The " president " calls for "humanizing society" through the " professor" initiative, research, and the impact generated by the university

The University of Navarra’s president , María Iraburu, stated that the start of the academic year is an opportunity to reflect on both the ultimate purpose of the University’s mission statement and the challenges of the present moment. During the opening ceremony, she shared, in her speech, the three main areas of advancement for the academic institution—teaching , and technology; research ; and social impact—"lines of work with a finalgoal e that we could call the humanization of society."

First, she spoke about the challenges in the field of professor and, specifically, its relationship with technology. “Rediscovering the importance of silence, reflection, reading, or human relationships may sound like a nostalgic counterbalance to technology, but it shouldn’t be that way. These are necessary conditions for thinking and learning more and better with artificial intelligence,” she emphasized. According to María Iraburu, the “ challenge ” lies in recognizing that AI’s amplifying effect entails greater demands and greater responsibility—in teaching and in all areas: “A humane, humanizing use of technology requires more reflection, initiative, critical judgment, traceability, ethical responsibility, and leadership than ever before. In summary, it calls on us to be more ‘academic’ than ever.”

In the field of research, he emphasized that "there are no shortcuts, nor can technology replace the 'human factor.'" "Great researchers—both men and women—are people who have had or who have that broader vision of the task at hand. Thanks to that, they have challenged existing paradigms, arrived at personal insights and syntheses, and been able to establish connections with other fields,” she noted. Likewise, the president encouraged researchers to reflect on the quality, depth, and scope of their work and asked them to “foster the growth of younger researchers, help them realize their full potential, and show them the beauty of a life dedicated to knowledge and exploration.”

Commitment to the Truth and the Common Good

Finally, president discussed the university’s impact on society and spoke of two potential mistakes. First, viewing the university as a platform for activism. “The pluralism and openness to dialogue that characterize us are not some kind of ‘do-goodism’; they are a necessary condition for teaching and conducting research freely.” And at the same time, being detached from the vicissitudes of society and its needs: “Healthy impatience—that restless concern for the needs of others—will help us, as professors and students, discover ways to contribute to the common good.”

A concern that, in his view, should also be reflected in day-to-day activities: “From the ‘ training ’ we offer our students in ethics and social commitment, to the unique aspects of the sense of service inherent in each profession—which should be cultivated throughout their years of university ‘ training .’ It would be sad if their time at the university did not open their eyes and awaken the latent strengths within our students and within ourselves.”

María Iraburu emphasized that these areas of focus, which are part of the University of Navarra’s 2025–30 Strategy, demonstrate the institution’s commitment “to the truth and to the vicissitudes of this world of ours, which—inspired by our founding principles—we are called to love passionately.”

Management as an Act of Hospitality and Care

Following a Mass presided over by the Archbishop of Pamplona, Monsignor Florencio Roselló, the opening ceremony began with the academic procession, in which more than 200 doctors participated. Once at the Magna classroom , the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs ( University Secretary) , Jesús María Ezponda, read the “ summary ” (Academic Address) for the academic year 25-26, and Professor Victoria Rodríguez Chacón, from the report , then delivered the inaugural lecture. School of Applied Management, delivered the inaugural lecture. 

professor described this speech as an act of historical and academic justice, since “after more than six decades of work by what was formerly ISSA—and which, as of this academic year, is School of Applied Management —this center has the honor, for the first time, of officially inaugurating our University’s academic year .” In doing so, he acknowledged the bequest of all those who anticipated “with extraordinary insight” the needs of organizations and “had the audacity to design curricula for a profile to support senior management—a program that today serves as a cornerstone of governance for any organization.”

During his lecture, titled “ degree scroll : The Elegance of the Invisible—Management as an Act of Hospitality and Care,” he stated that“applied management is not merely a technique for efficiency, but an art of facilitation that enables organizations to achieve their ultimate purpose.” “It is a curious art: when everything flows smoothly, it is invisible, but when it is absent, chaos takes center stage,” he noted. 

In his view, the need for this approach is evident in today’s Spanish professional landscape, given phenomena such as high turnover and the alarming rise in absenteeism in Spain—clear signs of a society that is renegotiating its relationship with work. “The labor market no longer demands just wages; it demands meaning,” he asserted. In this context, he added, caring for employees is a matter of survival: “If we are unable to create environments where people can stay and grow, the very existence of our companies and institutions is at risk.”

He then explained how the foundation of applied management is the standardization of methods work. “Far from being a tool of control or dreary uniformity, a standard is an act of deep respect for other people’s time. Every minute wasted on a poorly designed process, on a useless meeting , or on redundant bureaucracy is time we steal from people’s lives,” he declared.

The opening ceremony was attended by various officials from Navarre, including Unai Hualde, president of the Parliament; Javier Remírez, first vice president and spokesperson for the Government of Navarre; Garbiñe Bueno, deputy mayor and city councilor of Pamplona; Juan Luis García Martín, Minister of Universities, Innovation, and Digital Transformation; Jaime Goyena, chief prosecutor of Navarre; José Julián Huarte Lázaro, president of the High Court of Justice of Navarre; Florencio Roselló, Archbishop of Pamplona and Bishop of Tudela; Ramón Gonzalo, President of the Public University of Navarre (UPNA); and Teresa Imízcoz, director of UNED Pamplona.