Martin Zuñiga Ruiz de Loizaga holds a degree in Social Work, a Master’s Degree in Research, Consultancy and Social Innovation and a PhD with international mention in the PhD programme in Human Rights from the University of Deusto.

He has several publications of impact in scientific journals, collaborations in collective works, and communications in national and international congresses. He has experience in various competitive research projects and has been a visiting researcher in the MUARG (Manchester Urban Ageing Research Group) team at the University of Manchester. He also collaborates and participates in different national and international research platforms and projects. He has worked as a researcher in the SSI Group developing innovation projects in the field of Social Services, care and longevity, and as an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Work at the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU).

He currently works as a lecturer and researcher in Social Work at the University of Deusto.

Academic background
– PhD in Human Rights from the University of Deusto.
– Master’s degree in Bioethics from the Complutense University of Madrid.
– Master’s Degree in Ethics for Social Construction from the University of Deusto.
– Degree in Psychology with health accreditation.
– Degree in Theology from the University of Deusto.

Professional experience
She began her professional activity working as an educator with minors and young people in the Agintzari Educational Association, of which she was a founding member.
She later worked at the Aita Menni Hospital in Mondragón with mentally ill people, where she began her training in Bioethics and where she was responsible for the Menni Bioethics Centre.
Since 1996 she has been teaching healthcare ethics in different institutions, organisations and administrations in Spain, mainly in the Basque Country, and in the implementation of different ethics committees in which she has participated: Aita Menni Hospital, Áraba Mental Health, Bizkaia Social Intervention Ethics Committee, Cruces University Hospital Ethics Committee and Plena Inclusión Ethics Committee.
During the years 2017-2021 she has been responsible for the technical coordination of the Basque Strategy for the prevention and detection of Elder Abuse.
She has been a clinical psychologist since 1991 with Spanish and European accreditation as a general health psychologist.
She is currently a researcher and lecturer at the University of Deusto where she teaches Ethics and Health Psychology and is Doctor in charge of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Deusto.
Researcher in the “Social Intervention: quality of life and social inclusion” team at the UD and in the “Bioethics, Well-being and Health” inter-university team with the Ramon Llul University and the University of Comillas.
She is a collaborating lecturer at the University of the Basque Country, University of Vic, University of A Coruña, University of Cantabria, Catholic University of Chile and Javeriana of Bogotá.
As an independent consultant and supervisor, she collaborates with various public and private entities in projects to improve the quality of care in social and socio-health services, contributing to the development of ethics and the protection of the rights of citizens who are users of different community or institutional services.

Other merits and participations
– Former chairwoman and member of the Bizkaia Social Intervention Ethics Committee.
– Member of the Social Health Commission of Ethics Committees of the Basque Country.
– Member of the Plena Inclusión Ethics Committee
– Member of the UD Research Ethics Committee
– Member of the “Agenda Nagusi” group of experts of the Vice-Ministry of Social Policies of the
Social Policies of the Basque Government
– Member of the Scientific Commission of the Fundamental and Clinical Bioethics Association and former member of its Board of Directors.

Education: Degree in Law.

Languages: Basque (high); Spanish (high); English (low); French (high).

Professional and political career:
– Director General of Planning, Investments and Economic Benefits. Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (2015-2023)
– Head of Planning Section. Gipuzkoako Foru Aldundia (2012-2015).
– Senior Planning and Systems Technician. Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (2012).
– Head of Sports Service. Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (1996-2012).
– Senior technician in Sports Facilities. Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (1990-1996).
– Medium-level sports technician. Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (1988-1990).
– Auxiliary sports technician. Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (1987-1988).

Positions and representations in other bodies or entities:
– Substitute on the Basque Volunteer Council.
– Substitute on the Inter-institutional Body for Social Services.
– Substitute on the Basque Social Services Council.
– Member of the Governing Board of the Kabia Autonomous Foral Body.
– Member of the Governing Board of the Regional Autonomous Body Uliazpi Foundation.

• Deputy director of the Area for the Elderly of the Álava Provincial Institute of Social Welfare.
• Specialist Geriatric Nurse and Graduate in Social and Cultural Anthropology.
• Expert in Ethics applied to Social Intervention.
• President of the Ethics Committee for Social Intervention in Alava (CEISA).
• Member of the Social and Health Commission of Ethics Committees of the Basque Country.
• Member of the Euthanasia Guarantee and Evaluation Commission of the Basque Country.

Amaia has been the Director of Gautena – Gipuzkoa Society for Autism since 2017. The entity, constituted in 1978, has the mission of working for the quality of life of people with ASD and their families in Gipuzkoa, both through the vindication of their rights and social awareness, and through the direct provision of services with a high level of specialisation.

In this context, it works in close collaboration with the different administrations involved in achieving this goal, with special emphasis on the areas of Social Policy, Education and Health, among others.

Amaia represents Gautena in FEVAS Plena Inclusión Euskadi, an association of Basque entities that works for the rights of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families. She takes part in Autismo España and Autismo Europa, being a member of its Board of Directors. She also belongs to the Board of Trustees of Gertuan Fundazioa, focused on the provision of support measures for the exercise of legal capacity.

From her position as Director of an Association of Families, she demands personalised support, with a community, integral and coherent approach throughout the whole life cycle, and that the participation of people with ASD and their families in the design of their life projects is guaranteed.

Studies

Graduate in Social Work from the UPV-University of the Basque Country. Specialised in the areas of social inclusion and family mediation.

Professional career

• • Currently, General Director of Child Protection and Social Inclusion. Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (appointed on 9 July 2019).
  • General Director of Child Protection and Social Inclusion. Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (Legislature 2015-2019).

Social worker, in the following Municipal Social Services:

– Eibar. Basic Social Services (2011-2015).
– Errenteria. Child and adolescent care area (2007-2011).
– Eibar. Basic Social Services (2005-2007).
– Zarautz. Home help service and disability area (2003-2005).
– Eibar. Basic Social Services (1993-2003).
– Eibar. Public Foundation for Home Help. Management of the home help service (1989-1992).

She holds a degree in Economics from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and a Master in Economic Analysis, also from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and a PhD in Economics from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra.

Specialised in data processing and analysis in the field of the labour market, supplementary payment systems and public service provision, she has taught at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the Pompeu Fabra University and the ESCI-UPF International Business School.

Between 2004-2010 she was part of the management team of the Department of Health of the Generalitat of Catalonia as Director of Services and Secretary General, and is currently Director General of Personal Autonomy and Disability of the Department of Social Rights of the Generalitat of Catalonia.

Matxalen Legarreta-Iza holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU and is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Social Work at the same university.

She is a member of the AFIT-Feminist Anthropology Research Group and her lines of research mainly deal with care and gender inequalities.

She regularly collaborates with the public administration and third sector organisations, carrying out research and giving conferences, training and awareness-raising courses related to her areas of work.

Graduate in Law from the University of Deusto (UD) and University Specialist in Development and International Cooperation from HEGOA-UPV/EHU. She is also an anthropology module of the Diploma in Humanitarian Aid of the Pedro Arrupe Human Rights Institute (UD) and a Mediator with a Diploma from AEXME.

She began her career as a volunteer in different non-governmental organisations and has been responsible for various programmes in the Spanish Committee of UNICEF since 1996, and has been the coordinator of UNICEF in the Basque Country since 2009.

Speaker at various forums, seminars, congresses, tutor of internships and research, and member of various regional and local Development Cooperation Councils of the Basque Autonomous Community, the Family Council of the Basque Country and the Civil Dialogue Table. Coordination of the study “Does Spanish ODA guarantee the rights of children and adolescents” and publication of various articles related to children’s rights.

MSc in Economics (Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London), PhD in Economics (University of Barcelona, UB). Professor of Economics and researcher at the Barcelona Economic Analysis Team (BEAT) UB. Her research on the interaction between demography, economics and public policies -especially intergenerational transfers- has led to more than 25 articles in specialised journals, in addition to participating in another 40 publications (books, reports, etc.). She has participated in more than 30 projects, many of them as principal investigator, at regional, national and European level.

Between 2006 and 2010 she coordinated research on the effects of population ageing at the Instituto de Estudios Fiscales (Madrid). She is currently Chair of the international project National Transfer Accounts (NTA) https://ntaccounts.org. She has carried out studies for various public administration bodies at regional, national and European level. She has collaborated as an advisor with the European Commission on pension, health and dependency policies within the framework of the open coordination method. She frequently appears in the media in debates on the sustainability of the pension system and the welfare state in general.