Alba Rípodas and Miguel Tabares, graduates of the University of Navarra, have obtained a scholarship for a six-month internship in non-EU countries. Funded by the Government of Navarra, this is a program framed in the International Plan of Navarra (PIN) 2017-2020.

Alba Rípodas will carry out a project of research at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, oriented to knowledge and the protection of an endemic species of these islands: a small owl called the Oahu Pueo. "From Career Services, the University's Careers Office , they helped me select the projects that best fit my goal, which was to continue learning about biodiversity. Hawaii was the first to respond and from the beginning I was excited about the possibility of helping to protect this small owl, considered by the Polynesian culture as the reincarnation of its ancestors, which has allowed it to survive in an environment with a very high tourist impact," says Alba.

Between January and June 2019, this biology graduate from the School of Science at the University of Navarra will focus on identifying the little owl’s preferred habitats, as well as describing the location of its nests and its reproductive phenology. All of this is aimed at minimizing potential negative impacts on its nests. “Going abroad is an experience I recommend to absolutely everyone (she did so right after graduating to pursue a Master's Degree Edinburgh, which she combined with a project European bison in Romania in 2017), no matter their age. Going out and experiencing what others experience helps you grow as a person. It’s truly incredible,” she concludes.

Miguel Tabares, a graduate in History from the School of Philosophy and Letters, will do his internship at the Hispanic Society of America (New York), a museum and research library dedicated to the study of the arts and culture of Spain, Latin America and Portugal. Although he was born in Tarragona, Miguel has been living in Pamplona since he was a child. When he finished his Degree in History, he took the Master's Degree in Secondary School and in 2016 he obtained the Diploma of Curatorial programs of study (Conservation of cultural goods, curatorship and art criticism) from the faculty of Navarra.

During his internship in the United States, Miguel will work at the Museum's Educational area , where he will be in charge of developing workshops, coordinating the volunteer activities, organizing art seminars for adults and performing other management tasks. "Receiving this international scholarship is a privilege, as the Hispanic Society is a centennial institution and very important in the world of museology. This experience is going to be a very positive professional growth and staff ".