Language@Leeds hosts inaugural showcase exploring the societal impact of language research
The Showcase demonstrated how innovative language research is driving progress in areas such as inclusivity, accessibility, and educational equity
Language@Leeds held its first public showcase this month, bringing together over 100 participants from across academia and the public, private and third sectors to explore the role of language research in tackling major societal challenges.
Language Research to Address Regional and Global Challenges, which took place at Nexus on Tuesday 1 April, demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, highlighting how innovative language research is driving progress in areas such as inclusivity, accessibility, and educational equity.
Gisela Tomé Lourido, Director of Language@Leeds and Associate Professor in Sociophonetics, welcomes attendees to the showcase.
In total, the event drew participants from 17 Schools and Professional Services at the University, alongside representatives from other universities and professionals from the public, private and third sectors.
Reflecting on the success of the event, Dr Tomé Lourido said:
“Our first public Language@Leeds showcase highlighted the incredible breadth and impact of interdisciplinary language research here at the University of Leeds. It was exciting to see so many new connections being made and to explore together how language research can help build a more inclusive and equitable society. Thanks to all of those who helped organise the event, to all presenters, and to those who came along and made it such a success.”
Kate Fellows, Sarah Dirrane, Kate Welsh and Cat Davies in the panel discussion
Welcoming attendees, Professor Nick Plant, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, underlined the value of language research in helping us to listen more deeply and understand the complexity of people’s lived experiences. An introduction by Dr Gisela Tomé Lourido, Director of Language@Leeds and Associate Professor in Sociophonetics, followed.
A series of lightning talks showcased cutting-edge research from across the University, spanning early education for deaf children in low-resource settings by Prof Ruth Swanwick, ethical ways of engaging with the language of others by Prof Maggie Kubanyiova, oracy in schools by Prof Stephen Coleman, and the use of AI to build more inclusive democratic spaces by Prof Serge Sharoff. These were followed by a talk on reducing inequities through education by Dr Paula Clarke.
Professor Maggie Kubanyiova, Professor of Language Education and Deputy Director of Language@Leeds said:
"Language and communication are central to many, if not most, of the fundamental societal challenges that our world is facing today. This showcase has highlighted the power of language inquiry to bring about genuinely life-enhancing outcomes for individuals and communities across lifespans and diverse areas of social life: education, arts, health, business, civic participation. The diversity of projects represented on the day have attested to the vast potential of local and global collaborative partnerships and to the importance of our sustained and equitable investment in them."
A panel discussion chaired by Professor Catherine Davies, Professor of Language Development and Dean for Research Culture, brought together Kate Fellows (Leeds Museums and Galleries), Sarah Dirrane (Cosmos) and Kate Welsh (Bradford Metropolitan District Council) to discuss best practice in cross-sector collaboration and the importance of working together to address shared challenges.
The showcase culminated in a lively poster session and networking reception, featuring 49 posters from researchers across nine different Schools. The posters, grouped by theme, can be viewed on the Language@Leeds Theme page.
Attendees take in the showcase’s poster display.
Professor Andrew Thorpe, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, said:
“This event was a powerful reminder of how language research can drive positive change in society. It brought together diverse voices from across a broad range of disciplines and sectors, demonstrating the real-world impact of cross-Faculty work stemming from the arts, humanities, and social sciences. I was delighted to attend it and left it with a stronger commitment than ever to the profound importance of languages. Congratulations to Gisela and her team on putting on such an inspiring and outward-looking event.”
Language@Leeds is an interdisciplinary network that brings together researchers from across the arts and humanities, social sciences, computing and engineering. By fostering collaboration across disciplines and sectors, it aims to maximise the positive impact of language research on societal challenges.
