presentation

The Chair of Basque language and Culture was created in November 1963 on the initiative of the then Dean of the School of Philosophy and Letters, Antonio Fontán, and began its activities in February 1964 under the guidance of the prestigious Basque archaeologist and ethnologist José Miguel de Barandiaran. Its main goal was to promote both linguistic and ethnological research and the knowledge of the Basque language . This was stated in the decree of creation of the Chair [PDF] signed by St. Josemaría Escrivá, the first Chancellor the University, on November 16, 1963.

In the early years and under the sponsorship the Diputación Foral, the University assumed the teaching of Basque, with the teaching, among others, of José Basterretxea, "Oskillaso", while Barandiaran started a course focusing on a single topic of Basque Ethnology (1964-1979) and initiated ethnological research with the creation of the Etniker group of Navarre, attached to the Chair.

Since the mid-seventies, the Basque philologist Ana Echaide, who succeeded Barandiaran as Chair director, initiated a new line of work to rescue dialectal forms of Basque, and started the teaching of Basque linguistics within the academic curriculum. teaching and research received a B in the nineties, with the creation of the Diploma programs of study Basque programs of study and the incorporation of Professor Asier Barandiarán, an expert in Basque oral literature.

Since January 2012, a renewed board proposes to relaunch the Chairs bequest , combining tradition with an opening to new fields of study and new spaces, inside and outside the University, which will turn it into a place of meeting and dialogue for the promotion of Basque culture. More information [PDF] [PDF