What can centuries-old proverbs teach us in the age of artificial intelligence?
The international conference Connected by Proverbs showed that traditional wisdom still has an important place in modern research. Bringing together linguists, researchers and citizens from across Europe, the event explored how artificial intelligence, multilingual collaboration and citizen science can help preserve and better understand Europe’s shared cultural heritage.
Hosted at the former Teacher Training College of the University of Jaén, the hybrid conference welcomed participants both on campus and online. The initiative formed part of the NEOLAiA European University Alliance, with researchers from University of Jaén working alongside colleagues from Bielefeld University, University of Tours and University of Salerno.
Bringing Tradition and Innovation Together
Researchers explored how proverbs have evolved across languages and cultures by combining corpus analysis, artificial intelligence and comparative linguistic research. Rather than treating tradition and technology as separate worlds, the conference demonstrated how they can strengthen one another and open new opportunities for research.
The event also highlighted NEOLAiA’s commitment to Citizen Science, encouraging members of the public to become active contributors to research instead of simply engaging with its outcomes. By involving citizens in documenting and analysing cultural heritage, the initiative strengthens the connection between universities and society.
Strengthening European Collaboration
University of Jaén lecturers Francisco P. Pla Colomer and Laura Crespo Quesada from the Department of Spanish Philology led the conference.
Opening the event, Vice-Rector for Culture Marta Torres described the conference as an example of what European university cooperation can achieve.
“This gathering is a living example of what it means to be a European university. Through this project, coordinated by University of Jaén, we are forging networks (invisible yet indestructible) with sister institutions such as University of Bielefeld in Germany, University of Salerno in Italy and University of Tours in France, whilst also enjoying the prestigious endorsement of the International Association of Hispanists (AIH)”
The Vice-Chancellor for Culture at the UJA also emphasised the universal value of proverbs as a shared heritage:
“Proverbs know no borders. They are the cultural DNA of our peoples, an intangible heritage which, when brought into dialogue, demonstrates that, beyond geographical or linguistic distances, human concerns, humour, morality and everyday life are universal,” she noted.
Beatriz Valverde, Director of the Secretariat for European Universities and NEOLAiA Coordinator at the University of Jaén, highlighted how the Alliance helps connect universities, disciplines and communities across Europe.
“Proverbs have served for generations to connect people through shared experiences. Today, thanks to projects such as this one and the framework for cooperation offered by NEOLAiA, those same proverbs also connect universities, countries, disciplines and citizens. In short, they connect Europe through its cultural heritage.”
She also highlighted the combination of the local and the European as one of the most inspiring aspects of the project:
“Preserving our cultural heritage does not mean confining it within our borders, but rather bringing it into dialogue with other languages, other traditions and other ways of understanding the world.“
Three Perspectives on Proverbs
The conference programme featured three thematic sessions that examined proverbs from complementary perspectives.
The first session introduced innovative research methods, combining classical lexicography and phraseology with artificial intelligence, ecolinguistics and studies of culinary proverbs.
The second session explored how proverbs travel across cultures. Speakers discussed multilingual perspectives in French, German and Italian while examining themes such as multiculturalism, ageing and gender.
The final session focused on the province of Jaén, showcasing research on local oral traditions and addressing the challenges of documenting, preserving and analysing regional proverb collections for future generations.
By bringing together cultural heritage, digital innovation and citizen participation, Connected by Proverbs demonstrated how European collaboration can create new ways of preserving knowledge while strengthening connections between universities, researchers and communities across Europe.
