Two-Day International Conference on Language and Knowledge Begins at BRAC University

A two-day international conference on new ideas in language education and the study of knowledge has begun at BRAC University.

The conference, titled 'Epistemic Reconfigurations in Language Studies', opened on Friday (6 November) at the university's Merul Badda campus.

Academics, researchers and professionals from Bangladesh and other countries are discussing different aspects of language, knowledge production and language teaching at the conference.

The conference is organised by the BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL) of BRAC University. It is BIL's second international conference.

A total of 145 research papers are being presented at the conference. More than 250 academics, professionals and students are taking part.

The two-day programme includes three keynote presentations, talks by two invited speakers, a 'Rising Stars' session and three colloquium sessions.

Lulzim Plana, the ambassador of Kosovo to Bangladesh, attended the opening ceremony as a special guest.

He said communicating with people of different languages and cultures, sharing one's own ideas and learning from others' perspectives is very important. All of this, he said, helps us stay more connected with one another and build a cooperative future.

Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed, chairman of the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh, attended the event as chief guest.

He said communication and cooperation among countries are growing steadily in today's world. Knowing another language at this time, he said, is not merely an additional academic qualification. It creates new opportunities in education and employment, expands scope for cultural exchange and research cooperation, and strengthens relations among countries.

Professor Dr Arshad Mahmud Chowdhury, pro-vice-chancellor of BRAC University, chaired the opening ceremony.

He said the knowledge and academic practices of the Global North have long been given greater importance and treated as the main sources of knowledge, while the languages, history, experiences and knowledge traditions of the Global South have in many cases not received due recognition.

He added that decolonial thinking teaches us to think afresh about this inequality, encourages us to question established ideas, and helps us recognise our own intellectual heritage and make room for different views and perspectives.

In her welcome address, Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed, founder and adviser of BIL, said, 'We believe language education should be inclusive, relevant and change-oriented. It is also very important that language education has a deep connection with the social and cultural environment in which learners grow up.'

In her closing remarks, Professor Shayla Sultana, director of BIL and convener of the conference, said, 'We do not want to confine the work of teaching and learning languages only to the conventional classroom.'

She said they are working to extend this practice to workplaces where it is needed. Communication workshops are being organised for health workers and nurses, and practical programmes such as language labs are being expanded to support safe migration.

The keynote presentations are being delivered by Professor Dr David Block of Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Spain, Dr Ana Deumert of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and Professor Peter I. De Costa of Michigan State University in the United States.

The invited speakers at the two-day conference are Professor Yongyan Zheng of Fudan University in China and Dr Anwar Ahmed of the University of British Columbia in Canada.

Taking part in the 'Rising Stars' session are Dr Nasrin Parveen, senior lecturer at North South University, and Mohammad Moshiur Rahman, senior lecturer at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh.