Idoia Otaegui, the new academic director of the UPV/EHU Summer Courses
The time has come to pass on the baton in the governing bodies of the UPV/EHU Summer Courses Foundation (UIK). Idoia Otaegui is the new Academic Director of the UPV/EHU Summer Courses and replaces Itziar Alkorta, who held the post for the last 6 years. Furthermore, the new UPV/EHU governing team is taking over from its predecessors on the foundation's board.
Idoia Otaegui Aizpurua (Donostia-San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, 1968) is an adjunct professor in Private International Law at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). She was Deputy Minister of Justice and Labour (2005-2008) and Cabinet Director of the Basque Government (2005), Legal Counsel of the Navarra Parliament (2000-2004) and a lawyer (1992-2000). Prior to be appointed as the UIK Academic Director, Idoia was the academic secretary of the Gipuzkoa Campus of the UPV/EHU (2021-2025), academic secretary of the Civil Law and Business Law Department (2018-2025) and co-director of the Vitoria Summer Courses on International Law and International Relations organised by UIK (2018-2025).
Idoia Otaegui has taken over with enthusiasm and responsibility the management of the organisation that Itziar Alkorta steered since 2019. Apart from thanking Joxerra Bengoetxea, the Principal of the UPV/EHU, for his confidence shown in her and Itziar Alkorta for her support during the handover, Otaegui highlighted the work of all the people who had headed the projects from its outset: Ricardo Echepare (1981-2007), José Luis de la Cuesta (2008-2014), Carmen Agoués (2015-2018) and Itziar Alkorta (2019-2024). As regards the 2025 Summer Courses, she announced that the programme would be released and registration open on 8 May.
Itziar Alkorta ended her term by thanking the UIK board and management; she stressed her excellent experience over the six years and expressed her satisfaction with the outcome of the work carried out as a team. She will now continue with her teaching and research work in Civil Law at the Law Faculty of the UPV/EHU.
Change of guard on the Board
After the change of the governing body of the UPV/EHU, the UIK management team has several new members.
New members to the Board: Joxerramon Bengoetxea Caballero, Principal of the UPV/EHU and Chair of the Board of the UPV/EHU Summer Courses Foundation; Javier Varona Guarás manager; Juana Goizueta Vertiz, Vice-Chancellor of the Gipuzkoa Campus and Chair of the Organisation Committee of the UPV/EHU Summer Courses; Ixone Fernández de Labastida Medina, Araba Campus; Estitxu Garai Artetxe, Vice-Chancellor of the Bizkaia Campus; Ainhoa Berasaluze Correa, Vice-Chancellor for the Postgraduate and Lifelong Learning. Direct appointments by the Principal: Jon Zarate Sesma, Itxaso Maguregi Olabarria, José Luis de la Cuesta Arzamendi
Outgoing members of the Board: Eva Ferreira García, Principal of the UPV/EHU and Chair of the Board of the UPV/EHU Summer Courses Foundation; Juan Jose Unzilla Galán Vice-Chancellor of Digital Transformation and Communication (acting manager). Agustín Erkizia Olaizola, Vice-Chancellor of the Gipuzkoa campus and Chair of the Organisation Committee of the UPV/EHU Summer Courses; Juncal Gutiérrez Mangado, Vice-Chancellor for the Basque Language, Culture and Internationalisation of the UPV/EHU.; Manuela Igartua Olaechea, Vice-Chancellor of the Araba Campus; Gorka Moreno Márquez, Vice-Chancellor of the Bizkaia Campus. Direct appointments by the Principal: Alexander Mendiburu Alberro, Leire Fernandez Inurritegi, Francisco Javier Aizpurua Iriazabal.
Information on the composition of the Governing Board and the UIK team is available here.
