04 October 2023
Voxel School Campus
On 4 October, the University Centre for Digital Arts Voxel School held the first opening ceremony of the academic year since it joined the University of Deusto. This marks the opening of a key year as its range of programmes includes undergraduate degrees created with the support of the creative media & entertainment industry. The aim is to provide them with the profiles currently required by companies, as was previously the case with the master's degrees they have been offering for eight years.
The event was attended by the Deputy Mayoress of Madrid, Inmaculada Sanz Otero, and the Rector of the University of Deusto, Juan José Etxeberria. In her speech, the Deputy Mayoress stressed that "it is necessary to create the right conditions to attract and retain young talent in Madrid. We have to create opportunities so that everyone who wants to work in this industry can work in this city. That is why training in these fields needs to be made visible and supported”.
In turn, the rector of Deusto invited the Voxel School community to "put your skills (current and future) at the service of the search for justice. Contrary to what some may think, your assumed orientation towards the entertainment industry in no way reduces your social impact, nor does it exempt you from social responsibility. On the contrary, you have a major role in shaping contemporary culture and therefore important aspects of our ways of life, economic development, our aesthetics and social values are in your hands. We want you to contribute to the common good with your knowledge and your work; and we ask you to reflect constantly on the ethical dimension of your work. In this regard, he indicated that it is imperative to refrain from causing any harm to anyone through digital creations. He argued that all our work must respect people's autonomy, which does not mean "giving the public what they ask for" and, finally, that "the graphic arts must respond to challenges such as inequality or sustainability". Full speech.
Jose Cuesta, director of the university centre, then pointed out that "in the face of a fluid future, in which certainties no longer exist, we have the responsibility to prepare our young people not only with knowledge but with skills that will give them the power to adapt to the new "tomorrows" that we do not yet know. We cannot but be aware that universities are still privileged to occupy a relevant place in citizens' minds. We must therefore take responsibility for fulfilling that trust, not only by producing relevant knowledge and providing academic programmes tailored to the needs of industry, but also by actively engaging with the problems, hopes and concerns of people and society.
The university centre has launched 4 new university degrees this academic year. One of them, the Bachelor's Degree in Composition, Post-production and VFX, is a pioneering degree in Spain, as there is not a similar programme available in Spain to date. The School’s full range of undergraduate programmes include the Bachelor's Degree in Digital Art for Video Games, the Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design and Motion Graphics and the Bachelor's Degree in Digital Animation.
The keynote lecture "Hitos, retos y evolución de la animación en España" was given by José Antonio Rodríguez, the new director of academic development at the university centre, who has extensive experience in the animation and visual effects industry.
The academic event ended with a visit to the digital arts university campus which included the Deputy Mayoress of Madrid, the Rector of the University of Deusto, the Director of Voxel School, the Academic Director of the school and other authorities. A five-storey building with classrooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology used in the industry in which instructors from leading companies and students share knowledge and form the base of the pyramid of the creative industries that look for talent in this university centre.
