Sorbonne Nouvelle to offer a minor in Basque Studies

Université Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris has organised an open house information day on 7 February to present the academic minor Langues et cultures nationales de la péninsule Ibérique : basque, catalan et galicien (Languages and national cultures of the Iberian Peninsula: Basque, Catalan and Galician).

This specialisation programme was launched in the 2025-2026 academic year to provide knowledge about the languages and cultures of the different regions of the Iberian Peninsula. Next year, it will once again offer a curriculum that includes Basque, Catalan and Galician.

The minor is taught within the Iberian and Latin American Studies Department at Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, and is offered in various academic pathways, including the Spanish and Portuguese degree programmes as part of ‘Langues, Littératures et Civilisations Étrangères et Régionales’ (Foreign and Regional Languages, Literatures and Civilisations), as well as in the Language Sciences degree programme.

The minor consists of four compulsory subjects taught during the first two years of the degree programme, along with optional classes relating to each language. The compulsory subjects will cover the history, literature and artistic expressions of the regional cultures of the Iberian Peninsula. The optional subjects will offer courses in Basque, Catalan and Galician language and culture, structured into three different levels. From the second year onwards, students in the ‘Langues et cultures nationales de la péninsule Ibérique : basque, catalan et galicien’ programme will be able to choose two specialisation courses per semester.

The specialisation course focusing on the Basque language and culture was designed by Sorbonne Nouvelle in collaboration with the Etxepare Basque Institute, which provides financial support. The Catalan studies programme was developed in collaboration with the Institut Ramon Llull, and the Galician studies programme with the Xunta de Galicia. Through support from the Etxepare Basque Institute, new opportunities will be offered each year to students enrolled in the Basque language and culture course.

Every summer, the Aurten Bai Foundation organises an intensive Basque language course, or barnetegi, at the Zornotza language school, aimed at students from the network of Basque culture and language lecturers, in collaboration with the Etxepare Basque Institute. The Institute covers the costs of the course and accommodation at Zornotza, which runs from July to August.

Students participating in this programme are also eligible to enter the ‘Aurten Euskara Bai!’ writing competition, with a prize that can cover their travel expenses to the barnetegi. In addition, an online version of the intensive course is available open to a larger number of participants. This format includes three hours of classes per day, with all teaching materials provided to students through the Moodle platform.

Lastly, thanks to the collaboration between the Etxepare Basque Institute and Sorbonne Nouvelle, a research grant is awarded annually to students to support further studies of the Basque language and culture. This support is aimed at those who have taken a course in Basque language or culture in the network of lecturers over the last three years, and can be applied to doctoral theses, Master´s degree final projects, Bachelor´s degree final projects or papers presented at international conferences. Two types of grants are available: a mobility grant for a short stay in the Basque Country, covering transport, accommodation and documentation costs; and a grant to carry out the research project from the university of origin, covering travel expenses for interviews and access and resource costs in specialised libraries.

Université Sorbonne Nouvelle encourages students interested in deepening their knowledge of Basque culture to visit the Euskal Etxea Basque Centre in Paris. This association is dedicated to promoting Basque culture in the French capital and regularly organises cultural, artistic, and leisure activities.

Finally, the Etxepare Basque Institute works to promote the Basque language and culture internationally and to promote Basque studies in academia in collaboration with international partners.

 In Paris, in addition to Sorbonne Nouvelle, Université Sorbonne is part of the network of lecturers and regularly offers courses in Basque language and culture. Similarly, the Esther Ferrer Chair will soon be launched at this university, as announced during the 15th anniversary celebration of the Etxepare Basque Institute.