Unai Villena

Unai Villena is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), affiliated with the Bilbao School of Engineering. He teaches undergraduate courses and contributes to Master's programs in Globalization and Development. Since 2019, he has held academic and research roles, blending engineering expertise with development studies. His affiliations include the Hegoa Institute, where he is part of the Research Group on Policy Coherence for Development and International Cooperation. Villena’s career spans renewable energy (2000s), a Master’s in Globalization and Development (2010/2011), and contracted research roles at UPV/EHU. He also works as an independent consultant for NGOs and is a founding member of Sorkin, a knowledge laboratory since 2016.

• Educations: Doctorate in Development Studies, Master’s in Globalization and Development (2010/2011), Industrial Engineering Bachelor’s.

Research Interests: Villena focuses on evaluation methodologies, emancipatory education, energy transition, policy coherence, and decentralized cooperation. His work emphasizes ecosocial transformation, energy poverty, and participatory approaches to development. He advocates for horizontal and reciprocal cooperation models, integrating technology and social justice.

Recent Trends in Publications: His research examines decentralized cooperation’s potential, evaluation frameworks for transformative education projects, and energy policy analysis. Key themes include participatory methodologies, transparency in cooperation systems, and bridging theory-practice gaps in development studies.