Basque Visiting Scholar Program with ALC

In order to maintain collaboration in ongoing research at AC4 and in the International Program of the ALC, AC4 is able to invite a visiting scholar on a one-year appointment schedule. The visiting scholar program enables ALC scholars who meet Columbia University criteria to develop research partnerships with AC4’s extensive network of academics and practitioners.

The development of this program allows the activities to be consolidated that are already underway through the ALC International Program headed by Dr. Ibarretxe, along with providing momentum for other new activities, by consolidating it as an instrument that fosters advanced learning and research and innovation in areas of mutual interest to encourage progress in gaining knowledge, whose transfer will help to promote sustainable human development. The establishment of the ALC visiting scholar stimulates the collaborative university activity and create stable links between the people and teams of both institutions, so that impetus is given to research and innovation in collaboration and whose transfer will contribute to fostering more sustainable and fairer social and economic development.

Visiting Scholars from the ALC in the Basque Country

Photo of Miren Onaindia

Miren Onaindia Ph.D.
(2018-2019)

Professor Onaindia is a Professor on Ecology at the University of the Basque Country/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU) and Director of the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Development and Environmental Education. She is also Lecturer in the Biology degree as well as in Master’s and Doctorate programmes. She is the director of the Master in “Environment and Sustainability” of the UPV/EHU. Her research topic focuses on the study of biodiversity, landscape and evaluation of ecosystems, with application to the landscape sustainable management. She has directed 14 Doctoral Theses and 30 Master projects. She has published a total of 70 papers in scientific journals, books and book chapters, and 20 pedagocical publications. She is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Committee of the MaB-UNESCO program of Biosphere Reserves (Ministry of Rural and Marine Environment) since 2008, of which she was president between 2008 and 2012. Representative of the university in the Patronage of the Armañón Natural Park / Bizkaia from 2009 to 2017. She has held the positions of Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Sciences (1997-2000) and Director of International Relations for the UPV/EHU (2000-2001).

Photo of Gorka Roman

Gorka Roman, Ph.D.
(2017-2018)

Gorka Roman is a professor at the University of the Basque Country. He holds a PhD in Political Science and is currently finishing another PhD in Psychodidactics. He has several Bachelor’s Degrees in Social and Cultural Anthropology, English Studies and Basque Studies. He also has different Master’s Degrees in Nationalism, Visual Anthropology and Conflict Resolution and Migrations. His expertise includes nationalism, discourse analysis and processes of inclusion with migrants and refugees in the European and Basque contexts. His current research combines different international investigation groups working in fields related to sociocultural inclusion and civil networks. He is also Principal Investigator in an Erasmus+ project working on Aumentative and Alternative Communication. He has diverse publications on different topics such as political violence, identity formation and social inclusion.

Photo of Jon Landa

JON LANDA GOROSTIZA
From January 25 to March 16 (2024) Professor Landa completed his research with AC4 in the field of hate crimes from a comparative perspective. The Independent research was developed within the international research program that Agirre Lehendakaria Center and its Foundation (ALC-ALF) designed with AC4. Prof Landa is currently Full Professor in Criminal Law at the University of the Basque Country EHU (Euskadi, Spain). He is director of the UNESCO Chair for Human Rights and Public Authorities of the EHU (http://www.katedraddhh.eus). His principal lines of research deal with racism, xenophobia and discrimination, hate crimes, crimes against humanity, terrorism, penology and prison. He is the author of 7 books (13 additional books as editor or director) and more than 70 scientific articles and chapters of books.
He has also given/presented more than 280 speeches/papers. He has been in Hamburg (2000 DAAD), Heidelberg (2004 DAAD), University of Cambridge-Lauterpatch Centre for International Law (UK, 2010, 2011,2012, 2014), Viena (2016), Edinburgh (2018), Berlin (2019, 2022), New York (Columbia University, 2024) and München (2015, 2025) as visiting fellow.

Xabien Barandiaran

XABIER BARANDIARAN IRASTORZA
Xabier Barandiaran Irastorza holds a PhD in Sociology (2001) with a thesis titled “The Political Legitimacy of Young People in Public Institutions in the Basque Country.” He also has a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Deusto (1994). He is currently an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at the University of Deusto, Donostia-San Sebastián campus. He teaches subjects such as general sociology, political science basics, democracy, and collaborative governance. Xabier has directed the EITB-DEUSTO Master’s in Institutional and Corporate Communication and the Official Master’s in Research, Consultancy, and Social Innovation. He has published books and many articles in specialized journals. He is part of the research team in communication at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, which is recognized with an “A” rating by the Basque Government’s Department of Education, Universities, and Research. He is currently involved in several research projects related to the quality of democracy and collaborative governance. He has been a visiting scholar at the University of Oxford (UK), Javeriana University (Colombia), Columbia University (USA), and the University of Gothenburg (Sweden), among others. From 2023 to 2025, Xabier is a Fellow at the Agirre Lehendakaria Center (ALC)–Center for Political Studies, where he is researching the value of collaborative governance for strengthening democracy. He is also leading a joint research project between the University of Deusto and the University of Gothenburg on the quality of democracy in the Basque Country. In addition to his academic work, he has served as an Advisor to the Provincial Deputy of Gipuzkoa (2019–2023), Chief of Staff to the Provincial Deputy of Gipuzkoa (2007–2011 / 2015–2019), and Chief of Staff at the Department of Transport and Public Works of the Basque Government (2005–2007).

Cristina Uriarte

CRISTINA URIARTE TOLEDO
PhD in Chemical Sciences(1988), she is Full Prof.(1997) and Accredited as University Prof. by the ANECA(2010), in the Faculty of Chemistry (EHU). She has been Director of External Relations of the Gipuzkoa Campus(2001-04) and Vice-Rector of the Gipuzkoa Campus of the EHU(2004-2012). She has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Vicomtech(2006-2012); of the Governing Council of the Biodonostia Research Institute(2009-12); of the Innobasque Association(2008-2012); of the Executive Committee of Gipuzkoa Berritzen, and President of the Delegate Commission of the Strategic Plan of Donostia(2008-2012). She has been Head of Education, Language Policy and Culture(2012-2016) and Head of Education of the Basque Government(2016-2020), being President of the Basque Council of Universities and of the Ikerbasque Foundation, and member of the Council of Scientific, Technological and Innovation Policy of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Finally, she has been Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation of the Basque Government(2020-2024), responsible for the promotion and coordination of the functioning of the Basque Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Science, Technology and Innovation Plan.