María Iraburu: "May each former student leave a good footprint in the world".

"The University's contribution to society has two clear visible lines: research and the work of its graduates," said María Iraburu in her first meeting with the alumni. In the colloquium, moderated by the Alumni President, Inés García Paine, under the title. "What will the University of Navarra be like in the coming years?"the president outlined the lines of work in the new stage of the University. In her own words, "the evolution of the University has been spectacular. We now have almost a third of international students, which also speaks of the presence of the University and the alumni in the five continents, but the essential continues". 

During this meeting, the president also remarked the commitment of the University of Navarra to "train extraordinary professionals who deploy their talents in favor of society". At the same time, she took the opportunity to assure that the University's goal is "that each former student leaves a good mark in the world, transforming society".    

Along the same lines, María Iraburu highlighted identity and dynamism as ideas that will permeate development in the coming years: "We are at a spectacular moment for our mission statement: of reflection, of dialogue, of study... that is the University. We have to make this effort to rethink society. Identity also refers to Christian inspiration, in dialogue with faith. And dynamism enters through the changing society, especially through the students".

The Rector did not miss the opportunity to speak about the projects of Strategy 2025 that mark the future of the University. First of all, she made reference letter to the Bioma center, a project that, as she assured, "is a space for the whole university and all the alumni. A place of meeting to talk about nature and science, and to help to understand how science is done". Secondly, he made reference letter to the protagonism of the alumni in the strategic horizon of the University, "alumni are essential. You come back to the university to return to study. There are all the Life Long Learning programs, which are part of the 2025 Strategy". Along the same lines, he pointed out that "the University is looking forward to establishing mentoring programs that will make it possible to establish a one-to-one relationship. This humanization that we need throughout our lives.  

Among those attending the virtual meeting with Rector María Iraburu were people from Italy, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Argentina, the United States, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Germany, Portugal, Uruguay and Kenya, among others. 

Full video of the session

workshop from meeting and work

Once the colloquium was finished, the conference working sessions of the Alumni Territorial Boards began. 26 representatives from all over Spain came to Campus in Madrid to learn in detail about three of the major commitments of the 2025 Strategy that are already underway: lifelong learning, the Bioma Center and personalized medicine. 

Regarding Life Long Learning, or lifelong learning, Ignacio Gil, director of the Professional Programs Unit, explained the advances that have been made and some of the programs that will begin next March. For his part, Jesús Miguel Santamaría, explained in detail the Bioma Center and the Science Museum, and Antonio Pineda, Deputy Director of CIMA, explained the challenge of personalized medicine and how they are working on this area.

With the purpose to know the present and future of the University of Navarra, from the service of Admissions Office, its director Juan José Cabrera valued with gratitude the role of the Alumni boards for the growth of students at the University of Navarra. He also highlighted the new educational proposals for the next academic year 2022/2023, in line with the identity and dynamism that María Iraburu had mentioned: the Master in Christianity and Contemporary Culture, and the Master in Advanced Nursing Practice in Oncology, presented by the Dean of the School of Philosophy and Letters, Julia Pavón, and by the Vice-Dean of the School of Nursing, Nuria Esandi, respectively.