This year, 2018, we are celebrating Pompeu Fabra Year, in honour of Pompeu Fabra (1868-l948), who so brilliantly structured the Catalan language and whose name is borne by our University. He was born on 20 February, 150 years ago.

UPF, through the Pompeu Fabra Chair, directed by Teresa Cabré, emeritus lecturer of the University, is organizing various activities and events to remember the Maestro and make both the person and his work known.

These activities, contained in a recently set up website, are related to different fields, such as literature, cultural discovery, Fabra’s influence abroad, and online teaching.

They form part of Pompeu Fabra Year 2018, an extensive programme promoted by the Government of Catalonia, curated by Jordi Geneva, professor of Catalan Philology at Rovira i Virgili University.

This initiative aims to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the birth of the Maestro, who codified and standardized modern Catalan, and the 100^th anniversary of the publication of Gramàtica catalana (Catalan Grammar), one of his main works.

A literary portal, a cultural tour, a comic, a MOOC and an academic conference; several ways to get to know Pompeu Fabra

The Pompeu Fabra Portal includes the complete works of Fabra in digital format.  It allows access to each of the works by the Maestro and allows you to search a string of characters (a word or set of words) in all his works, in works within the same category, or a specific work. 

The Pompeu Fabra Route consists of a cultural tour of Barcelona, on foot, concerning the most important events in the life and work of Pompeu Fabra. It stops at seven places related to the Maestro’s childhood, studies and leisure as well as his relationship with L’Avenç, the Ateneu, the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya and the Institute of Catalan Studies.

The comic “Pompeu Fabra. The adventure of language”, by Oriol Garcia Quera (illustrations) and Gemma Pauné Xuriguera (script and text) is published by Rafael Dalmau Editors, within the collection El traç del temps. The comic will be presented on 14 March 2018 at the Institute of Catalan Studies.

The new MOOC Getting to Know Catalonia. An Introduction to the Catalan Language, Culture and Society (registrations open) will get under way on 2 April. It seeks to present the Catalan language and culture to all those interested and, in particular, to international students joining UPF and the Catalan university system in general. 

Finally, the Fourth Conference of the Pompeu Fabra Chair will be dedicated to the work of Pompeu Fabra, both in and outside of Catalan-speaking regions.

The website includes a second part on the life and work of Pompeu Fabra. Among other issues, it includes information about his bibliography; language codification; the concept of language; scientific language; translation, literature and commitment; syntax; the formation of words and the relationship of Fabra with the press.