Nekane Balluerka Explained

Nekane Balluerka
Birth Name:Miren Nekane Balluerka Lasa
Birth Date:5 December 1966
Birth Place:Ordizia, Basque Country
Nationality:Basque, Spanish
Fields:Psychology,
Behavioural Science
Alma Mater:University of the Basque Country
Thesis Year:1993
Known For:Rector of the University of the Basque Country (2017-2021)

Miren Nekane Balluerka Lasa (born 5 December 1966 in Ordizia, Gipuzkoa) is a Basque psychologist and university professor.

She held the postition of Rector of the University of the Basque Country, between 2017 and 2021, being the first woman to hold the position of rector.[1] [2] [3]

In 2021 she was awarded the Euskadi Research Award by the Basque Government.[4]

She teaches Behavioural Science Methodology at the Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).

Academic researcher

She obtained her bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) in 1989 and a PhD from the same university in 1993, winning the Special End of Degree Prize in both cases.[5] On completing her bachelor's degree, she began to work as a lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology.

Since 2009, she has held the post of Full Professor of Behavioural Science Methodology. Her research work focuses on methods for drawing up psychological assessment instruments, on the intercultural adaptation of such instruments and on the application of multi-level analysis models to the study of psychosocial phenomena. She has taken part in 42 subsidised research projects, on 9 of which she has been the lead researcher. She is also the lead researcher of the Qualiker research group, which has been assessed as excellent in the Basque university system. She has co-authored more than a hundred scientific papers, 26 books and 9 book chapters. She has contributed to more than 200 domestic and international congresses.[6] [7]

She has directed or co-directed 10 doctoral theses, two of these theses won the first prize and runner-up prize in the Basque Government's Realidad Social Vasca [“Basque Social Reality”] award.

She has spent time as a guest researcher at Arizona State University (1995), the University of California (2005), and the Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research at the University of Manchester (2010).

She was a founder member of AEMCCO (Spanish Association for Behavioural Science Methodology) and of the EAM (European Association of Methodology). From 2011 to 2015 she was the editor of the official journal of this last association: Methodology. European Journal of Research Methods for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. She is a member of The Board of the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) Foundation.[8]

University management

Nekane has a long track record in university management. She has been Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Psychology (2004-2006), Vice-Rector for Teaching Quality and Innovation (2006-2009), Vice-Rector for Postgraduate Studies and International Relations (2012-2016), and since January 2017 she has been the rector of the University of the Basque Country. She replaced Iñaki Goirizelaia that had been the rector since 2009.[9] She was the first elected women to be the President of the University of the Basque Country (rector).

Textbooks in Basque language

Balluerka was one of the first authors in the areas of Behavioural Science and Psychology to publish textbooks and teaching materials in Basque. She is a member of the UEU (Basque Summer University). Her original and co-authored publications include:[10]

Sports

In her younger years, she played football and practised the martial art of Shorinji-Kempo.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alonso . Idoia . 2016-11-25 . Nekane Balluerka se convierte en la primera rectora de la UPV/EHU . 2024-03-10 . Deia . es.
  2. Web site: Alonso . Un reportaje de I. . 2016-11-25 . Nekane Balluerka rompe el techo de "acero" . 2024-03-10 . Deia . es.
  3. Web site: Nekane Balluerka se ha convertido en la primer mujer rectora de la UPV . 2024-03-10 . EITB . es.
  4. Web site: Nekane Balluerka, Premio Euskadi de Investigación 2021 . 2024-03-10 . UPV/EHU . es-ES.
  5. Web site: EGUNGO PENTSIO-SISTEMAREN JASANGARRITASUNA jardunaldia (Conference on the sustainability of the current social pension system. Eusko Legebiltzarra (Basque Parliament). eu. 2018-11-16.
  6. Web site: Nekane Balluerka (0000-0002-1537-393X) - ORCID Connecting Research and Researchers. ORCID. orcid.org. en. 2018-11-16.
  7. Web site: Scopus - Author details (Balluerka, Nekane). www.scopus.com. en-US. 2018-11-16.
  8. Web site: Donostia International Physics Center – Organization chart. dipc.ehu.es. en. 2018-11-16.
  9. Web site: After his term as President of the University of the Basque Country, Iñaki Goirizelaia, will teach at Boise State University. Euskalkultura. 22 December 2017.
  10. Web site: Nekane Balluerka Lasa :: Inguma - Data base of the basque scientific community. www.inguma.eus. en. 2018-11-16.