BIP brings students and academics together to explore Ibero-Romance languages at the University of Minho

From 14 to 25 September, the University of Minho hosted the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) “Línguas Ibero-Românicas na Europa e América (contactos, influências, convergências)”, bringing together students and academics from six European universities to explore the diversity, evolution and interaction of Ibero-Romance languages.

Organised by Pedro Dono López and Maria Micaela Dias Pereira Ramón Moreira, from the University of Minho, the programme was developed within the Arqus International Forum on Romance Studies (AIFRS) community of the Arqus European University Alliance.

The initiative brought together 14 academics and 35 students from the universities of Granada, Leipzig, Padua, Graz, Wrocław and Minho, creating an international and multidisciplinary environment for learning, discussion and academic exchange.

Designed for Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD students in Romance Languages, the BIP combined an online component with an intensive face-to-face programme. The online phase introduced participants to the main themes of the programme, while the in-person phase took place from 21 to 25 September at the School of Arts and Humanities (ELACH), on the University of Minho’s Gualtar Campus in Braga.

Primarily conducted in Portuguese and Spanish, the programme explored a range of linguistic topics related to these languages and other Ibero-Romance languages, including Galician. Participants examined areas such as texts and written language, linguistic varieties and variation, and situations of cultural and linguistic contact across Europe and the Americas.

Throughout the face-to-face week, students participated in lectures, workshops and talks delivered by teaching staff from the participating universities. The format provided opportunities to approach Ibero-Romance languages from different academic and geographical perspectives, while encouraging dialogue between students and academics from across the Arqus network.

The academic programme was complemented by a cultural component aimed at connecting the themes discussed in the classroom with the historical and cultural context of the region. Participants took part in guided visits to the historic centres of Braga and Guimarães, as well as to the Monastery of Tibães.

By combining virtual learning, face-to-face academic activities and cultural experiences, the BIP provided an international space for participants to reflect on the contacts, influences and convergences that have shaped Ibero-Romance languages in Europe and the Americas.

The initiative also reinforced cooperation within the Arqus International Forum on Romance Studies, bringing together members of the Alliance around a shared academic field and creating new opportunities for mobility, intercultural exchange and collaboration between students and teaching staff.

Pictures and text by João Pedro Ferreira Gonçalves