Juanjo Celorio Díaz, recognized as promoteur of the UPV/EHU's Cooperation Internship Programme

The University of the Basque Country's Cooperation Internship Programme, managed by the Sustainability Directorate, celebrated its twentieth anniversary by awarding to all the people who have made its development possible. Among others, Juanjo Celorio Díaz (Hegoa’s Professor and Researcher) was recognised for inspiring the Programme through a cooperation internship project that he set up at the Teacher Training College in Vitoria-Gasteiz more than 20 years ago.

"It all began in the year 2000, when Professor Juanjo Celorio set up a programme of tutored internships for his students in indigenous schools in Ecuador". So begins the article published by Campusa magazine. The same text indicates that, to date, 1,300 students have participated in the programme, collaborating with 110 NGOs in 37 countries all around Latin America, Asia and Africa.

According to Juanjo Celorio, "the project was born from the demand of students who wanted to collaborate with the Nakaam Tayu organisation in the indigenous communities of Pastaza, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, as well as in the schools of the Intercultural Bilingual Education System". "The first five students (2 women, 3 men) who joined the Programme socialised the experience after their return and they generated an interest that has been extended year after year with new generations of internships", recognises the programme's promoter.

The rector of the UPV/EHU, Eva Ferreira, and the director of Sustainability Directorate, Estíbaliz Sáenz de Cámara, attended the celebration of the 20th anniversary. According to what they explain,   the programme (since it became official in 2003) has been expanded to different areas and has involve many university professors. It is also significant the increase of the number of countries and organisations where students can carry out their internships.

Read the article published by Campusa here.