Basque Studies: academic activities in New York, Montreal, Buenos Aires and Wales

To enhance the recognition and visibility of the Basque language and Basque studies, the Etxepare Basque Institute promotes Basque studies lectureships or chairs at prestigious universities around the world. The Basque language and culture chairs promote specialised teaching (especially at postgraduate level) and academic research revolving around Basque studies through placements of qualified teachers, artists, or creators at universities with which we have partnerships.

We currently have 12 university chairs in operation, and several of them have hosted various academic activities in recent weeks.

Bernardo Atxaga Chair (CUNY) – New York: antifeminist resistances

Miren Gutiérrez, professor and researcher at the University of Deusto, has been invited this year to the Bernardo Atxaga Chair promoted by the Etxepare Basque Institute at the City University of New York.

From 7 to 10 October, Gutiérrez gave a workshop focusing on the intersection between technology, discourse and power from a gender perspective. Based on ‘Erresistentziak antifeministak Lokatza podkastean’ – an article on antifeminist discourse which she co-authored – she spoke about misogyny, anti-feminist resistance and gender disinformation in the Basque Country and beyond.

Gutiérrez also delivered a lecture titled ‘Antifeminist Resistances: An Overview from the Basque Country’ where she addressed the topic of ‘antifeminist resistance’ through the exploration of three cases in the Basque Country.

Elbira Zipitira Chair (McGill University) – Montreal: social transformation and transdisciplinarity in urbn contexts

The Elbira Zipitira Chair launched in collaboration with McGill University focuses on social innovation. From 7 to 21 October, Aitor Zuberogoitia was in Montreal to take part in a series of talks and debates on social transformation and transdisciplinarity in urban contexts, focusing on the use of minority languages and their relationship with social networks. During his visit, Zuberogoitia shared his perspectives on the future of the Social Sciences and Humanities, and the challenges facing these disciplines in an ever-changing world.

As part of a cooperative university within the Mondragon cooperative movement, Zuberogoitia also discussed the origins and objectives of this unique university model. He also discussed the concept of ‘ethical cities,’ emphasising the importance of inclusion, sustainability and open governance as pillars of fairer urban development.

Finally, as a member of a minority culture and language (Basque), Zuberogoitia reflected on the role of minority languages and cultures in our cities. He also discussed the potential pathways for their development and integration in urban environments, with special attention on how social media can help strengthen their presence and visibility in contemporary society.

Alan R. King Chair (University of Wales Trinity Saint David) – Gales: Sociolinguistics and Euskara

The Alan R. King Chair, located at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, focuses on sociolinguistics and language policy. Every year a researcher from the Basque Country spends six weeks at the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies in Aberystwith, where they carry out academic and research activities. This year the researcher selected was Mikel Gartziarena.

Gartziarena is a specialist in bilingual education and the Basque language. Earlier this year, he took part in an innovative project to introduce new elements in teacher training in the Basque Country´s educational models, and shared the initial results during his time in Aberystwith.

Amale Artetxe Chair (Universidad Nacional de San Martín) – Buenos Aires: Nestor Basterretxea y las vanguardias

The Amale Artetxe Chair is housed in Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina. On November 4, 5 and 6 the programme hosted a seminar led by author Peio Aguirre titled ‘Modernidades singulares y vanguardias vernáculas; Néstor Basterretxea y al arte vasco internacional del siglo XX y XXI’ (Singular modernities and vernacular avant-gardes; Néstor Basterretxea and international Basque art in the 20th and 21st centuries).

The seminar focused on the debate between modernity and post-modernity, using the analysis of ‘Basque art’ as a case study examined in its historical and contextual background.

The Basque artist Nestor Basterretxea (1924-2014), who started his artistic career in Buenos Aires in the 1940s after fleeing to exile due to the Spanish Civil War in 1936, was a central figure in this chapter.

The seminar started with a specific case study and then mapped the transcontinental artistic avant-gardes, which constantly shift their coordinates and frameworks. This covered the European artistic avant-gardes, the Spanish context, the Basque avant-garde, and its connections with Latin America.

Thus, Basque art can act as a resonance chamber when analysing specific, local contexts in Argentina, Brazil, and other focal points in Central and South America.

On November 7, Aguirre and Alfonsina Lenaroz gave a talk at the Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Cultural Centre at 6:00pm titled: ‘Las raíces argentinas de un artista vasco: Nestor Basterretxea’ (The Argentinian roots of a Basque artist: Nestor Basterretxea).