"The university experience is an exciting journey that allows one to discover oneself. It is an enriching stage that is carried out accompanied by people, colleagues and professors, who become friends for life". The president of the University of Navarra, María Iraburu, thus addressed the more than 3,500 people from 65 countries, first-year students and their families, who participated today in the Welcome workshop held at sports center of the academic center.

The president compared the university experience to climbing a mountain, unpredictable at times, not without pleasant surprises but also uncertainties, until reaching the cima. María Iraburu encouraged students to live their time at the University with passion and to set new goals for themselves. "Passion is in the DNA of the University of Navarra. And passion for a area of knowledge - be it Economics, Journalism or Biology - is also the engine that drives every university student." 

María Iraburu took the opportunity to thank the families for their confidence in the project of the University of Navarra. "An inspiring project , with its own identity, which has developed over the last 71 years based on Christian humanism, which fosters the desire for the work well done, with a vocation of service to society and in which the person is a priority. Thank you all for making this possible," he added. 

Javier García-Manglano, professor and researcher of the University's Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), then spoke and gave the students three pieces of advice. The first is to make mistakes: "If you want to do great things, make mistakes," he said. Secondly, he encouraged the new students not to remain alone at classroom and to take advantage of everything the University has to offer them, on the basis that serious study is fundamental. Finally, Javier García-Manglano advised students to "get bored". "Those who never get bored are probably running away from something," he said, "You have to have moments for reflection, which help to create a narrative staff and set goals that are coherent with certain values". 

Message for the future in a test tube

What are the dreams, aspirations and goals of these first-year students? What path has led them to the University of Navarra? All the students who have attended the workshop have received a small test tube with a piece of paper, a "time capsule" in which they have written what they hope to achieve after their time at the University. A particular message that they will keep and recover when the day of their graduation arrives.

During the workshop a roundtable of professors and students about the university experience was held with the participation of Charo Sádaba, dean and professor of the School of Communication; Alberto Pérez Mediavilla, Dean and professor of the School of Sciences; Marta Olaizola, student of the School of Education and Psychology; and Victor Steven Macera, student of the School of Medicine. Afterwards, the new students attended different sessions in the Friends and Communication buildings on academic resources, languages, sports, volunteer activities, Cultural Activities Office and other services offered at campus.

The program has included another session aimed at families under the degree scroll "The University of Navarra: a place to dream", at position by Rosalía Baena, Vice President of Students; and Alfonso Sánchez-Tabernero, former President and president of the association of Friends . 

In this academic year 2023-24, the University will welcome nearly 2,400 new first-year students in the different Degrees. Although the incorporation process is still open, so far 2,398 students have enrolled: 790 international and 1,608 national students (683 of them from Navarra). 

Also, 382 students from 39 countries will be attending the exchange program at the University this semester . These students from exchange have had a parallel workshop at the Museum, with a welcome organized by the International Office and the committee International.

Classes begin at the University of Navarra next Monday, September 4, except for the students of School of Medicine, who started this week. Tomorrow, Friday, September 1, conference will be held for the first year students at the different centers.