The Objectives of Urdaneta 500
• To achieve recognition of the life of Andrés de Urdaneta at local, provincial, national and international levels, underlining the importance of his scientific and diplomatic skills.
• To enhance the importance of Andrés de Urdaneta with respect to his scientific and humanistic achievements with a view to establishing an active implication in the breakthrough relevant to his areas of investigation.
• To carry out an in-depth analysis of Urdaneta focusing on his achievements in an historic context. As José Ramón de Miguel reiterates, “Urdaneta has nothing to do with the classical conquistadors or second-string noblemen who threw themselves into adventures to gain fame and fortune in swashbuckling sword fights. Urdaneta, on the other hand, was a son of the middle class, from Guipúzcoa’s commercial and industrial heyday of the 15th Century as clearly shown by his modern way of thinking and upbringing.
• To use this commemoration to restore the memory of Urdaneta, one of the most important navigators to have existed and ranked alongside Columbus, Magellan and Cook.
• To promote relations with different cultures via the exchange of ideas and points of view and encouraging inter-cultural communication through contact with people from differing backgrounds such as Europe, The Americas and Asia.
• To update the state of academic research into Urdaneta, making new contacts through the exchange of ideas and information and projects produced by scholars from different geographical and academic backgrounds.
• To discuss present day awareness of Urdaneta and his influence on the history of Castille, Portugal, Mexico and The Philippines.
• To encourage specialists in American and Pacific history of the 16th Century from different universities and continents to take part in exchanges of knowledge and opinions.
• To enable the proliferation of new research, provided by specialist speakers and contributing speakers with a view to shedding new light on the life of Andrés de Urdaneta.
• To create an atmosphere for debate and participation with Andrés de Urdaneta as the central figure.
• To introduce the town of Ordizia and the Autonomous Basque Community as the protagonists in the organisation of such an important international event.
