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Jo Angouri and colleagues: EUTOPIA Innovation challenge: Exploring multilingualism
From 17–21 November, 78 students from across the EUTOPIA Alliance gathered at VUB in Brussels for the Innovation Challenge on “Challenges and Innovations in Multilingual Societies.”
This year’s event connected closely with EUTOPIA’s Multilingualism and Diversity and Text and Discourse Analysis communities. Warwick was represented by eight undergraduates from SELCS and SMLC, joining peers from partner universities for a dynamic week of collaboration and creativity.
Students took part in lectures and interactive workshops led by academics from across the alliance. Professor Jo Angouri, lead of the Multilingualism and Diversity community, delivered a double session on future directions in multilingualism research—exploring how rethinking language can foster more inclusive societies and the policy, educational, and communicative shifts needed to make this happen.
Working in cross-institutional, cross-disciplinary teams, participants tackled real-world challenges and developed innovative solutions. Projects ranged from multilingualism in education, healthcare, and tourism to language use on social media, identity, and the persistence of “one nation, one language” ideologies. Many drew on case studies and personal experiences, showcasing the richness of transnational learning.
On the final day, teams presented solutions shaped by community-centred and technology-enabled approaches. Key ideas included leveraging full linguistic repertoires, promoting cross-cultural awareness, creating interactive digital tools, and exploring how AI can support equitable multilingual communication.