Since 2018, specific sessions called “Research Forum” have been included in the programmes of IALIC annual conferences. The aim of these initiatives is to create a dedicated space where conference participants can exchange ideas on their current research interests and explore possibilities for future collaborations.
Diversity and epistemological plurality: Thinking interculturality ‘otherwise’
Lisbon, Portugal
7-9 September 2022
During the conference in Lisbon, the IALIC members discussed the specific topic of the work of academics as journal reviewers. Many of us are active reviewers for several journals. Yet, as scholars, we seldom have
the opportunity to exchange ideas on this aspect of our work, which is crucial for the research community and to assure the quality of scientific outputs. The starting point for the discussion was a short presentation by the IALIC Research Officer, who reported on the results of an anonymous survey she had administered to the IALIC community in the months that preceded the conference. The questions asked about the respondents’ practices and opinions about the activity of the reviewer. The questionnaire obtained 50 replies (thank you all!) and helped the discussion during the Research Forum in Lisbon. Again, this forum proved to be a key open space for sharing ideas and experiences, exploring issues, and developing new insights.
Language, culture and interculturality: Global debates, local challenges
Bogota, Colombia
22-26 November 2021
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The 2021 Research Forum again had a different format from the previous ones. There were three coordinators: Claudia Borghetti (IALIC Research Officer), Ramzi Merabet (IALIC Postgraduate Student Representative), and Mario Molina Naar (co-organiser of the IALIC 2021 Conference). In addition, the Forum discussions revolved around specific inputs related to the conference themes. For example, participants were provided with the extract of an article written by a university student in the UK about political correctness and were asked: “What is your position on the specific issue of using the terms “global” and “local” in education and in research dedicated to language, culture and interculturality?” and “More generally, in your opinion, to what extent research, education, and societies at large benefit from political correctness?”. Another debated issue was about Global Citizenship Education: how it relates to intercultural education and what specific features it acquires in different teaching and/or research contexts.
This year’s Research Forum had a different format, but was just as successful as previous editions. More than 40 participants joined us in the lively discussions, which year after year make this corner of the IALIC conference a space dedicated to open debates related to our members’ shared research interests.
20th Anniversary IALIC Online Symposium
Issues, Controversies And Difficult Questions
23-27 November, 2020
The 2020 Research Forum was the final event of the 20th Anniversary IALIC Online Symposium (Friday 27th). It came at the end of a very inspiring week, with high-quality papers and stimulating exchanges among speakers and participants; thus, it represented an opportunity to go back to the thought-provoking conversations had during the week. The RF meeting started with short summaries of each day, so that those who had not attend all sessions could get an idea of “the difficult questions, issues and controversies” addressed. After that, participants engaged in a lively debate and discussed a series of key topics in intercultural communication research, including our role of researchers and practitioners (the professional language we use, the impact our studies can and should have on societies, etc.). Overall 44 participants contributed to the success of the initiative, and the IALIC management committee would like to thank each one of them for their participation.
19th IALIC Conference
Translating cultures. The culture of translating
University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
20-22 November, 2019
In Valencia, special attention was given to exploring European funding programmes as a way of stimulating collaboration among the IALIC members and affiliates. In response to this end, Francesco Girotti (University of Bologna) was invited to give a keynote talk about “Multilingualism and interculturality in the current and future Erasmus+ Programme”. As the coordinator of the European Projects Unit at the International Relations Division in Bologna, he offered a very informative plenary session, focussing on the more relevant financial opportunities for research in languages and intercultural communication. A lively debate about potential project areas and topics accompanied and followed the keynote talk.
18th IALIC Conference
The ‘Good’ Interculturalist yesterday, today and tomorrow
University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
29-31 August, 2018
For the first IALIC Research Forum, participants were invited to share their expertise and interests and to put forward suggestions as to how the Association could contribute to establishing research networks among members. Three short talks (5 minutes each) acted as icebreakers and starting points for discussions: Manuela Guilherme presented GLOCADEMICS (Glocal Languages and Intercultural Responsibility in a postcolonial global academic world); Claudia Borghetti talked of IEREST (Intercultural Education Resources for Erasmus Students and their Teachers); Prue Holmes introduced Researching Multilingually. Participants shared ideas on how IALIC could facilitate collaboration; one of them, i.e., inviting experts on research funding programmes to share their expertise at IALIC conferences was taken up during the following Valencia Research Forum in 2019.
