Gorka Espiau assumes the Elbira Zipitria Chair to foster social innovation collaboration between the Basque Country and Quebec
The director of the Agirre Lehendakaria Center has been appointed to the Elbira Zipitria Chair (2026–2027), established by Etxepare Euskal Institutua at McGill University (Montreal). During his stay, which will take place from October 26 to November 8, he will focus on social innovation and systemic transformation, facilitating methodological comparison and the identification of strategic avenues for collaboration between the Basque Country and Quebec.
Shared Learning to tackle complex challenges
Quebec is an international leader in the development of ecosystems for social innovation, collaborative governance, and the social economy. Espiau, who maintains close research and teaching ties with McGill’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Montreal Studies (CIRM/CRIEM), aims to further explore the co-design of new infrastructures geared toward addressing complex social challenges.
Over the coming weeks, the Agirre Center will share methodological advances and local projects it has developed, based on community engagement, collective interpretation, and the deployment of large-scale experimentation platforms.
Work agenda and key activities
The academic and outreach program, co-organized with CRIEM–McGill University, brings together various forums for debate and knowledge transfer.
On October 27, the seminar “Politiques de science, de technologie et d'innovation: perspectives du Pays basque et du Québec” will be held, designed as a forum for shared reflection on the public and industrial strategies of both regions. The program also includes the lecture “From Industrial Heritage to Democratic Futures: Lessons from Bilbao and Montreal,” which focuses on the impact of industrial heritage and urban regeneration from a community perspective. The agenda is rounded out by the presentation “Cities that Care: Building Compassionate, Democratic, and Innovative Communities from Bilbao to Montreal,” which will address the role of care, social innovation, and community cohesion in designing the cities of the future.
Elbira Zipitria Chair
Creada en 2022 por el Etxepare Euskal Institutua en colaboración con las facultades de Artes e Ingeniería de la Universidad McGill y el CIRM, la Cátedra Elbira Zipitria lleva el nombre de la legendaria educadora y promotora del movimiento ikastola, que busca conectar los estudios vascos con la innovación cultural, lingüística y social contemporánea en el ámbito académico internacional.