The University of the Basque Country, together with the Université de Bordeaux, DIÁOLOGO Award 2018

Diálogo is a French-Spanish friendship association which aims to foster cooperation in the cultural, economic, social, educational and scientific fields. The Diálogo Award sets out to recognise the effort of the people, companies or institutions that have played a key role in the development and approximation of relations between France and Spain.

 The jury is presided over by Mr. Benoît Pellistrandi and is made up of Mrs. Isabelle d’Ornano, Mr. Emilio Ferré, Mr. Jean-Pierre Jouyet and Mr. Jean-René Fourtou.

 THE DIÁLOGO AWARD 2018 HAS BEEN GRANTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY AND BORDEAUX UNIVERSITY

 With this award, Diálogo wishes to recognise the efforts of two of the main players in university and scientific cooperation between France and Spain.

Following a series of one-off collaborations which began in 2000, the Euroregional dynamics between the University of the Basque Country and Bordeaux University reached a decisive turning point in 2011 thanks to the implementation of the UPV/EHU Euskampus project and the Bordeaux University project, IdEx Bordeaux , within the framework of the respective International Excellence national programmes in Spain and France. 

 In this context, both universities, under the guidance of their rectors-presidents, established the construction and development of a Euroregional community (Basque Country-Bordeaux axis) as a common goal so as to work in favour of research, training and knowledge transfer. Back in 2011, this alliance foresaw the emergence of European universities and was configured as the first European campus of these characteristics.

 Today, this campus of international excellence has 110,000 students, 9,000 teaching and research staff and 5,000 members of the administration and services staff. Its activity revolves around four axes: education, employability and entrepreneurship; research and innovation; regional commitment; and international promotion.  

 This French-Spanish alliance has enabled four joint post-graduate qualifications to be created in marine resources (recognised as Erasmus Mundus), innovative enology, finances and bio-informatics, as well as a further two with the Higher School of Advanced Technological Research (ESTIA), as an entity associated with Bordeaux University, in the fields of industrial organisation and smart grids. Furthermore, it has contributed to increasing mobility between students from the Basque Country and Bordeaux, the development of doctorates with dual supervision (25 theses in progress a year), the creation of two joint cross-border laboratories (in advanced manufacturing and nanoscience), or the launch of the Ocean Experience campus project, which is based on an ecosystem of 50 companies and diverse Euroregional players. 

The award will be presented by the President of Diálogo France, Mr. Jean Charles Raufast, in the presence of the Spanish Ambassador in France, Mr. Fernando Carderera, Mrs. Nekane Balluerka, Rector of the University of the Basque Country and Mr. Manuel Tunon de Lara, President of Bordeaux University.

 The Rector of the UPV / EHU, Nekane Balluerka   was escorted by an extended group of the university, the Chancellor for Education, Cristina Uriarte,  as well as the former Rector of the UPV/EHU Iñaki Goirizelaia, the Director of Euskampus Fundazioa, Igor Campillo and the two members of the team responsible for the Euskampus-Bordeaux Campus: Katixa Peigneguy and Julieta Barrenechea. On Thursday, November 8,  at the Embassy of Spain in France, PARIS.