About us

About us

Ever since the Teacher Training School was founded in Eskoriatza in 1976, the Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences (Humanitate eta Hezkuntza Zientzien Fakultatea, HUHEZI) has been an institution framed within the broad Basque cooperative movement.

Ours is thus a transformative educational institution that has a cooperative profile and is deeply rooted in its environment and its culture, yet open to the world and other cultures. A non-profit organization, recognized and officially declared to be a social initiative.

Proof of that vocation of involvement and transformation are the close relationships we maintain with many other institutions in the areas of training, research and knowledge transfer.

The following is a chronological summary of the main milestones in the history of the Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences:

1976

  • Foundation of the Eskoriatza Teacher Training School. In order to solve the serious problem that Basque schools had at the time, the fact that there were no teachers certified in Basque, the Eskoriatza Teacher Training School was founded by Hezibide Elkartea, the association of educational cooperatives of the Debagoiena region in the province of Gipuzkoa. The School began its journey as a single classroom at the Pontifical University of Salamanca.

1978

  • Official approval. The Ministry of Education approved the academic program of the Eskoriatza Teacher Training School, which was associated at that time with the University of Bilbao (later the University of the Basque Country).

1979

  • First graduating class. A total of 39 students received their diplomas this first year.

1980

  • The Teacher Training School becomes a cooperative. Given its close relationship with its surroundings, it was logical that the Teacher Training School should become a cooperative.

1981

  • First graduating class of teachers without certificates. A total of 147 teachers who had been teaching classes in the Basque language in Basque schools and public schools without official certification earned their teaching degree this year. A total of 700 uncertified teachers completed their studies at the Eskoriatza Teacher Training School.

1984

  • Children’s documentation center. The school began to collect, organize and share documentation on children up to 6 years of age. Later, the journal Jakingarriak was founded to address this topic.

1985

  • Teacher refresher program. In collaboration with the Department of Education of the Basque Government, we began to offer courses for working teachers to refresh and update their knowledge. 

1988

  • Educational videos. We produced the first video (“Piti gaztagile”; “Piti, the Cheese Maker”) in a series created for educational purposes.

1990

  • Standardization of the Basque language in the Administration. We organized special courses to address highly specialized linguistic queries from civil servants in the Basque administration.

1992

  • Textbooks. Because education in Basque suffered from a lack of textbooks, we published a dozen books in Basque.

1996

  • Special Education. We created a specialization in teaching children with special educational needs. At a time when there were few students in the School, this specialization attracted a good number of them.

1997

  • The Faculty of Humanities at Mondragon University. The Eskoriatza Teacher Training School became Mondragon University’s Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences. We began to offer the degree in Humanities/Business.

1999

  • New building. Because the original building had become too small, the Gizabidea Foundation purchased the 17th century San Viator building next door for the Faculty of Humanities.
  • First Master’s Degree. The Master’s degree in “Business Project Management” was created. A total of 400 candidates applied.

2000

  • Degree in Psychopedagogy. This was a second-cycle degree created to better respond to the problems that may arise in multilingual education and societies. A total of 33 students enrolled in its first year.

2001

  • Online studies. Psychopedagogy studies and one Master’s degree were offered online.
  • The first cohort of Humanities/Business students graduated in June.
  • Two new Master’s degrees offered: Training in Information and Communication Technologies, and Educational Management.
  • The LANKI Institute of Cooperative Studies was founded. From the beginning, it focused on three main areas: cooperativism, social intervention and cooperation for development.
  • First year of the Community Experience Exchange Program, organized among communities of the Southern Hemisphere and cooperative and community self-management agents from the Basque Country.
  • This year saw the publication of the book Lankidetza: Arizmendiarrietaren eraldaketa-proiektua (Cooperation: Arizmendiarrieta’s Transformation Project). 

2002

  • In the Psychopedagogy program, we launched a course in Psychopedagogical Intervention, which opened with approximately 30 students.
  • The LANKI Institute of Co-operative Research was the driving force behind the development of the Mundukide intercooperation system.

2003

  • The AOI-PBL methodology was implemented systematically in all first-year courses in Early Childhood Education, and in common subjects in other specializations.
  • Physical Education. This new specialization in Teacher Training opened with 32 students.

2004

  • The Individual and Group Development Management Unit was created.
  • The Pedagogical Training qualification was launched.
  • Studies on the Multi-Skilled Teacher were offered for the first time.

2005

  • The degree in Audiovisual Communication was established. The aim of this degree program is to train well-rounded communicators so that regardless of where they may work, they will be able to respond to all types of communication needs in their respective organizations. 
  • The expert qualification in Self-Development and Team Leadership was also established this year.

2006

  • In Teacher Training studies, the first cohort of students involved in the Mendeberri project graduated.
  • A course was offered on Interculturality and multilingualism in the 21st century.
  • The Basque Language Plan and the Multimedia Workshop were launched.

2007

  • A graduate-level course was offered on Basque Cultural Transmission (Euskal Kulturgintzaren Transmisioa, EKT).
  • The HUHEZINEMA Basque Short Film Festival was held for the first time.
  • The first dissertation of the HUHEZI program was defended.

2008

  • Graduation of the first cohort of students in the Audiovisual Communication degree program. 
  • ANECA approved the degrees in Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, and Audiovisual Communication.
  • We were awarded the Gold Certificate of Excellence.
  • The Expert Course in Cooperativism was offered for the first time, with the intention of training cooperative agents to be able to have an impact on strategies for revitalizing cooperatives.

2009

  • We began to offer the official university Master’s degree in Teacher Qualification for Compulsory Secondary Education, High School, Vocational Training and Language Teaching, as well as a Master’s degree in Solidarity Economics.
  • Degrees in Early Childhood Education, Primary Education and Audiovisual Communication were launched in accordance with the Bologna requirements.
  • The Master’s Degree in Solidarity Economics was offered for the first time, aimed at community self-management experiences for the socio-economic development of Latin America.
  • First broadcasts of the television station MUtelebista, the university channel produced by the Audiovisual Communication degree program.

2010

  • We began to offer the University Master’s Degree in Education in Multicultural and Multilingual Contexts - Ekomu and the University Master’s Degree in Development and Management of Methodological-Didactic Innovation Projects in Educational Institutions- Berrimet.

2011

  • We launched the Expert Course in the Development of Indigenous Languages and Identities, aimed at indigenous communities worldwide.

2012

  • Construction began on the new campus in Aretxabaleta.
  • We started to offer our Expert Course in Communication in Organizations - Aditukom.

2013

  • New building on the Aretxabaleta campus inaugurated.
  • The Doctoral Program in Educational Innovation and Intervention was launched in collaboration with the University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia.
  • We began to offer upgrading courses in a blended learning format so that people who hold a diploma will be able to upgrade to a degree. UNIBASQ and
  • ANECA approved our Degree Programs in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education in the blended learning format.
  • UNIBASQ and ANECA approved our Official University Master’s Degree in Social Economics and Cooperativism - MCOOP, which we offer in conjunction with the Oñati Faculty of Business Studies.

2014

  • The option of doing a complete degree or second qualification entirely online was offered for the first time.
  • The university Master’s degree in Social Economics and Cooperativism - MCOOP was offered for the first time, in conjunction with the Faculty of Business Studies.
  • The Master’s degree in Secondary Education earned external accreditation from Unibasq.
  • The Internal Quality Assurance System of the Faculty earned external accreditation from Unibasq.

2015

  • We began to implement methodological innovation in the Audiovisual Communication degree program.
  • The Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences celebrated its 40th anniversary. Many cultural activities took place throughout the year to celebrate this event.

2017

  • Participatory process for the design of the new Eskoriatza campus.

2018

  • Launch of KoLaborategia, the laboratory of Education and Communication for the Digital Society.

2019

  • New Strategic Plan established. 
  • University Master’s Degree in Learning Facilitation and Innovation - LIT offered for the first time in conjunction with the TeamLabs learning laboratory.

2020

  • New Dorleta building inaugurated on the Eskoriatza campus.
  • New degree in Global Digital Humanities - HDG offered at Bilbao AS Fabrik.
  • The new Master's Degree in Cooperative Enterprise and Social Business Management - MCOOP is launched, based on the Master’s degree in Social Economics and Cooperativism.
  • New Roles for Learning in Education - ROL.
  • Chief Learning Officer - CLO.

2021

  • The Psychological Care Service (SPA) is opened.
  • Implementation of the new People Development Model (PGE).
  • Inauguration of the Bilbao AS Fabrik campus.

2022

  • The Master's Degree in Teacher Training in Gastronomy is launched.
  • The Diploma in Specialization in Pedagogy and Management of School Transformation is launched.
  • First edition of the Expert Diploma in Audiovisual Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
  • The Expert Diploma in Pedagogical Training for Professional Training Teachers in Communication and Marketing (Conexão Mundo. Brazil) is launched.

2023

 

  • Lifelong Learning Master's Degree in Promotion of Basque Culture is launched.