New Basque Studies chair in Wales

The Etxepare Basque Institute has launched a new Basque Studies chair in Wales at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David hosted at the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (CAWCS) in Aberystwyth. The purpose of this chair is to promote research and academic collaboration is to promote research and academic collaboration in aspects of Basque and Welsh sociolinguistics and language policy and to foster mutual understanding between the two languages and cultures. CAWCS was created by the University of Wales in 1985 as a dedicated research centre conducting team-based projects on the languages, literatures, culture and history of Wales and the other Celtic countries.

This new chair is named after the late Alan R. King, linguist, advocate for minority languages and corresponding academic of Euskaltzaindia (Royal Academy of the Basque Language) since 2003. Its purpose will be to promote Basque studies in the postgraduate programmes of the University of Wales and in the research forums of the CAWCS through conferences and seminars.

Every year, a visiting lecturer or researcher selected through an open call will take up a six-week fellowship hosted at CAWCS at the University of Wales. Within the framework of this stay, he/she will conduct a research seminar, give an open lecture on language policy and planning, offer several sessions to students in the University´s postgraduate programmes and also lead a seminar on Basque language or grammar for linguists.

Open call for the first guest lecturer

The call for the first guest lecturer of the Alan R. King Chair opened today. The closing date for candidates to submit their applications is May 9th. Applications are available on the Etxepare Basque Institute website (here) and on the website of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (www.uwtsd.ac.uk/cawcs). All applications must be submitted by email to canolfan@cymru.ac.uk.

In selecting the successful candidate, in addition to being a teacher and researcher, expertise and professional experience in the field of Basque language planning, sociolinguistics and literacy will be taken into consideration.