# Iñaki Alegria

> researcher ORCID ID = 0000-0002-0272-1472

**Wikidata**: [Q16517758](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16517758)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/inaki-alegria

## Summary
Iñaki Alegria is a Spanish computer scientist and researcher specializing in Natural Language Processing for the Basque language. He is a prominent faculty member at the University of the Basque Country and served as the rector of Udako Euskal Unibertsitatea from 2014 to 2018. He is best known for his work on foundational Basque linguistic tools, including the Xuxen spelling checker.

## Biography
- **Born:** September 21, 1957, in San Sebastián, Spain
- **Nationality:** Spain
- **Education:** University of the Basque Country
- **Known for:** Development of Basque language software tools (Xuxen, Matxin) and academic leadership in the Basque community.
- **Employer(s):** University of the Basque Country (Faculty of Informatics of San Sebastian)
- **Field(s):** Computer Science, Natural Language Processing, Computational Linguistics

## Contributions
Iñaki Alegria has been a central figure in the development of computational tools for the Basque language. His most significant technical contribution is **Xuxen**, a free software spelling checker for Basque that was first launched in 1994. This tool provided essential digital infrastructure for Basque speakers and writers. 

As a member of the **Ixa Group**, Alegria has contributed to several landmark projects in Natural Language Processing, including **Matxin** (an open-source machine translation system), **EDBL** (a Basque lexical database), and **Ikergazte** (a congress for young researchers). His work often bridges the gap between computer science and linguistics, focusing on the unique morphological challenges of the Basque language.

Beyond software development, Alegria has held significant leadership roles in the Basque academic sphere. He served as the rector of **Udako Euskal Unibertsitatea (UEU)** between 2014 and 2018. He has also been a prolific mentor, serving as a doctoral advisor for numerous researchers who have gone on to contribute to the field, including Bertol Arrieta, Nerea Ezeiza, and Xabier Saralegi.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Iñaki Alegria's most famous work?
A: He is most widely recognized for his role in developing **Xuxen**, a Basque language spelling checker released in 1994, which is a vital tool for the Basque-speaking digital community.

### Q: What academic institutions is he affiliated with?
A: He is a researcher and teacher at the **University of the Basque Country** (Faculty of Informatics of San Sebastian) and is a member and former rector of **Udako Euskal Unibertsitatea (UEU)**.

### Q: What awards has Iñaki Alegria received?
A: He is a recipient of the **Abadia award**, which recognizes individuals for their contributions to the Basque language.

## Why They Matter
Iñaki Alegria’s work is fundamental to the digital vitality of the Basque language. By creating open-source tools like Xuxen and Matxin, he ensured that Basque remained a functional language in the age of personal computing and the internet. His efforts within the Ixa Group helped establish the University of the Basque Country as a recognized center for computational linguistics. Furthermore, his leadership at Udako Euskal Unibertsitatea helped foster a self-sustaining Basque-speaking scientific community, ensuring that high-level research could be conducted and disseminated in the native language of the region.

## Notable For
*   **Xuxen (1994):** Co-developer of the first major spelling checker for the Basque language.
*   **Rector of UEU:** Served as the rector of Udako Euskal Unibertsitatea from 2014 to 2018.
*   **Abadia Award:** Recipient of this prestigious award for Basque language advocacy and development.
*   **Ixa Group:** Key member of this influential research group focused on Natural Language Processing.

## Body
### Academic Career and Affiliations
Iñaki Alegria Loinaz (also known as Iñaki Alegría) was born on September 21, 1957, in San Sebastián. He is a computer scientist and university teacher at the University of the Basque Country, specifically within the Faculty of Informatics of San Sebastian. He is a long-standing member of the Udako Euskal Unibertsitatea (UEU) and the Ixa Group research collective.

### Research and Mentorship
Alegria's research focus lies in Natural Language Processing. His own doctoral studies were supervised by Xabier Artola Zubillaga and Kepa Sarasola Gabiola. He has subsequently supervised a large number of doctoral students, including:
*   Manex Agirrezabal
*   Bertol Arrieta
*   Izaskun Etxeberria Uztarroz
*   Antton Gurrutxaga
*   Ruben Urizar Enbeita
*   Xabier Saralegi
*   Nerea Ezeiza
*   Jose Ramom Pichel
*   Izaskun Fernandez Gonzalez

### Key Projects and Software
Throughout his career, Alegria has led or contributed to several notable works:
*   **Xuxen:** A spelling checker for Basque (Inception: 1994).
*   **Matxin:** An open-source machine translation system for Basque.
*   **EDBL:** A comprehensive lexical database for the Basque language.
*   **Ikergazte:** An initiative and congress aimed at young researchers.

### Digital Presence and Identifiers
Alegria maintains an active presence in the research community, identified by ORCID 0000-0002-0272-1472 and ISNI 0000-0002-0272-1472. He has been active on Twitter (handle: inakialegria) since February 2012.

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## References

1. [Source](https://www.berria.eus/albisteak/179954/nola-aldatuko-du-koronabirusak-mundua.htm)
2. datos.bne.es
3. Virtual International Authority File