Ekhi Atutxa is Director of the Master's Degree Programme in Sustainability Management and Professor of Economics at Deusto Business School, University of Deusto. He is also an expert for the European Parliament in the areas of Environment, Public Health, Employment & Social Affairs, Industry, Research, and Energy. His research focuses on sustainability transitions, ecological economics, governance, and institutional innovation, bridging academic knowledge with organisational practice.
In light of changing workplace dynamics, technological advancements, and global trends, how does your Master's programme adapt its curriculum or teaching methods to build the skill set in demand in the workplace?
Organisations today operate in an environment characterised by geopolitical uncertainty, climate risks, technological disruption, and rapidly evolving regulation. Sustainability is no longer a specialist topic; it has become a strategic capability that influences investment, innovation, operations, and competitiveness.
Our programme has been designed around this reality. Rather than teaching sustainability as a separate discipline, we integrate it into management, economics, and organisational decision making. Students combine rigorous academic foundations with real-world challenges proposed by companies and institutions, learning to navigate complexity, balance competing priorities, and make informed decisions in uncertain conditions. Ultimately, we aim to educate professionals who can lead organisations through the sustainability transition rather than simply respond to it.
What is it that attracts international students to your Master's programme?
International students are increasingly looking for programmes that combine academic excellence with genuine international exposure and practical relevance. Our programme offers exactly that.
Students join a highly diverse cohort and learn alongside classmates from different countries, disciplines, and professional backgrounds. At the same time, they benefit from Deusto Business School's close relationships with companies, public institutions, and social organisations, allowing them to engage with real sustainability challenges throughout the programme.
Bilbao also provides an exceptional setting. Its internationally recognised transformation from an industrial city into a benchmark for sustainable urban development offers students a living laboratory where many of the concepts discussed in class can be observed in practice.
How do international students finance their Master's studies?
Financing a Master's degree abroad is naturally an important consideration for many students. At the University of Deusto, we actively work to make the programme accessible to talented candidates from around the world through different scholarship opportunities and financial support schemes.
Many of our international students combine institutional scholarships, external funding programmes, and personal resources. Throughout the admission process, our team provides personalised guidance to help applicants identify the funding opportunities that best fit their circumstances, and supports them with the application process whenever possible.
Our objective is simple: we want financial barriers to prevent as few talented students as possible from joining our international community.
How would you describe the environment and organisational culture in your business school and Master's programme?
One of the defining characteristics of Deusto is its humanistic approach to education. Academic excellence is essential, but we believe that great professionals are also responsible citizens who understand the broader social impact of their decisions.
This philosophy shapes the culture of the programme. We foster an open, collaborative, and international learning environment where students are encouraged to challenge ideas, learn from one another, and engage respectfully with different perspectives. Small class sizes and close interaction with faculty create a supportive atmosphere in which every student can actively contribute and develop both professionally and personally.
Where does your programme place the emphasis in training young professionals and how does this bring value career-wise?
Our philosophy is that theory and practice should reinforce each other. Students first develop a strong understanding of sustainability, governance, and business strategy before applying these concepts through company projects, case studies, simulations, and interaction with practitioners.
Equally important is our interdisciplinary perspective. Today's sustainability challenges rarely belong to a single field, so graduates must be able to connect business, policy, technology, and society. This combination of conceptual rigour and practical application equips our graduates with the analytical capacity and adaptability required to succeed in a rapidly changing professional environment.
Which industries or roles are your graduates moving into today that didn't exist (or barely existed) a decade ago?
The sustainability transition is transforming virtually every sector of the economy and creating entirely new professional opportunities. Organisations are increasingly recruiting specialists in ESG strategy, sustainable finance, climate risk, carbon management, circular economy, responsible supply chains, and sustainability reporting. Many of these positions were either very uncommon or did not exist a decade ago.
At the same time, sustainability expertise is no longer confined to specialist roles. Increasingly, sustainability is becoming a core competence expected of managers in finance, operations, consulting, innovation, and corporate strategy. Our ambition is therefore not simply to prepare graduates for today's jobs, but to equip them with the system-based thinking, critical judgement, and leadership capabilities that will allow them to thrive in professions that are still emerging.
