The Multilingual University: Challenges, Innovations and Future Perspectives
🗓️ The Multilingual University returns on 5–6 February 2026. *Save the date*
đź“Ł The call for papers opens in September 2025. *Watch this space for updates.*
25-26 April 2025, Brussels
Keynote speakers
Professor Jo Angouri, University of Warwick
Professor Panos Athanasopoulos, Lund University
Professor Jean-Marc Dewaele, University College London
Professor Luisa MartĂn Rojo, Universidad AutĂłnoma de Madrid
Professor Stef Slembrouck, Ghent University
Professor Wim Vandenbussche, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Conference Programme:
Conference Venues
DAY 1: U-Residence, VUB campus
DAY 2: Flemish Parliament
For registration please see here: https://events.vub.be/the-multilingual-university-challenges-innovations-and-future-perspectivesLink opens in a new window
Conference themes:
Languages Policies and Institutional Practices
-
How do universities negotiate multilingualism in policies and governance?
- What are the tensions between English as a global academic language and institutional multilingual strategies?
Pedagogy and Curriculum Design
- How can multilingual approaches enhance learning and teaching in higher education (content, interaction, evaluation)?
- What are effective strategies for developing multilingual literacy?
- How do students’ linguistic repertoires shape engagement and knowledge construction?
Academic Identities and Multilingualism
- How do students and staff navigate multilingual academic spaces? How do students develop their academic identities, taking into account the academic relevance of their linguistic repertoires?
- What are the implications of multilingualism for academic careers, mobility, and inclusion?
Multilingualism, AI, and Digital Technologies
- How does AI influence multilingual higher education practices?
- What role do digital tools play in both language learning and multilingual academic output (oral presentations as well as written assignments)?
Internationalisation and Multilingual/Monolingual practices
- What are the implications of student mobility for multilingual policies and vice versa?
- How do universities balance local linguistic diversity and policy with internationalisation goals?Decolonial and Social Justice Perspectives
Decolonial and Social Justice Perpectives
- How can multilingualism contribute to decolonising higher education?
- What is the role of non-dominant languages in knowledge production?