Elbira Zipitria Chair: Leire Cancio Orueta

Visiting researcher Leire Cancio Orueta will undertake a research stay with the CIRM-CRIEM group at McGill University in Montreal, focusing on social innovation. CIRM-CRIEM is an internationally renowned centre for interdisciplinary studies, particularly recognised for its work on community listening processes.

Her participation during the residency will revolve around three main areas. First, she will share knowledge on experiences from the Basque Country, focusing on listening and co-creation processes developed across various fields. Second, she will explore the relationship between the Basque language and the digital humanities, analysing the presence of Basque in digital environments and the role of language technology tools in fostering public participation and listening. Finally, she will gain first-hand insight into the practices carried out by the CIRM-CRIEM team, share expertise, and explore potential avenues for collaboration.

Leire Cancio Orueta holds degrees in Economics and Psychology. She works in the field of social innovation, with extensive experience in people development and management within the sectors of scientific culture and language normalisation. She holds a master’s degree in Social and Solidarity Economy, with a thesis titled ‘Social Innovation and the Social Economy: Face to Face’. She is involved in BETA, a consultancy project focused on transformation, where she takes part in various social innovation initiatives. She is also a lecturer at Mondragon Unibertsitatea and collaborates with Arantzazulab, a leading centre for democratic innovation.

Elbira Zipitria Chair

The Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Engineering at McGill University have been working with the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Montréal (CIRM) since 2022 to promote the Basque language in education and society, placing innovative cultural movements at the centre. The Elbira Zipitria Chair was created in 2022. In the Chair’s inaugural colloquium, Idoia Fernández, Miren Azkarate and Pablo Suberbiola spoke about Basque culture and cultural innovation.