The programme will open with a plenary presentation by Imar de Vries, member of the Languages and Cultures Core Team at Utrecht University. He will share insights on the team’s efforts to foster new interdisciplinary collaborations within the Faculty of Humanities and will discuss two concrete examples of journalism-oriented courses that illustrate how a dedicated focus on language and culture can lead to responsible (open-source) approaches to understanding how societies are (re)presented – and how this promotes students’ awareness of their role as active participants in these debates. The keynote will lead to avenues for interdisciplinary research within the humanities, both from Higher Education Research and from a broader socially engaged perspective.

The plenary will be followed by a structured matchmaking lunch, designed to help participants identify synergies and explore potential collaborations. Facilitated discussions will focus on opportunities for joint grant proposals, PhD supervision, and innovative teaching initiatives.

The event will conclude with a panel discussion exploring how scholars working on language, culture, and higher education approach politically engaged research and teaching. Questions may include:

• How can researchers ethically engage with social movements and political activism?
• What are the epistemological, methodological, and practical considerations of "activist research"?
• How does language- and culture- focused scholarship contribute to efforts for social justice and cultural empowerment?

Lead organizers:

• Joanna Chojnicka (University of Groningen)
• Bert Le Bruyn (Utrecht University)
• Rozanne Versendaal (Utrecht University)

While everyone is welcome to attend, please note that registration is required to participate:

For any questions related to the event, please contact Sible Andringa: