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Donostia-San Sebastian.  The Etxepare Basque Institute presented the Chair programs that will be carried out in New York, Chicago, Frankfurt and Liverpool as well as a new Chair established at the University of Nevada, Reno.  This Chair, the fifth supported by Etxepare will begin this month, thanks to professor and researcher at the University of Deusto, Pedro J. Oiarzabal.

The Jon Bilbao Chair was created by the Etxepare Basque Institute at the University of Nevada, Reno on the historian and bibliographer’s 100^th birthday. He was also one of the main supporters of the Basque Studies Library at the University of Nevada, Reno.  The Chair’s goal is to internationally support research and knowledge on the Basque diaspora and culture.

This project is entitled, “Memoria Bizia, Project on the Living Heritage of the Basque Diaspora, 2014-16.  US & Canada,” which has been promoted by the Etxepare Basque Institute, the Secretary General of Foreign Action of the Basque Government, the North American Basque Organizations (NABO) and the University of Deusto.

Chicago, Frankfurt, Liverpool and NY

Besides this new Chair, the Etxepare Institute also presented achedules in four other programs that it supports.  

-The Koldo Mitxelena Chair (University of Chicago) whose goal is to disseminate Basque Studies in North America, focused on the promotion of Euskera, will be occupied this year by Miren Azkarate from May 5-June 7^th.  Dr. Azkarate will address the linguistic policy and plans for the promotion of the Basque language.

-The Eduardo Chillida Chair (Goethe University, Frankfurt) was created to support instruction on Basque art.  The direction of the program will be under Jonathan Wood, coordinator of the project at the Henry Moore Institute, professor at the University of Leeds.  He will use Chillida’s work as a starting point, in a program dedicated to contemporary sculpture and places and spaces that it occupies.  He will give classes from May 8-June 27^th at an open conference.  

-The Bernardo Atxaga Chair (City University of New York) is aimed at promoting research and knowledge of Basque literature and linguistics.  This year’s program will be taught by Professor Iñaki Aldekoa, from the University of the Basque Country, with the support of Mari Jose Olaziregi.  Their theme will be the influence of memory in Basque literature during the last forty years.

-The Manuel Irujo Chair (University of Liverpool), is a Fellowship Program aimed at researching and teaching about Basques in exile.  The 2014-2015 year will be occupied by Dr. Xabier Irujo, professor at the Center for Basque Studies.  The Chair will promote research on Manuel Irujo (starting February 2015) and will include classes taught to graduate students.