María Iraburu: "It is necessary to humanize talent. Talent are specific people, with their needs, dreams and aspirations".

The relationship between the University and business, the challenges and opportunities that arise in the interaction between this binomial, and how all this is related to training and the search for talent, were some of the topics that were addressed in Coruña, in the fourth of the Alumni meetings of this year 2025. 

Before more than fifty alumni from different promotions and areas of knowledge, on this occasion, the president, María Iraburu, spoke of the University as a "privileged place to see and detect needs and concerns, in times of uncertainty, but, at the same time, full of opportunities". 

Iraburu wanted to emphasize the need of society and business for talent, and the importance of good talent management . "It is necessary to humanize talent. Talent are specific people, with their needs, dreams and aspirations," he said. 

Furthermore, according to the president, it is essential for universities to be close to the professional world, to be "where things are born", and this requires them to be sensitive, flexible and even quick to change. 

She also stressed that work should not have an "instrumentalist" function, "it is as important as the task performed, the fact that this task "resonates" in the person, we must strive to have and offer "meaningful work". According to María Iraburu, from the University it is not only a matter of qualifying students, but also of giving them the meaning of their work, to have an expanded vision, which does not remain merely functional. "The University of Navarra is a project "with soul" in which we try to promote that passion for work, that service to society with meaning, creating Structures of mutual financial aid , of teamwork". 

The president 's speech was followed by a colloquium with Pancho Holguín, alumni of the School of Law, Founder of VISSIONA, consultant and advisor in business strategy. In this conversation, different issues were discussed, such as the projects the university is working on. The president spoke about the Alumni Scholarships, "an exciting and necessary project that is linked to the founding principle of this university, which is that no talented student should be unable to study at the University of Navarra due to lack of resources. 

In addition, research was discussed as a fundamental pillar of the impact on society and the importance of being present with "our own voice" in projects that affect issues such as sustainability. "Our contribution should be in the rigor of research, with an interdisciplinary approach ," said Iraburu, "we must provide an "ethical depth, an ethical look, which often is not in the debates. 

Finally, and before the family photo and cocktail that closed the meeting, Iraburu wanted to thank the closeness and partnership of the "invisiblenetwork composed of alumni, friends of the university, and so many people who make it possible for the project of the University of Navarra to go ahead", "the footprint of the university is that of its alumni, who carry its spirit wherever they are".