Author: Center for Intercultural Dialogue

Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz, the Director of the Center for Intercultural Dialogue, manages this website.

Copenhagen Winter School in Sociolinguistics 2026 (Denmark)

Study Abroad

Copenhagen Winter School in Sociolinguistics, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 9-13 March 2026. Deadline: 1 December 2025.

The LANCHART Centre and the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics at the University of Copenhagen once again invite applicants for a PhD winter school in sociolinguistics. The winter school will take place from the 9th to the 13th of March 2026 at the University of Copenhagen. The overall theme for the course is sociolinguistics understood broadly, and the participants will gain insights into different research fields within contemporary sociolinguistics. Focus is on newer developments and we will address themes and questions raised within the study of language, variation and indexicality as well as discourse oriented studies of language, diversity and social media. These issues will be discussed both from a theoretical and an empirical perspective.

Each day will consist of presentations of PhD projects from participants, discussions, and lectures from teachers. Invited guest teachers: Sinfree Makoni (Professor, Department of Applied Linguistics, Penn State University), Sari Pietikäinen (Professor, Department of Language and Communication Studies, University of Jyväskylä), Emma Moore, Professor( Department of English, University of Sheffield). Local teachers: Marie Maegaard (Professor, Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics, University of Copenhagen), Lian Malai Madsen (Professor, Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics, University of Copenhagen).

FMSH: DEA Programme 2026 (France)

FellowshipsDEA Programme, Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (FMSH), Paris, France. Deadline: 28 November 2025.

The DEA Program offers university professors from around the world the opportunity to carry out research in the humanities and social sciences (HSS) in France during stays of four to six weeks. Each year, the programme supports up to 30 projects, with a selection rate of approximately 30%.

Particular consideration is given to applications from countries where funding opportunities for the humanities and social sciences are limited, as well as to scholars for whom a stay in France would provide a significant opportunity to foster scientific collaboration.

Established in 1975 at the initiative of Fernand Braudel, the “Directeurs d’Études Associés” (DEA) Programme is the oldest international mobility scheme of the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme.

CFP U Cambridge: Translating Conflict and Refuge (UK)

ConferencesCall for papers: Translating Conflict and Refuge: Language, Displacement, and the Politics of Representation, University of Cambridge, England, 24 April 2026. Submission deadline: 5 December 2025.

Linguistic barriers exacerbate the already formidable challenges of responding to humanitarian crises, particularly—but not exclusively—in conflict zones. In the past decade alone armed conflicts worldwide have inflicted untold suffering on large populations and often resulted in mass displacement. Addressing the needs of those affected by war and violence necessitates the involvement of large numbers of translators and interpreters, many of whom are frequently untrained volunteers. In addition to the immediate crisis response, people with, or seeking, refugee and/or asylum seeker status require sustained access to translation and interpreting support in host countries, both in order to access basic services and to enable their integration into local communities.

This event will bring together translators, interpreters, scholars, NGO representatives, and volunteers to develop a deeper understanding of the complex demands and realities involved in translating conflict and refuge. The aim is to create a space for meaningful exchange as well as to generate concrete opportunities for collaboration.

KC117 Remote Acculturation

Key Concepts in ICDThe next issue of Key Concepts in intercultural Dialogue is now available. This is KC117: Remote Acculturation, by Fatemeh Hippler. Click on the thumbnail to download the PDF. Lists organized chronologically by publication date and number, alphabetically by concept in English, and by languages into which they have been translated, are available, as is a page of acknowledgments with the names of all authors, translators, and reviewers.

Key Concept 117: Remote AcculturationHippler, F. (2025). Remote acculturation. Key Concepts in Intercultural Dialogue, 117. Available from:
https://centerforinterculturaldialogue.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/kc117-remote-acculturation.pdf

The Center for Intercultural Dialogue publishes a series of short briefs describing Key Concepts in Intercultural Dialogue. Different people, working in different countries and disciplines, use different vocabulary to describe their interests, yet these terms overlap. Our goal is to provide some of the assumptions and history attached to each concept for those unfamiliar with it. As there are other concepts you would like to see included, send an email to the series editor, Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz. If there are concepts you would like to prepare, provide a brief explanation of why you think the concept is central to the study of intercultural dialogue, and why you are the obvious person to write up that concept.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

East Tennessee State University: Assistant Professor & Director of Storytelling (USA)

“JobAssistant Professor and Director of Storytelling, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA. Deadline: 5 December 2025.

The Department of Communication Studies and Storytelling at East Tennessee State University seeks an Assistant Professor and Director of Storytelling. This position carries full-time, tenure-track status beginning August 15, 2026, as an academic year appointment pending continued availability of funds.

They seek an energetic and inspiring faculty member with a demonstrated emphasis in Storytelling who will grow undergraduate programs in Storytelling and a master’s program in Communication and Storytelling Studies through teaching and alliance building with campus and community partners, such as the International Storytelling Center, National Storytelling Network, Mary B. Martin School of the Arts, and Story Collab). The new colleague should be able to help students understand storytelling not only as folk and traditional art but also as contemporary practice with socially transformative potential and workplace applications.

They are especially interested in candidates who have or are willing to develop an expertise in digital storytelling. The successful candidate must have a demonstrated ability as a performance storyteller and possess strong academic credentials and experience in two or more of the following areas: performance studies; performance ethnography; narrative; oral history, applied storytelling; social justice; street, forum, or interactive theatre; arts-based research methods; storytelling for career preparation (e.g., interpretive biology, public history, environmental or natural resource interpretation, cultural heritage interpretation).

Hong Kong Baptist U: Assistant Professor: Academy of Language & Culture (Hong Kong)

“JobAssistant Professor, Academy of Language and Culture, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong. Deadline: 16 November 2025.

The Academy of Language and Culture, launched 1st July, 2024, is a dynamic institution, initially comprising three departments: English Language and Literature, Humanities and Creative Writing, and Translation, Interpreting, and Intercultural Studies. The vision is to be a leading centre of excellence fostering linguistic diversity, creative expression, and intercultural communication.

The Academy invites applications for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level. They seek candidates with expertise in cultural studies, visual cultural studies, and media studies, particularly in aesthetics, gender studies, health humanities, and environmental humanities. Scholars with experience in developing AI technology or AI-empowered projects are particularly encouraged to apply.

They are especially interested in candidates who are committed to interdisciplinary teaching and research, and to developing and expanding the humanities with computational or technical expertise. Ideal candidates will demonstrate strong programming skills and knowledge of AI methods, with a proven ability to advance creative expression and innovation. An ability to collaborate with colleagues from different departments in the Academy is fundamental. Applicants with a proven international research record and a history of securing external research grants will be given preference.

Candidates should demonstrate methodological innovation and interdisciplinary integration in their research. An active research programme addressing contemporary issues in cultural studies and humanities is essential, as is evidence of successful grant capture or well-developed grant proposals ready for incubation.

U Bergen: Africa-Europe Research Collaborations (Norway)

EventsAfrica-Europe Research Collaborations, University of Bergen, Norway (Hybrid), 3 December 2025. Registration deadline: 20 November 2025.

This event draws inspiration from the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations, with a keynote address exploring its vision and impact. Members of the Global Partnerships Working Group within the Coimbra Group will present collaborative examples from several European universities. The University of Bergen will present its own initiatives aligned with the symposium’s theme. In addition, there will be a separate session on collaboration with Sudan. The event will conclude with a panel debate on the future of Africa-Europe research collaborations.

This symposium is organized by Global Challenges, one of three priority areas at the University of Bergen, and the Global Partnerships Working Group of the university network Coimbra Group.  The event is organised in collaboration with The Southern African – Nordic Centre (SANORD) network at University of Bergen and Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.

UNESCO Global Report on Cultural Policies | Culture: The missing SDG

“UNESCO”
UNESCO Global Report on Cultural Policies | Culture: The missing SDG. Paris, France: UNESCO.

UNESCO launched the first edition of the UNESCO Global Report on Cultural Policies | Culture: The missing SDG during the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2025, on 29 September 2025, in Barcelona, Spain.

UNESCO Global Report on Cultural Policies

Amid growing recognition of culture’s essential role in shaping inclusive, sustainable societies, the inaugural UNESCO Global Report on Cultural Policies | Culture: The Missing SDG presents a first global snapshot of cultural policies across regions and sectors. Based primarily on over 1,200 national and local reports submitted between 2019 and 2024, the report maps how countries are advancing culture through public policy.

The landmark publication is the first of its kind to cover all regions and cultural domains, offering the most comprehensive global analysis of cultural policies to date and providing an evidence base to guide new agendas and strengthen multilateral cooperation. The Global Report draws on 1,200 national and local reports and 200 case studies submitted between 2019 and 2024. It highlights key regional and global trends. It underscores the importance of culture for sustainable development, peace and security, and calls for an independent goal for culture in the post-2030 global agenda.

CFP: The African CAT: Language, Identity, and Communication Accommodation in African Contexts

“Publication

Call for papers: The African CAT: Language, Identity, and Communication Accommodation in African Contexts, Language and Intercultural Communication. Deadline: abstract only, 1 December 2025.

Guest Editors: Howard Giles (University of California, Santa Barbara, USA & University of Queensland, Australia) and Tekena Mark (Rivers State University, Nigeria)

Over the past five decades, Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) has evolved into one of the most empirically rich and theoretically robust frameworks for understanding how individuals adapt to—or distance themselves from—others in interpersonal and intergroup communication. Originally formulated as Speech Accommodation Theory (Giles, Taylor, & Bourhis, 1973), CAT has since expanded to encompass a wide range of verbal and nonverbal behaviors, including accent, dialect, speech rate, gestures, clothing, and even silence as well a wide array of social groups, languages, applied and institutional contexts, new technologies (e.g., human-machine interactions and social media) and even non-human species (e.g., Giles, Markowitz, & Clementson, 2025).

Yet, despite its global applicability, African communicative practices have remained under-researched in CAT scholarship and, indeed, in intercultural scholarship more generally. That said, there has, very recently, been a flurry of CAT activity on a broad range of topics emerging from all around the continent of Africa. This Special Issue is, therefore, very timely and aims to cohere and expand developments in CAT and their possible synergies with intercultural communication research through African perspectives. Toward the latter end, this will be achieved, for instance, by drawing attention to indigenous languages, sociocultural norms, multilingual negotiations, and communicative strategies shaped by colonial legacies, identity politics, and evolving digital cultures.

Key theoretical developments relevant to this Special Issue include entrainment, mimicry, interactive alignment (van de Pol et al., 2023), and the dynamic co-existence of convergence, divergence, and maintenance (Guydish & Fox Tree, 2021). We invite rich, context-sensitive, and culturally-grounded analyses that speak to everyday communicative realities in African communities, institutions, and diasporas. In line with the editorial vision of Language and Intercultural Communication (LAIC), authors are especially encouraged to explore and establish synergies between CAT and the critical approach to intercultural communication, as developed in IALIC (International Association for Languages and Intercultural Communication) and reflected across LAIC’s publications. This may involve questioning power dynamics, ideological positioning, colonial histories, and the ethics of communicative encounters.

CFP Interactional Competences and Practices in a Second Language

ConferencesCall for papers: Interactional Competences and Practices in a Second Language, Newcastle University, UK, 24-26 August 2026. Deadline: 21 November to 20 February 2026.

The fifth ICOP-L2 conference will be hosted by Newcastle University in the North-East of England and by the University’s Applied Linguistics & Communication (ALC) research team. ALC at Newcastle has a long and proud history of research in social interaction research, and L2 interaction more specifically, dating back over 20 years.

A Call for Papers will be circulated in mid-September.