The problem is in objectives

1998/09/01 Kortabarria Olabarria, Beñardo - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Unibertsitateak
• Giza zientziak

The times when it was discussed whether science could be done in Basque have been far away. At present, the most blind anti-Basque university students who live and work in our lands do not dare to say something similar, unless they are considered unknown. But that does not mean that these people are willing to facilitate the creation of universities in Basque.

On the contrary, the obstacles that are going to be put now, which are being put on for a long time, are going to be more ingenious and subtle, but not less effective, because, although the discourses used are softer, if we do not overcome them, the Basques who want to build a university in Basque, would take us almost without realizing to change our objectives. And I think the real problem is in the goals.

The process of using Euskera at all levels of the UPV/EHU –a law recognized in the statutes approved in 1985– has not yet been completed, the questions that now want to ask the Basques at the university, although they do not consider it, are deviant the objective of comprehensive Euskaldunization: Is it beneficial to conduct research in Basque? Should the results of the research be published in Basque or is it not more effective to do so in English? Are we going to offer bilingualism a la carte? These kinds of things pose to us, while the Basque branches are not developed and we do not want to forget that we do not see great aspirations to develop. We need hard skin!

I mean the evolution of the Faculty of Sciences. This faculty was born out of nowhere ninety years ago, and it is 25 years that the promotions of the different departments are in the street, in Spanish format, of course. Without analyzing how this reality has materialized, some want us to believe that it is not yet possible to carry out the whole process of learning the faculty in Basque. Let's be serious... and honest, if they don't ask us too much.

The process of euskaldunization of the Faculty of Sciences, which in principle was an official medium and an extra-official medium, began twenty years ago, when the Basque branch emerged. After twenty years, this year there is a promotion that has carried out all the studies of Biology in Basque. Congratulations! I am glad on the one hand, but on the other I wonder how it has been achieved in just twenty years.

Unfortunately, I get a clear answer: this is because the objectives of the initiative emerged from below, students from the Basque branch and some Basque professors, have not been assumed by those in charge of the university, and the continuous difficulties that have occurred along the way. Clearly speaking, the real key is that: The authorities of the University/Faculty have not considered as an important priority objective the teaching – and life – in Basque, despite the exception of some people who have acted with good will. And to supply this voluntary refusal of the authorities, so far they have referred to “objective” arguments, which are still being used today. Let's say some.

Some believe that science is the main objective of Scientific Falculty: a science of great quality, in his words. These are two key words that are published as a barrier when planning the Basque language. In any case, let's say that when the new subject is in Spanish, they don't even arise... then you won't say that subject of quality science.

In any case, we know perfectly well that the works published in Basque in the last twenty years – theses, articles… – and those published in other languages by professors and researchers who have worked in Basque, in most cases in English have been of great quality in their scarcity, at least at the same level as those published by other professionals of the faculty.

And for us it is clear that to work science and quality, and science with quality, the language that scientists use in everyday life can also be Basque, like any other language. Whether or not we want to act like this, whether or not we consider that everyday use as objective, that is something else. The problem that concerns us here. So we do not confuse things because they are not confusing.

There is a lack of prepared and well-prepared people. Comments on quality can also be repeated here. Over the years, many graduates and doctors have not left the faculty, they also knew Basque, and at the level of those who only knew Spanish. Planning to further prepare the newly graduated Basques is not something of the other world, but very feasible. Planning is simple when there is a strong decision to achieve the goals. The most important thing is that priority objectives are also set here, but they have not been set and there seems to be no intention of doing so.

Budgets are scarce. Again the data is constantly falsified. The only budgets cited are the additional ones that should be incorporated into the new plans. Meanwhile, those destined for teaching in Spanish, traditionally used, are never mentioned by anyone, but they are the ones who absorb practically all the ordinary budgets of the university. In any case, these will not be questioned in any case, since, as for the objectives, services in Spanish are essential, unlike services in Basque.

In addition to these arguments, it can be heard that doubling the university would be a barbarity — although it is known that in Leuven it has been done — that there is no room for the Basque branches to condition the classrooms they need, that within society a gap can be created...

In any case, as I have insisted, I believe that the problem is not so much of arguments, but of marked objectives. As long as the university that really works in Basque, society, I would say, does not become a priority goal, all possible efforts will not be sufficient. I'm not going to be useless, because I think there's no potter effort to take place, but it's going to be like patching old clothes, and here what we Basques need is not old clothes with patches that cover our waist, but new clothes that protect our whole body.

During the celebration of the days of the Universe of the Basque Country, the core of the problem was clearly raised, in the way of clarifying what we are, what they want to convert us and what we want to be. With his words, what happens is that they have forced us to be a category, that they want us to be categorized, that they want us to maintain at the level of category, that they want us to become a category,... and we, instead, want to be a universe, that we have decided to be a universe. Those who want to live in Basque are not a section or category that they want to lead to live protected the universes of another language, but a universe that has the right to build a whole world, even if it is small. And rights are or are not exercisable. That is our goal, which we want to extend to all departments of society, without forgetting of course the university level.

Today, the realization of university studies in science in Basque is more possible than ever, many scientists are able to live, work, teach and research in Basque, more than ever, in the absence of the least possible to reach the university in Basque. But we have heard more than one scientist and professor who knows Basque well that this goal is not important. This leads us to think if they don't want to reject the goal before reaching the goal.

That is why we have to be clear that if it is not proposed as a priority objective to lead the process of euskaldunization, we will never materialize the objective. At the time when a Basque branch of the Department of Biology has been established in the Faculty of Sciences of the UPV/EHU, but at the same time, I wanted to make public these reflections at times when you risk castrating before developing other outbreaks.