The Institute of Languages of BRAC University held a three-day international conference titled Language Metamorphosis: Implications for Language Education in Decolonial Contexts commenced at the university on Thursday.
This event aimed to analyse the transformative shifts in language education shaped by colonial legacies and explore their global impact on teaching methodologies and learning practices, said a press release on Friday.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by primary and mass education adviser Professor Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar as chief guest, while of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh professor Salimullah Khan delivered remarks as guest of honour.
Professor Ferhat Anwar, vice-chancellor, BRAC University; Professor Syed Mahfuzul Aziz, pro-VC, BRAC Unversity; Professor Mohammad Ashaduzzaman, director, International Mother Language Institute; Tamara Hasan Abed, chairperson, board of trustees, BRAC University; Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed, senior director of BIL; and Shaila Sultana, director of BIL attended the ceremony as special guests.
Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed, in her opening remarks, shared Sir Abed鈥檚 vision of BRAC University as a centre for holistic education, shaping students into changemakers. She also highlighted the BRAC Institute of Languages for its role in knowledge creation and promoting multilingualism as a bridge to global understanding.
Salimullah Khan highlighted that the conference should foster discussion and idea exchange, rather than seeking unanimous agreement.
Expressing concern that relying solely on foreign languages may not suffice, he also acknowledged the global importance of English but stressed that inclusive education must prioritise linguistic diversity, with the mother tongue at the forefront to ensure accessibility for all.
Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar praised the BRAC Institute of Languages for its innovation and inclusivity in linguistic education, and highlighted the conference as a key platform for generating ideas and solutions to advance this field.
Tamara Hasan Abed underscored the need to advocate for curricula that foster linguistic diversity, ensuring that education becomes a tool for inclusivity and cultural preservation.
Professor Syed Ferhat Anwar expressed his hope that the conference would become a platform for the democratisation of knowledge through language. He underscored the significance of cultivating empathy and respect for linguistic diversity in achieving this goal.
In her remarks, Professor Shaila Sultana, outlined the key highlights of the three-day conference and expressed her gratitude to all attendees for their efforts in making the event a success.
The conference has brought together over 300 scholars, language practitioners and students from Bangladesh and around the world to discuss critical themes, including multilingual education, language policy, linguistic diversity, and decolonial approaches to education.
It is featuring six distinguished keynote speakers, four distinguished scholars, two talented academics, two plenary sessions, two colloquium sessions, and 151 presentations, promising academic exchanges and impactful discourse.
The keynote speakers include Professor Suresh Canagarajah, Evan Pugh University professor of Applied Linguistics, English, and Asian Studies at Pennsylvania State University, United States; Professor Stephen May from the faculty of education and social work at the University of Auckland, New Zealand; and Professor Sender Dovchin, senior principal research fellow at Curtin University, Australia.
The remaining three will be joining online. They are Professor Sirpa Lepp盲nen, professor emeritus, Department of Language and Communication Studies, University of Jyv盲skyl盲, Finland; professor emeritus Robert Phillipson, Department of Management, Society and Communication at Copenhagen Business School, Denmark; and Professor Alastair Pennycook, professor emeritus, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.
