The EUROCORES programme “Better Analyses based on Endangered Languages (EuroBABEL)” is proud to announce its Final Conference on 23-26 August in Leiden, the Netherlands.
Background and Objectives
The diversity of the world’s languages is on the verge of becoming dramatically reduced in the decades to come. Partly due to the attention that has been drawn to this problem, the field of linguistics has been moving towards taking the diversity of languages more fully into account. The dramatic change in the amount and the nature of primary data that is being collected and analyzed has proven to have, and will continue to have, a profound influence on our insights into the human language faculty.
In 2009, the EUROCORES programme “Better Analyses Based on Endangered Languages (EuroBABEL)” was launched with the aim of solidifying this development. The EuroBABEL programme has been - and continues to be - crucially different from, and complements, existing documentation initiatives in that our emphasis lies on bringing the newly gathered data to bear on the development of linguistic theory and all areas concerned with the study of language. The programme covers a number of projects that work on primary data, both newly collected and archival material, in order to concentrate on the analysis and the use of the results to expand and correct our insights into the structure and nature of human language.
The EuroBABEL programme – with a research budget of ca. 5 Million Euros – brings together 22 research teams from 9 countries across Europe and the US. The EuroBABEL Final Conference brings all programme members together for the final time, presenting the outcomes of the programme to the EuroBABEL community.
Structure of the Conference programme
Throughout the running time of the programme, the EuroBABEL members have been actively engaged in creating synergy among the various EuroBABEL Collaborative Research Projects (CRP)s. An important outcome of the EuroBABEL programme is indeed that the programme as a whole has proven to be more than the sum of its parts. To present this added value, the EuroBABEL Final Conference will entail three sessions that each address an issue that lies on the interface of various EuroBABEL CRPs and that have emerged during the running time of the programme as holding particular promise. In each session speakers from at least two different CRPs will present their views. Apart from presenting the outcome of the programme, this structure also allows the conference to point towards new directions of research. In addition to these cross-CRPs sessions, all CRPs will be given the floor to present themselves. Rather than providing an overview of all the work that they have carried out in the past three years (which will be available in the Final report to be produced), the CRP presentations will focus on a particular result or research line that they wish to highlight. The conference will end with a session dedicated to Panel discussion.
Programme and abstracts
The conference programme is available here.
A Programme Booklet, including the programme, the list of participants and the abstracts, is available and will be distributed at the conference.
Registration
Participation in the EuroBabel conference is by invitation only.
Participants should register onsite with the ESF EuroBabel Administrator on Thursday 23 August from 13.00-14.00 hours or from 17.00-19.30 hours, sign the attendance list and collect their name badges. For late arrivals, the registration desk will also be open from 08.30-09.00 hours in the morning of Friday 24 August. The conference registration desk, where supplementary information will be provided, is situated in front of the reception.
If you will be arriving late or need to leave early, please inform the ESF EuroBabel Administrator in advance by e-mail to eurobabel@esf.org (if not already indicated in your online registration form).
When
The conference will take place on 23-26 August 2012, with a welcome dinner scheduled upon the participants' arrival on Thursday 23 August. It will finish on Sunday 26 August with lunch.
In the afternoon of 23 August, your CRP will organise an internal meeting. Your project leader will contact you about this in due time.
Where
The conference will be held in Leiden, a beautiful historical city, in the pleasant Hotel Golden Tulip and Tulip Inn Leiden Centre situated opposite the Leiden Central Station.
Practical information guide
Detailed information on all practical aspects of the conference (how to get to the hotel, registration, accommodation and meals,...) is available from the Practical Information Guide. It is important that you take the time to read it.
A conference dinner will take place on Friday 24 August in the Restaurant van der Werff. There will also be a free evening on Saturday 25 August. A list of suggested restaurants is available here. More information is available in the Practical Information Guide.
Important information for invitees
For invitees, travel costs will be reimbursed up to a maximum of Euros 300 for European participants (country of residence) and Euros 700 for non-European participants (country of residence), in accordance with the ESF rules of reimbursement that can be found on the back of the ESF Travel Claim Form. Accommodation (pre-paid by the ESF) will be arranged for a maximum of three nights from Thursday 23 August until Sunday 26 August.
Contact
For further information about the conference, please contact the ESF office at eurobabel[at]esf.org
