Romana

The Goimendi Colegio Mayor [Student Residence], connected to the University of Navarra, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Some 500 former residents attended the celebration of this university institution founded in 1962. Over the years 2,237 university women from 41 countries have lived there. “The first classes represent the women who opened up the way in attending Spanish universities,” noted Pilar Cárdenas, director of the first women’s university residence in Navarre and the fourth in Spain.

Famous visitors have included Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Queen Fabiola of Belgium, Prince Felipe of Asturias and Miguel Delibes, all of whom have taken part in the colloquia which throughout the years have welcomed 3,600 invitees. Among the 289 Honorary Fellows of the Colegio Mayor are Pope John Paul II, as well as academics from a wide range of disciplines such as Nicolas Grimaldi, professor of metaphysics at the Sorbonne in Paris, Natalia Lopez Moratalla, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Navarra, and Jorge Carreras, professor of procedural law. Personalities from the political and cultural milieu, including the composer Cristobal Halffter and the orchestra director Jose Luis Ochoa de Olza, have also received the same recognition.

Women at Goimendi have carried out in recent decades social and solidarity projects in seven countries: Paraguay, Guatemala, Portugal, Croatia, Lithuania, Mexico, and Uganda.

Among the central acts of the celebration was the presentation of the commemorative book “50 years of Colegio Mayor Goimendi,” by the writer and journalist Rosa Maria Echeverría. Attending the ceremony were the mayor of Pamplona, Enrique Maya; the special Councilor for Youth and Sport, Paz Prieto Saenz de Tejada; and the former President of the Autonomous Region of Navarra, Miguel Sanz.