Several professors connected to the University of California have created a research group that pursues different educational projects and events related to Basque studies. The group, UCBasque, includes several members from UCLA and UC Santa Barbara, as well as educators from other institutions across the state.
Currently, Basque language and culture classes are taught at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. Cal State Bakersfield has joined the fray with language and culture courses through its Institute for Basque Studies.
The group brought together a number of professors Dec. 3 for the first UCLA Basque studies conference held at the UCLA campus. Speakers presented lectures on a wide range of topics related to Basque studies, including the Basque language, Basque music, aspen carvings and how Basques supported Jews during World War II.
“I thought it was pretty impressive,” said CSUB Prof. Steve Gamboa of the conference. “Lots of interesting young scholars.”
Scholar Edurne Arostegui noted that Basque Studies sits at a complex intersection of several different disciplines, which can complicate research. She is working on a project to create an online database of Basque Studies research.
Educators from three Basque Studies programs — CSUB, UN Reno and Boise State — spoke about a joint initiative to bring Basque aspen carvings to the public, since most are located in hard-to-reach mountainous locations.
The University of California has hosted different Basque studies initiatives and programs since the 1960s.
The new UC Basque group, which developed in spring 2025, seeks to create an academic initiative with other scholars in California who are interested in Basque studies. Iker Arranz Otaegui of UCLA noted that in addition to the existing Basque studies programs, they hope to make a connection with professors at UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Davis and UC Riverside.
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The three founding members of the group are Arranz (UCLA) with a background in contemporary Cultural Studies; Viola Miglio (UCSB), Barandiarán Chair in Basque Studies, noted for research on minoritized languages and historical Basque–Icelandic ties; and Nicholas Smith (PhD UCLA), whose dissertation “The Basque Exception” looks at representations of Basque identity and radical politics.
Among the UC group’s members are Joseba Gabilondo (Michigan State Univ.,emer.), an authority on Basque and post-national literatures; Blake Allmendinger (UCLA), who teaches Basque-American literature; Sarah T. Roberts (UCLA), expert on digital labor and media; David Vila (CSU Monterey), scholar of Iberian subcultures; Itxaso Rodríguez-Ordóñez (CSU Long Beach), sociolinguist of language contact; Steven Gamboa (CSU Bakersfield), philosopher and head of the Institute of Basque Studies; Joanna Brooks Leonis (SDSU), cultural historian; Stephen Pandol (UCLA/Cedars-Sinai), scientist; Mikel Etxeberria (UCLA) technologist; and Kevin Moore (Stanford), researcher in science communication.
