- Steilas is very concerned about the political decisions of the institutions on the new projects for higher education and technological development, especially as regards Zorrotzaurre. In fact, we are concerned about driving a model of teaching and research based on private initiative.
In addition, we are distressed that once again the development model of the city is subject to economic profitability. To make all this possible, a large amount of public resources (buildings, floors, money...), common resources will be used, and if the course is not corrected, the benefits will be limited to private sectors.
We are surprised by the neglect and marginalization of the public university, the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), within the Zorrotzaurre project. The public university has been, and continues to be, the main agent of training and research in our country, an essential contribution to the scientific and cultural development of our country, and that ensures that all people, regardless of their socioeconomic origin, have no difficulty accessing university studies. In any case, the institutions want to create Bilbao Ciudad Universitaria and the Isle of Knowledge and Talent almost entirely around private universities.
Digipen, Kunsthal, Mondragon Unibertsitatea, the University of Deusto, the University of Navarra and the University of Cambridge are some of the universities that will open or open their facilities in Bilbao. To this end, they will be supported by the City Hall, the Provincial Council and the Basque Government. Meanwhile, the UPV/EHU has had to see how the new School of Medicine in Basurto has been delayed and reduced. For the School of Medicine, this infrastructure is necessary to maintain the quality of the public supply, since they are currently in deteriorated and obsolete facilities. However, this policy has already been implemented elsewhere: to promote privatisation by abandoning and abandoning public services.
We think that you can do another kind of policy. Taking as an example Bordeaux, they have developed important policies to attract students, young people and new economic activities, always under public parameters, taking the public university as the axis of the whole project.
All this without taking into account the urban development of the new space, since social and educational needs have not been taken into account. Currently, the construction of a single public vocational training centre linked to "applied research and innovation" is planned in Zorrotzaurre, but there is no project for Child, Primary and Secondary Education. As if it were not enough, there are no basic social services needed in any neighborhood.
We think that you can do another kind of policy. Taking as an example Bordeaux, they have developed important policies to attract students, young people and new economic activities, always under public parameters, taking the public university as the axis of the whole project. But in "Manhattan of Knowledge in the Basque Country" there is no room for the public. If the only way to gain access to higher education is to pay impossible amounts for the majority, we are talking about elitism, about transforming the rights of all citizens into privileges for the few.
We must ensure access to a strong public university that has institutional support and democratizes science and knowledge. On the road to development and expansion, the project of the University City of Zorrotzaurre, which has left the public university, has taken the path towards the privatization of education and knowledge, disconnecting the education of citizenship and directing it to trade and private interests.
Consequently, STEILAS will take steps to build a plural platform with educational and social actors and with trade unions in defence of a public, inclusive and quality education.
We don't want an island of privilege, not in our city, not in our public policies. We will continue to work towards a higher public education that is not subject to political, ideological, commercial interests, etc.