What is GEP
MGEP is a co-operative integrated into both MONDRAGON Corporation and Mondragón Unibertsitatea (the University of Mondragón) and is the legal owner of Mondragón Unibertsitatea's Faculty Of Engineering.
Its principal activities are training and research, development and innovation.
History
The Higher Polytechnic School of Mondragón started its teaching activities in 1943 on the initiative of Father José Maria Arizmendiarrieta, Founder of the Cooperative Experience of Mondragón. Since then it has never stopped growing, and has been the driving force behind the creation of numerous innovative business experiences.
An important landmark in 1956 in the School’s history was the creation by five of its technical engineers of Mondragon’s first industrial cooperative: ULGOR, S.Coop., which is now called FAGOR.
It is also worth pointing out the creation of ALECOP in 1966, an industrial cooperative company which allowed students to combine study and work, and which is a company in the same cooperative.
In 1972 the organisation became more international as the result of exchange programmes with foreign universities. Likewise, the School has also been an active participant since 1986 in numerous international training and research and development projects.
In 1974, the IKERLAN Research Centre was created, which currently has around 200 people involved in research and is one of Spain’s most avant-garde technology centers.
In 1983, the Gizabidea Private Teaching Foundation was recognised, posthumous work of Don José Maria Arizmendiarrieta, who became responsible for the guardianship of the School buildings.
The school’s active participation has led to other social and business initiatives such as DIARIA, a pioneering industrial design company, founded in 1985, and different education centres over three decades.
More recently, in 1996, the company CEI-SAIOLAN was formed as a new business incubator in advances sectors, although this activity has been bearing fruit since 1984.
In 1995, the Higher Polytechnic School was awarded the ISO ER353/1/95 Quality Certificate, and was the first university in Spain and one of the first in Europe to obtain it.
The 2003-2004 academic year was recognised with the silver Q for having obtained more than 4,000 points in an external evaluation carried out by EUSKALIT.
The constitution of Mondragón Univertsitatea in 1997 is also noteworthy, together with another two universities of the Alto Deba: ETEO S. Coop in Oñati and Irakasle Eskola S. Coop. in Eskoriatza, which are now ENPRESAGINTZA and HUHEZI respectively.
In 2008 it was the first Basque University to adapt its engineering studies to the New European Higher Education Space.
In June 2010, EPS-MU was awarded AUDIT Certification after the evaluation by UNIQUIAL and ANECA.
Composition of the Higher Polytechnic School
The legal name of the Higher Polytechnic School of Mondragón (Escuela Politécnica Superior de Mondragon Unibertsitatea (EPS-MU)) is Mondragon Goi Eskola Politeknikoa (MGEP). It is a mixed cooperative comprising three types of member/s in equal numbers:
• Working members.
• User members. (Pupils)
• Collaborator members. (Companies and Administration).
Both the Assembly, its supreme decision-taking body, and the Governing Board, which has the power to establish the cooperative’s general guidelines, are composed in equal parts by the three types of members. This structure enables direct participation by students and companies in the management centre.
Taking into account that the main mission of EPS-MU is train profiles with a markedly professional nature in an industrial environment, the mixed legal cooperative formula, which has integrated to the business world and in our case primarily the cooperative world, has been essential for the constant evolution and adaptation to external demand.
Likewise, the real opportunities for our students to undergo dual training through the ALECOP (study-work) model is a key added value throughout our development. This is also true of final projects carried out in companies or in the EPS-MU in the form of research projects.
The social-employment status of EPS-MU teachers is equivalent to that of an employee of an industrial cooperative. Specifically, aspects such as the working calendar, timetable, compensation and staff promotion are equivalent.
These are the EPS-MU’s centres, which governs their style and commitment and they have been a driving force for educational innovation. The following are worth mentioning:
Engineering
Rigor and academic standards, practices in companies through the dual system and the final project, the marked international nature and teamwork are the basis for professional success of EPS- MU engineers.
Polytechnic Institute
With an adequate theoretical base, practical learning developed in own workshops, modern machinery and instruments used by leading companies in an industrial setting, students are prepared to move straight into the world of work.
Research and Development
EPS-MU has carried out research activities primarily in projects under contract with companies. Generic investigation has received strong support in recent years and will continue to do so in future.
Our model of investigation allows us to achieve scientific levels of excellence, integrated with the mid- to long-term needs of our companies. We develop a collaborative model with companies, where mutual confidence and objectives multiply the efficiency of resources. In this sense, the technological transfer and innovation continue to be a differential factor of the Higher Polytechnic School of Mondragón,
Continuous training
This area has been active practically since the origin of the EPS-MU and is currently of special importance in the postgraduate programs.
Internationalisation
Stidemt Internationalisation and mobility started more than 30 years ago at the Higher Polytechnic School with the GOIER programme. In recent years internationalisation has also sought student mobility, exchanges with foreign students of the school and the support of the school in the internationalisation process of Basque companies.
A total of 135 students studied abroad during the 2009-2010 academic year, spending time in France, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Holland, Slovakia, Switzerland, Ireland and Italy.
In the context of participation in internationalisation of Basque companies, five students did their Final Engineering Projects in placements in Basque companies abroad: France, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
It is worth mentioning the efforts made to organise work placements abroad for students of the Polytechnic School, where with the collaboration of HETEL, 14 of our students have done work placements in companies abroad through the ERASMUS programme.
Finally, in the context of the strategic international alliance of MU with ALECOP, it is worth mentioning the development of three engineering qualifications for their implantation in the Universidad Panamericana de Bogotá (Colombia).