Mission and strategy
Hegoa, the Institute for International Cooperation and Development Studies, is a joint institute at the University of the Basque Country/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), set up by the university and Hegoa Association. It was founded in 1987.
University based
As a university institute and a civil association, Hegoa works to promote human development and international cooperation, by contributing:
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Research and analysis
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Documentation and information resources
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Postgraduate studies and other university academic courses in development and cooperation;
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Skills-building to strengthen the social fabric of cooperation
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Technical advisory services to different public entities and institutions, and cooperation programmes and projects.
Advocating social change
The mission shared by the Hegoa team is to advocate social change by constructing, proposing, and applying, based on critical thought, theoretical, processes and alternative strategies for human development and transformative cooperation aimed at progressing towards the sustainability of life. We therefore strive to construct an organisation recognised for:
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Generating defiant, critical and proactive thinking
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Working with others for transformation and social change
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Its importance in the university and in society, along with its ability to establish links between academia and social stakeholders
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Its organisational strength, based on an integrating cohesion that foster plurality
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Its feminist commitment, expressed both in its internal and external work, including the transition towards a shared leadership model and where caring is part of the organisational culture.
This task is underpinned by shared values, including social justice, solidarity, gender equality and ideological pluralism.