UWTSD welcomes Dr Jaione Diaz Mazquiaran
Etxepare Basque Institute and UWTSD welcome Dr Jaione Diaz Mazquiaran to the Alan R King Visiting Chair in Sociolinguistics
The University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies is delighted to welcome Dr Jaione Diaz Mazquiaran to the Alan R King Chair in Sociolinguistics, in partnership with the Etxepare Basque Institute.
The Chair was founded in 2022, named after the eminent linguist, the late Dr Alan R. King, who contributed so much to the relationship between Wales and the Basque Country.
It offers a strategic opportunity for a scholar from the Basque Country to come to Wales to strengthen the exchange between the two countries and to share research and practice in the field of sociolinguistics and language planning, which is so important for both languages.
Dr Diaz Mazquiaran’s expertise is in Basque-medium education, focusing on policy and practice in schools in relation to pupils who come from immigrant families. As part of her residency, she delivered a lecture at the National Library entitled ‘Language, beliefs and belonging: pupils from migrant families in Basque-medium education’. The recording is available on the Celtic Centre’s YouTube website: Y Ganolfan Geltaidd / CAWCS - YouTube
In addition to the lecture, her work programme during her stay includes workshops, visits, presentations and seminars, including a session with the Postgraduate Certificate in Language Policy and Planning.
Professor Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones, Director of CAWCS said: “We’re delighted to welcome Dr Jaione Diaz Mazkiaran this year. She is a talented scholar who has studied in many universities across the world, and has recently completed a timely and significant piece of research. The Alan R King Chair is an opportunity for her to share these findings as well as to build collaborative opportunities for her future career.
The Alan R King Chair has proven to be pivotal in expanding and strengthening the contact between Welsh and Basque researchers in the field of sociolinguistics. The three previous Chairs, Dr Imanol Larrea (2022), Dr Harkaitz Zubiri (2023) and Dr Mike Gartziarena (2024) have continued to work closely with researchers across Wales as a result of their residency with us.”
Dr Monika Madinabeitia, Director for the Promotion of the Basque Language of Etxepare Basque Institute, said: “The Alan R. King Chair provides an outstanding platform for nurturing sustained academic exchange, collaborative research, and collective reflection on language policy and revitalisation strategies between the Welsh and Basque communities.”
Dr Jaione Diaz Mazkiaran, Alan R King Chair for 2025 said:
“Being awarded the Alan R. King Chair in Sociolinguistics 2025 has been an immensely rewarding experience for me as an early-career researcher and educator. It has provided a unique opportunity to share and discuss the findings of my PhD research in a multilingual context where Welsh, as a vibrant language, plays such a central role. Working within this environment has allowed me to engage with and learn from inspiring initiatives in language planning and revitalisation, to exchange ideas with colleagues, and to contribute to strengthening the links between the Basque Country and Wales. Alongside my guest lecture and seminars, I am also learning Welsh, meeting stakeholders who promote and safeguard its use across different domains, and sharing perspectives and resources with local researchers. I am looking forward to visiting Canolfan Gwên, a language immersion centre in Carmarthenshire, to share the developments and challenges of language immersion in Wales and the Basque Country. I will also be observing Prosiect BRO fieldwork, in order to learn more about this comprehensive sociolinguistic survey of contemporary Welsh-speaking communities. Visiting different parts of Wales and experiencing its rich cultural heritage has made this fellowship not only an academic milestone but also a profoundly personal and enriching journey.”