01 March 2025
Bilbao Campus
The second graduation ceremony at the Bilbao campus honored the new graduates of the dual degree programs in Business Administration & Industrial Technologies Engineering and Business Administration & Law.
The ceremony took place on Saturday, March 1, in the University’s Auditorium. Prior to the event, a Eucharistic celebration was held in the Gothic chapel.
The Faculty Secretary, Macarena Cuenca, led the ceremony. To begin, the Dean of the Faculty of Law, José Ramón Intxaurbe, addressed the graduates, reflecting on their university years, including the challenges posed by the pandemic. “We became more aware than ever of our own vulnerability, both as individuals and as a society. We made a collective effort to put into practice an ethic of care. These are fundamental ingredients in implementing a humanistic leadership style.” He encouraged the graduates to embody humanistic leadership in their environments and organizations, emphasizing humility, boldness, love, and a vocation for service.
Next, Asier Perallos, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, took the stage. “Through your university education, you can and must contribute to changing the world. You are the means to this end; you are competent and committed individuals. You are proficient in your respective disciplines, and you possess a special sensitivity toward social issues. This awareness has been gradually instilled in you, sometimes without you even realizing it, until today, when you stand as agents capable of transforming the society of tomorrow,” he stated.
Representing their graduating class, Borja de la Rica (Business Administration & Law) and Bosco Gogenola (Business Administration & Industrial Technologies Engineering) shared speeches with the audience, reminiscing about various university experiences and anecdotes.
The investiture ceremony began with a solemn declaration delivered by two graduates, Estíbaliz Sanchez Ramos and Iker Erguin, in Spanish and Basque, respectively. Following the imposition of graduation stoles by the three deans, each new graduate was called forward to be formally recognized.
During the ceremony, Teresa Fernández Berger, Secretary of the Luis Bernaola Foundation, congratulated the graduates and presented awards to the winners of the 2024 Rafael Luis Álvarez Prizes and the ESG category. The winning project, "Batera," aimed at creating a permanent home for individuals with disabilities, was developed by Business Administration & Industrial Technologies Engineering students Naroa Hueso, Inés Hidalgo, Sandra Villanueva, and Mariana Barrenechea.
Antón Azlor, President of Deusto Business Alumni, also addressed the graduates, providing an overview of the association’s key services and inviting them to join its network of over 6,500 professionals.
Before sharing a celebratory cocktail in the cloister, attendees listened to final remarks from the Dean of Deusto Business School, Álvaro de la Rica. He congratulated the new graduates, with special recognition for Iker Pérez Rodríguez and Marta Sánchez Luis, recipients of the Extraordinary End-of-Degree Award. He also extended his congratulations to all the families for their unwavering support over the past five years.
De la Rica encouraged the graduates to become professionals who think critically and contribute to a more humane society, especially in an era where technological challenges are increasingly prominent.
He concluded by quoting Anthony D’Souza, S.J.: “The world needs leaders who cannot be bought, who place integrity above wealth, whose word is their commitment, who have strong opinions and willpower, who do not hesitate to take risks, who do not lose their individuality in the crowd, who are honest in both small and great matters, whose ambitions extend beyond selfish desires, who do not conform just because everyone else does, who do not see cunning and trickery as the best paths to success, who are not ashamed or afraid to stand by the truth even when it is unpopular, and who can firmly say 'no' even when everyone else says yes”.
