The International Campus of Excellence Project
DEVELOPMENT PERIOD
2010-2015
WHAT IS IT?
The International Campus of Excellence Project
MAIN PARTICIPATING ENTITIES
- UPV/EHU
- TECNALIA Corporación Tecnológica
- DIPC Donostia International Physics Center
COORDINATORS
- UPV/EHU : Iñaki Goirizelaia (Rector), Amaia Maseda (Vice Chancellor for Projection and Transfer).
- DIPC: Pedro Miguel Etxenike ( President)
- Tecnalia: Joseba Jauregizar (Managing Director)
Description
The CEI Euskampus project, headed by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), in a strategic partnership with Corporación Tecnológica Tecnalia (Tecnalia) and Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), took place over five years (October 2010– December 2015), as a smart specialisation program focussing on three major areas:
- Innovative processes and new materials,
- Sustainable ecosystems and environmental technology, and
- Healthy ageing and quality of life.
In each of these areas, multidisciplinary capacities were activated, using an array of cooperation formulas rolled out in the two primary initiatives of the CEI Euskampus project:
- The Poles of Knowledge
- The Cross-border Campus with Université de Bordeaux.
Un despliegue que permitió
Both initiatives responded to the challenges and needs of society in relation to the specialist areas, creating an ecosystem where knowledge could be explored and put to use.
This strategy impacted on the two overarching areas of the project, established by the Spanish Ministry for Education:
- Better teaching and consolidation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA),
- Better science, and
- Transfer of knowledge and interaction between industry and society.
In addition to the Poles of Knowledge Community and the UPV/EHU – Université de Bordeaux cross-border campus within the CEI project, the university’s many achievements also included establishing a Master’s Degree and Doctorate School, setting up the Science & Technology Park at Leioa Campus, developing the Zabalduz Industrial Doctorate Program, joining the Shanghai listing of the world’s 500 best universities, creating the Basque Excellence Research Centres (BERCs), setting up the Advanced Aeronautical Manufacturing Centre (CFAA) and Plentzia Marine Station (PIE), developing an educational model based on dynamic, cooperative, student-centred learning, focussing on employability, quality, competitiveness and excellence (IKD), helped to promote a culture of science in the Basque Country, via the Science Culture Chair, and contributed to the design and initial rollout of the RIS3 Euskadi Smart Specialisation Strategy.
In late 2015, the Project was assessed by an international commission which gave it top marks, rating it amongst Spain’s top three and awarding it the International Campus of Excellence label.