University Principal

Born in Bilbao in 1953. He studied at the Universidad de Deusto and graduated in law and economics (as an “economist-lawyer”). He was accepted into the Society of Jesus in 1975 and studied theology at the Gregorian University in Rome.
He later obtained a degree in theology at UD.
He conducted special studies at the University of Oxford (UK), where he was awarded a PhD in international law under the supervision of Prof. Ian Brownlie (QC, FBA) one of the world's leading specialists in this field. He completed his studies at The Hague (Academy of International Law), and Strasbourg (Institut international des droits de l'homme René Cassin).

He has lectured in international law and human rights at the school of law of the Universidad de Deusto since 1991, and was promoted to the post of professor in 1995. He has been the head of the department, founder and first director of the Instituto de Derechos Humanos “Pedro ARRUPE” and director of the European Master's Degree in International Humanitarian Aid. He is the national director of the European Master's Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation in Venice. In 1999 he was appointed dean of the law school, having been re-elected for a second three-year period. On 29 September 2003 he was appointed rector of the Universidad de Deusto.

He has written numerous publications in the field of international law and human rights, including:
“Human Rights in States of Emergency in International Law”, Oxford 1992 (1ed),1995 (2ed).
“International Law and Humanitarian Assistance”, Brussels 1994, 1999 (2 ed), “Derecho Internacional y Ayuda Humanitaria”, Bilbao 2000.
“Extradiciones y Expulsiones de Extranjeros en el Convenio Europeo de Derechos Humanos”, Madrid 1994.
“La Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos”, Bilbao 2002.
“El Valor Jurídico de la Declaración Universal”, Vitoria 1999.

On invitation from numerous Spanish and other organisations, he has given a range of lectures and courses in Europe, the Americas and Africa. He has been a guest lecturer at the universities of Aix-en-Provence (Marseilles, 1993), Bordeaux IV (Montesquieu, 1996), Tilburg (Netherlands, 1997,1998) and the Universidad Centroamericana de Managua (UCA, 1993,1994).

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