The Department of World Languages and Cultures at The University of Toledo will host two international scholarly conferences in July.
“Bringing global experts in linguistics and intercultural communication to our R1 institution is in line with our University’s mission and contributes to raising our reputation as a hub for scholarly inquiry,” said Dr. Gaby Semaan, chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures and conference chair for both events.
The first event, the annual conference of the Linguistic Association of Canada and the United States (LACUS), will take place fully online from Wednesday, July 8, through Friday, July 10. Its theme is “Linguistics and Language Future: Generative AI, Multilingual Repertoires and Linguistic Justice.”
“A fully online conference allows us to center linguistic justice in practice; scholars from under-resourced institutions and students can participate without visa barriers or prohibitive travel costs,” said Dr. Kasumi Yamazaki, assistant chair for the LACUS conference. “This conference highlights how artificial intelligence is reshaping human language, whose voices are amplified or silenced, and how linguists can work toward fairer language practices.”
The second event, the annual conference of the International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies (IAICS), runs Tuesday, July 21, through Friday, July 24, in a hybrid format, featuring synchronous in-person sessions on Main Campus and virtual participation.
Hongyan Lan, assistant chair of the IAICS conference, said the event’s theme, “Intercultural Communication Across Digitally Intertwined and Displaced Worlds and Words: Challenges and Opportunities,” focuses on migration, digital co-presence and the tensions and possibilities of communicating across borders.
“Holding two consecutive international conferences on one campus might be unusual, but UToledo’s status as a Carnegie-classified R1 university makes it a natural venue,” said Semaan, who also serves as the current president of the IAICS. “An R1 university does not simply consume knowledge; it convenes the conversations that produce it.”
Semaan stressed the timeliness of the topics, noting that generative AI is already rewriting classrooms, clinics and courtrooms, while millions of displaced people navigate digitally mediated, fractured communication landscapes.
“These conferences are not abstract academic discussions,” Semaan said. “They directly address the lived realities of our globally connected, deeply unequal world.”
The Department of World Languages and Cultures welcomes students, faculty and community members to attend either or both conferences. For registration and more information, visit the LACUS conference website or the IAICS conference website.
