The Basque Government opened the door in March to the private study centre Euneiz (European University of Gasteiz), but this Wednesday the Spanish Government has tightened the requirements that must be met for higher education institutions to be considered universities. And Euneiz is not adapting to the new legislation.

The decree published on July 28 lists the minimum academic offer to be offered by the centers: ten bachelor's degrees, six master's degrees and two doctoral programs. The Makro Centre in Vitoria-Gasteiz, for its part, will have nine degree titles (Physiotherapy, Sports Sciences, and Digital Content Creation, among others). In addition, there must be at least three branches of knowledge (arts and humanities, sciences, health sciences, social and legal sciences and engineering and architecture) collected in the educational curriculum, and Euneiz will have two branches. The decree also exacerbates other conditions.

Space for change

Euneiz will have a period of five years from the start to extend the educational offer and bring it into line with the planned decree. As stated in the Gasteizhoy newspaper, the centre’s promoters believe that, following the authorization of the Basque Government (pending ratification by the Basque Parliament), this is a change that could develop in five years.

Back, Baskonia-Alavés

Euneiz is an initiative promoted by the Baskonia-Alavés de Josean Kerejeta within the Innovaraba project. It has a budget of EUR 33.3 million, of which 30 are from European aid and about 2.5 from the Provincial Council of Álava, the Basque Government and the City Hall of Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The aim of the center is to create an "educational, sports and business hub" in the Buesa area, as the drivers have explained. But there have been many voices that voted against the project, claiming that they will turn education into a business and that they will compete with the public university repeating the offer that already exists in the UPV.