Kaixo! This morning was much easier than day 1. We began our day with breakfast as usual at a nice time of 9:00, and then took the metro to the engineering school to learn about some Basque history and about the programs here in Spain.
I learned quite a bit about the Basque region today, including the fact that children here are taught most of their subjects in the Basque language, with Spanish taught separately as its own course. Basque is incredibly old—so old, in fact, that linguists still don’t know its exact origins. That might explain why the conjugations are notoriously tricky. I mean, I struggle with English sometimes, so I can’t even imagine juggling Basque, Spanish, and English. Major kudos to the trilingual people of Bilbao!
Programs in the Basque region work a bit differently. Many students pursue a general engineering degree called Industrial Engineering—though it’s not at all the same as what we call industrial engineering in the U.S. Their programs require around 240 credits, with students taking 30-credit semesters. At first, that sounded terrifying compared to our typical 15–18 credit semesters and 130-credit total. But then I learned that one U.S. credit equals about two European credits, which made things a little less alarming.
One especially cool discovery: their new biomedical engineering program is taught entirely in English. But the most jaw-dropping moment? Learning the cost. Two months of my rent in Pittsburgh could cover the entire cost of a two-year master’s program here. I’ll be leaving with a single, dramatic tear rolling down my cheek, haunted by the thought of paying 25 times that for a degree back home. Moving to Bilbao for a master’s doesn’t seem so foreign anymore.
After the presentation, we explored several of the clubs offered by the engineering school. We kicked things off by watching their Formula student team repair and field-test their latest race car. The team had an impressive hierarchy, giving each engineer a specific role to gain hands-on experience. We learned that just the day before, the car had failed its water field test, designed to check if the vehicle can handle rain or internal water exposure.
What we witnessed next was a blend of cutting-edge engineering, possibly the greatest promotional moment ever, as they solved the issue with none other than some extra-strength duct tape. As an engineer myself, I can confirm: there’s nothing quite like solving a high-stakes problem with a solid strip of duct tape.
Jokes aside, the team worked all morning to better seal and secure their wiring. Meanwhile, the electrical engineers looked like they were aging in real time from stress. But in the end, their efforts paid off—the car passed the rain test with flying colors, followed by a collective, dramatic sigh of relief. We may not have been able to speak their language, but we all felt that feeling of satisfaction when everything worked out.
After that, we went to visit the Guitar room. They take all recycled materials and build different types of electric guitars. Even the machines they use to wrap the wire for the amplifier and to magnetize the magnets were hand-made. In this lab, they mess with different materials, finishes, and placements of amplifiers to see how these things change the sound. They asked if anyone wanted to give one a try, and one of our students, Aiden—who usually plays classical guitar—volunteered. He joked that he was about to make a fool of himself, but he did quite the opposite. Despite the clear differences between classical and electric guitar, Aiden proceeded to, as the room described it, shred. It was seriously impressive.
Lastly, we visited their rocket group, whose last rocket just reached the 7,000-meter mark, placing first for Spanish competing teams. This team, just like the others, doesn’t get funding from the school but instead gets the money and supplies they need from sponsors. The school simply allows them to work in the provided spaces. It was clear that these students thrive in adapting to many things. For example, the rocket team tests their engines in what the student representative called the dump. They have a small container located near a landfill where they can safely test their machines. Not exactly glamorous, but it gets the job done. And despite the humble setup, they continue to push boundaries and achieve remarkable results.
To finish the day on a high note, we took a guided tour of Bilbao’s Old Town. The narrow pedestrian streets were full of charm, lined with brightly colored buildings and overflowing with vibrant flowers. Below are some of my favorite pictures:
Overall, it was a very informative day. Stay tuned for Day 3, where we’ll hear a presentation from our wonderful professor, Dr. Borovetz, meet more engineering students from the university, and dive into the Oreka-Balance project. To top it all off, we’ll wrap up the day with a visit to the iconic Guggenheim Museum. Laster arte!!!(See you soon in Basque).