9th Meeting of Basque Language and Culture Lecturers welcomes teachers from 14 countries

Basque language and culture instructors working in Basque Studies programmes at universities around the world gathered in Donostia for the 9th Annual Meeting of Basque Language and Culture Assistants, organised by the Etxepare Basque Institute. A total of around twenty lecturers from universities in 14 countries across Europe and the Americas took part in the event to share their experiences from the academic year, present the projects they are working on, exchange best practice and reflect on the challenges posed by teaching the Basque language and culture in the international university setting. In addition to the meeting, they took part in a three-day training programme held from 8 to 10 July.

The meeting took place on 10 July at Tabakalera, where participants were welcomed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Culture and Language Policy of the Basque Government, Ibone Bengoetxea. They also had the opportunity to discuss with her the work they carry out at universities around the world. During the event, the Etxepare Basque Institute team presented the digital tools and resources available to the network of Basque language lecturers. The programme also included a series of sessions in which lecturers from universities in cities including Chicago, Edinburgh, Warsaw, Havana, Leipzig, Helsinki, Bologna, Paris, Frankfurt, and Poznań shared their teaching experiences.

On 8 July, the teachers also took part in the sixteenth ‘Bikaintasuna Euskal Ikasketetan’ summer course, organised by the Etxepare Basque Institute as part of the University of the Basque Country’s (EHU) Summer Courses and in collaboration with Musika Bulegoa. The day was devoted to exploring the current state of musical creation in Basque and featured artists, promoters, and other music industry professionals. Among them were the artists Maren Berzosa, Jurgi Ekiza and Jon Maia Soria; Arkaitz Villar, project manager at Musika Bulegoa; and Amaia Ispizua, promoter at Get In. Attendees were able to take part in presentations and round-table discussions focusing on the presence of the Basque language in music, the diversity of musical creation in this language, the linguistic choices made by artists, and the challenges of internationalisation.

The second day of the training programme took place on 9 July at Soinuenea, the museum of folk music in Oiartzun, where the participants explored the history of traditional Basque music in greater depth. Itziar Navarro, a music specialist and the museum´s curator, gave an overview of the origins of Basque folk music and the development of musical creation from the nineteenth century to the present, placing its historical evolution in context. Following a guided tour of the museum’s instruments collection, participants had the opportunity to try their hand at playing the txalaparta.

Weaving a network

Since 2018, there have been nine Meetings of Basque Language and Culture Assistants. This ninth edition marked the conclusion of a new training cycle aimed at strengthening the international network of Basque language lecturers and supporting the continuing professional development of its teaching staff. The Etxepare Basque Institute currently supports Basque language instructors at 33 universities around the world, as well as promoting 12 international chairs and three research programmes. Through this network of partnerships with universities around the world, the Institute strengthens the international presence of the Basque language and culture while promoting their integration into university teaching and research.