On 24–25 September 2026, researchers from across Europe gathered at the University of Nicosia for the second NEOLAiA International Conference organised by the working group “Narrating (Hi)Stories in Decentring Europe.”
Hosted by the Department of Languages and Literature, this year’s conference focused on “Plurilingual Futures: Voices, Practices, and Reimagining Europe.”
The two-day event brought together 18 presenters from Spain, France, Germany, Romania and Cyprus, creating an interdisciplinary space to discuss how languages, different voices and ways of communicating influence how we understand and talk about Europe today.
Looking at Europe through different voices
At the centre of the conference was plurilingualism – not simply as the ability to use several languages, but as something people experience and negotiate in their everyday social, cultural and educational environments.
Participants explored how languages interact with storytelling, translation, education, memory and different forms of media. They also looked at how people use language to create meaning, share knowledge and make their voices heard.
The presentations approached these questions from different disciplines and perspectives, combining research, theory and practice.
A particular focus was placed on voices and experiences that may receive less attention in dominant narratives. By looking at Europe through different languages, cultures and perspectives, participants discussed alternative ways of understanding its histories, identities and contemporary realities.
Reimagining Europe across languages and disciplines
The interdisciplinary nature of the conference allowed researchers to approach plurilingualism from several directions.
Presentations explored how people experience, negotiate and use multiple languages in social, cultural, educational, historical and narrative contexts, both within Europe and beyond.
The discussions also considered how translation and different forms of mediation influence whose stories are heard, how knowledge is produced and how ideas move between languages and communities.
Rather than presenting Europe through a single narrative or perspective, the conference created space for different experiences and interpretations to meet.
Through the “Narrating (Hi)Stories in Decentring Europe” working group, researchers from across NEOLAiA continue to bring together different disciplines, languages and perspectives to examine how Europe is narrated, understood and reimagined.
The second international conference in Nicosia provided another opportunity to develop this conversation across the Alliance and strengthen connections between researchers working on language, culture, history, education and related fields.
