Unai Villena

Biography

He became involved in development cooperation and education for social transformation as a volunteer with Engineers Without Borders, while he was studying Industrial Engineering in the early 2000s. Once his degree was finished, he spent a few years working in the renewable energy sector, and returned to university to take a Master’s in Globalization and Development (2010/2011). Since then he has worked as a researcher with the University of the Basque Country (linked to the Hegoa Institute’s research group on Analysis and Assessment of Cooperation Policies), as an independent consultant carrying out assessment projects in the field of education for social transformation for different NGDOs, and as a technician specializing in education for the Hegoa Institute, Engineers Without Borders and Sorkin, Alboratorio de Saberes.

Since 2019 he is lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of the Basque Country and gives degree-level lectures at the Bilbao School of Engineering. Since 2020/2021 he has also been teaching on the Master’s in Globalization and Development and the online Master’s on International Cooperation and Emancipatory Education. PhD in Development Studies, in recent years he has completed the Master (Blended Learning) of Evaluation (MABLE) in the Saarland University. In terms of research, he currently participates in projects related to the energy transition, STEAM Education and public policy assessment.

Scientific Production Portal (EHU): https://ekoizpen-zientifikoa.ehu.eus/investigadores/129781/detalle?lang=en 

Themes

Assessment, Emancipatory education, Co-education, STEAM education, Technologies for the eco-social transformation, Energy transition, Energy poverty, Cooperation policy coherence, Decentralized cooperation, Transparency