The 43rd Summer Courses of the UPV/EHU consolidate their position as benchmark for the dissemination of knowledge and contemporary reflection

The 43rd Summer Courses of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) have ended on a highly positive rote, strengthening their role as a key forum for reflection, learning, and social and academic interaction. 

During the press conference held at the Miramar Palace today, the Vice-Chancellor of the Gipuzkoa Campus of the UPV/EHU, Agustín Erkizia, and the Summer Courses Academic Director, Itziar Alkorta, unveiled the results of this year's edition, when they stressed the attainment of the goals set and the positive impact on the community. 

The participation figures are significantly up on the previous year, with a total of 13,894 participants, which was 12,840 more than in 2023. As Agustín Erkizia, the Gipuzkoa Vice-Chancellor, pointed out, "this increase reflects the consolidation of the Summer Courses as a cultural and academic highlight, attracting an ever wider and diverse audience". The 2024 offering has included 188 activities, with an average of 61.52 participants per course, and a high degree of interest and attendance continuing throughout the programme

 
The Academic Director, Itziar Alkorta, stressed the commitment of the UPV/EHU Summer Courses Foundation (UIK) to promoting a contemporary programme, with a social impact and from an inclusive and first-rate approach; the presence of the Basque language has also been strengthened. "We are happy to have met the goals set at the start of the courses, by consolidating our identity as a meeting space for the transfer of knowledge and critical debate", stressed Alkorta.

Encouraging participation

From a methodological perspective, the 2024 courses have stood out for the number of people attending in person, while online participation was facilitated for those people who could not be physically present. In addition to the traditional formats, emphasis has been on using new methodologies in 26 specific activities to foster participation and debate, encouraging a more interactive learning environment. Those initiatives include the four courses within the TopaGune project, driven with the support of Gipuzkoa Provincial Government, which has allowed a meeting and dialogue space open to the public to be created. 

A programme in collaboration

Diversity has been the key word when setting up a broad and relevant programme for this edition. The diversity of themes discussed, the plurality of approaches and the presence of experts and students from very different profiles have been possible thanks to a robust collaboration network, made up of over 280 entities. This network of alliances ranges from academic institutions and public entities to professional associations and members of civil society, thanks to which the content of the Summer Courses reflects a great thematic wealth and an interdisciplinary approach.
The coordinated endeavour between the UPV/EHU programme committee and the UIK work team has led to this year's courses being a success; the sum of knowledge and experiences of the many contributors have added to the excellence of the programme. 

Closing activities and immediate future

The final activities of the 2024 courses will be held in the coming days. The session on Artificial Intelligence and Law: Legal and Technical Challenges that will take place at the IT Faculty and at the Carlos Santamaría Centre of the UPV/EHU in Donostia-San Sebastián on 7 and 8 October, will be one of the key events bringing this year's courses to an end. Furthermore, the Donostia Sustainability Forum will host three open activities until the end of the year, which will consolidate it as a space to analyse and discuss sustainability and global challenges. 
Looking forwards, the organisation of the 2025 courses will begin immediately. Proposals for the new programme can be submitted throughout November and are open to any individual and entity interested in putting forward ideas and contributing to the development of this social and academic initiative. 

Thanking our contributors and sponsors

At the end of this edition, the organisers of the UPV/EHU Summer Courses would like to express our gratitude to the member institutions of the Organising Committee for their ongoing support in the dissemination of knowledge: BBVA Foundation, Donostia/San Sebastián City Council, Gipuzkoa Provincial Government, and the Basque Government. We also wish to acknowledge Irizar's valuable contribution as sponsor of El viaje de la vida (The Journey of Life), along with the commitment and hard work of the directors, speakers and students that have actively participated in each of the activities. 
Our thanks go to everyone for their commitment to knowledge, that drives us to continue improving and becoming a more robust social and academic benchmark. The 2024 courses have been a resounding success and we will now begin to work on what will be the 44th edition of the UPV/EHU Summer Courses.