ULAB concludes conference on “Entangled Englishes in Translocal Spaces”

The University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (Ulab) concluded a three-day-long international conference titled 'Entangled Englishes in Trans local Spaces' held virtually from Thursday to Saturday.

 The conference was organised by the university's Center for Language Studies and the Department of English and Humanities, said a media statement.

Education Minister Dipu Moni graced the occasion as the chief guest, while Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Professor Dr Kazi Shahidullah, and member of Ulab Board of Trustees Kazi Nabil Ahmed, attended as the special guests. 

The keynote was presented by eminent sociolinguist Alastair Penny cook, professor emeritus of the University of Technology Sydney. 

Prof Penny cook said World Englishes are entangled with social, political, cultural, and material realities of individual and collective lives. He specified that English needs to be decolonised and provincialised.   

This interdisciplinary conference included papers by scholars and professionals from ten countries on Englishes to examine their roles in society.

The conference, featuring five plenary sessions, a poetry recitation session, and a panel discussion, was convened by Professor Shamsad Mortuza, vice chancellor (acting) of Ulab, and Professor Shaila Sultana, advisor, Center for Language Studies at Ulab.

 Acting Cultural Affairs Officer of the US Embassy in Dhaka, Sharlina Hussain-Morgan attended the closing ceremony as the chief guest with Prof Imran Rahman.

The three-day international conference ended with a cultural show presented by the students of the Department of English and Humanities of the university.