Language, Culture and the Politics of Knowledge

This matchmaking event is an opportunity for researchers and educators to expand their networks, share expertise, and lay the groundwork for impactful joint initiatives in the framework of the sector plans. Everyone is welcome, registration required.

Important information at a glance

• Time: 24 June 2026, 11:00-15:00
• Location: Utrecht University
• Registration: please register by filling out the form below
• Lead organizers: Joanna Chojnicka (University of Groningen), Bert Le Bruyn (Utrecht University) and Rozanne Versendaal (Utrecht University)
  

Event description

The Dutch universities involved in the Languages and Cultures sector plan are organizing a half-day matchmaking event for researchers interested in the intersections of language studies, cultural studies, and the politics of knowledge production. Across the sector of languages & cultures, we increasingly engage with questions about the political and ethical dimensions of knowledge production: how language and culture both shape and are shaped by social dynamics, how research interacts with public debate, how scholars collaborate with civil society actors, and how universities themselves function as sites of political and cultural negotiation.

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?

Organizers

The event is part of national collaboration of the Languages and Cultures sector plan coordinators across Dutch universities:

• Sible Andringa (UvA)
• Joanna Chojnicka (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)
• Marion Elenbaas (Universiteit Leiden)
• Daan Hovens (Universiteit Maastricht)
• Merel Keijzer (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)
• Eva Knopp (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen)
• Gerrit Jan Kootstra (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen)
• Bert Le Bruyn (Universiteit Utrecht)
• William Marler (Universiteit van Tilburg)
• Diederik Oostdijk (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
• Rozanne Versendaal (Universiteit Utrecht)