The students of the Basque group Jonju Weyndling and Aitor Aiesa have been interviewed, and according to Weyndling the offer by the UPNA does not match the request. They say that 35% of the students are Euskaldun and that is why they press the university to teach more subjects. They say that credit is sometimes offered, but then it is not complied with.

The director of the Linguistic Planning section, Imanol Nuñez, has also been interviewed and points out that this is very rare: there are about 2,000 credits and that last year only happened in six cases. He says that, ultimately, they prefer to assume a level of risk and move forward, with complete security and inactivity, “of course, if sometimes the professor who has to give credit gets sick or goes, we have no substitutes”.

According to Aiesa, in a sector of Basque students, one tries to learn the most in Basque, but another sector lives passivity in Basque learning, “sometimes it is more convenient to learn Spanish”. For this reason, he explains that at this moment the university must be pressured and colleagues made aware. According to Weyndling, “the university does not facilitate the learning of the Basque country. In addition, the struggle of the Basque Country is at a time of weakness, and this is clearly seen in the university”.

For this reason, on 23 March, mobilizations will be organized in the capitals of Euskal Herria together with the young Euskaltzales of Euskal Herria, and students are invited to mobilize.

Plan 2021-2024: objectives achieved

The UPNA was created in 1987 and still the Teaching Teachings are the only ones that can be completed in Basque. They take into account three criteria for the creation of subjects in Basque: ten students, an expert teacher and a familiarity, that is, the proximity of this career to people.

Today a full degree has 240 subjects and, according to Nuñez, some 2,000 subjects can already be studied in Basque. The careers of closeness with people are the ones that are becoming the most euskaldunifying: economy and enterprise, nursing or psychology, while it is said. “In social works, 72 subjects were offered and now 144. The objective is to offer the basic subjects in Basque.”

Translating nursing to the Basque Country is a historical claim at the UPNA: “We are going in steps, in 2018 there were eighteen subjects and in 2023 we anticipate 84”. In medicine, however, there is nothing in Basque, “there are only six Basque students. When there is more, we will put the subjects.” He says they have the 2021-2024 master plan and that the targets will be met this year earlier than expected.

However, Núñez insists that as important as continuing to Euskaldunify the subjects ahead is for Euskaldunes students to make theses and adhere to the world of research, with which the university will be equipped with Euskaldunes professors.

Translation funnel

Fernando Rey is the head of the Basque Technical Section of the UPNA and explains that the service focuses mainly on translation, correction and advice (from the 10th minute). Translation is the main area of work, but it also provides training courses for Euskaldun staff, especially with teachers. He says that more and more is being translated and that work is now being done for dignified use of the web, “for it to have a communicative function”.

In the academic field, too, more and more is being done, “although not at the pace we would like”. And it shows sorrow because the creation in Basque is small: “That is the challenge, if not only with the translation, we are creating a big funnel in our department. It’s not easy, but with our scarce resources we’re trying.”