Foundation, Donstia/San Sebastián City Council, Gipuzkoa Provincial Government and the Basque Government – and the private and public stakeholders involved in organising the courses for their collaboration. Thanks to their support and the level of the directors and speakers, the Summer Courses offer high quality content. She recalled that the courses offer something for everyone and called on society as a whole to take part and enjoy the knowledge: ‘at a time when disinformation is rampant, having objective and critical knowledge and thought based on scientific evidence is ever more necessary. Therefore, the Summer Courses are more necessary than ever”.

Keynote lecture by Miren Arzalluz

After the members of the organising committee had spoken, Miren Arzalluz, Director General of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, gave the keynote lecture entitled ‘Art Without Borders. Overcoming Boundaries, Exploring Languages’.

As she explained, even since the avant-garde movements burst onto the scene in the early 20th century, the idea of an interdisciplinary approach in artistic creation has been found in contemporary art to the present. The transposition of art to all forms of expression – literature, music, theatre, architecture, industrial design and fashion – comes from the desire to overcome boundaries, explore new languages, foster dialogue and drive a political, social or cultural transformation.

Despite the historical force and current importance of this interdisciplinary approach, many institutions do not manage to overcome the historiographical conventions that tend to partition and prioritise artistic movements and disciplines. According to Arzalluz, researching and reflecting on art without borders in the contemporary museum is an opportunity not only to enrich the experience of art and of artistic practice, but also to build an institution that fosters dialogue, empathy and connection with an ever more diverse audience.

Summer Courses underway and enrolment open

The 44th Summer Course got underway in early June and will run until the end of September. Full information is available on the UIK website: www.uik.eus.