The University of Oviedo gave the Extraordinary Awards for Bachelor's Degrees and PhD Studies during the solemn act of Saint Thomas Aquinas, presided by the Rector, Vicente Gotor, which featured the presence of the Councilor for Education, Culture and Sports, Ana González, among other political and academic authorities. The ceremony, composed by almost one hundred formally-dressed professors, signaled the start of the ceremony in which the president of the executive committee of the Basque Foundation for Science (Ikerbasque), Fernando Cossío, was in charge of giving the inaugural speech.

The Rector encouraged the young students with the most brilliant academic records to continue with their researcher careers in the academic institution. He also highlighted the improvement of the PhD Programs that the International Center for Postgraduate Studies has been conducting for the past few years. Thus, he praised the good reception that the PhD Meetings have had, "a program of which we are pioneers and which is the best platform to gather the new blood of our research". Cross-curricular formation and internationalization of the programs is also one of the basic pillars of the PhD formation offered by the University.

Vicente Gotor also remarked on the role that the Campus of International Excellence plays as a promoter of strategical actions for the University. The programs for luring talent and the mobility programs of excelence contribute "decisively" to the necessary internationalization of the Asturian academic institution.

Tenured Professor Fernando Cossío Mora, Scientific Director of the Basque Foundation for Science, analyzed in his conference some of the actions that have been started at the Basque Country to promote research. Thus, he explained that his foundation, Iberbasque, since five years ago, 275 researchers have been incorporated in different modalities, 95 of which were visiting scientists. The international calls of the foundation have attracted researchers from all the fields of knowledge coming from more than 20 countries. "Is it possible to bring in, retain and bring back researchers?", asked Cossío to end his intervention. The answer, according to him, is "yes, and it is even economically viable".

A total of 21 students received their Extraordinary Award for Bachelor's Degree and other 20 students the Extraordinary Awards for PhD Studies. Moreover, the ceremony also featured the two special awards given by the Faculty of Law and the Luis Suárez Estrada Award, given by the Social Council of the University of Oviedo to the Faculty of Economics and Business.