17 May 2021
Bilbao Campus
The Garate International programme of the University of Deusto, in which local and international students share life, culture and religion, celebrated its tenth anniversary this May.
Within this framework, an online meeting was held on 7 May, and the photographic exhibition "Garate International, 10 years together" was installed in the cloister of the Auditorium of theBilbao Campus, from 3 to 17 May.
It is a very significant celebration because, throughout these 10 years, there have been many names, faces, encounters and shared learning. Garate International has had a great diversity of students from 50 countries all over the world and with different religious beliefs (Christianity, Diwali, Eid Al-Adha, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and religions of the Arab world).
In the words of Donna Fernandez, coordinator of the programme, Garate International is "a space made by and for the students, where they share their cultures, beliefs, and above all their experiences and their time. It is a big family that supports each other".
Rector José María Guibert, for his part, stresses that "there is a great deal of scientific evidence that shows how these experiences help develop skills such as interculturality, teamwork and active listening, which are so necessary in the world around us".
Among the activities of Garate International, it is worth mentioning the end-of-year event in the cloisters (with representation from the different countries), the interreligious round tables, the visits to Loiola, Javier, Portugalete and Gernika and the Christmas meeting, among others.
