VUB professors sit on new Council for Multilingualism

VUB professors sit on new Council for Multilingualism

The first Brussels Day of Multilingualism took place in the Brussels Parliament on Saturday 26 September. It was there that the new Brussels Council for Multilingualism was installed, chaired by political philosopher and economist Philippe Van Parijs. VUB professor of sociology Rudi Janssens and professor of Dutch linguistics Wim Vandenbussche are part of the Council.

Janssens is a researcher at the Brussels Information, Documentation and Research Centre (BRIO) and he works on issues including aspects of language use and language policy in Brussels. Vandenbussche leads the research group for linguistics CLIN and the Academic Centre for Language Education ACTO; language planning and language contact are the major focus of his teaching and research.

“The BRIO language barometer survey clearly shows that a multilingual city like Brussels can only function if the people of Brussels are also multilingual or want to become so. The Council for Multilingualism wants to support this process,” says Janssens.

“Language conflict has divided Brussels for decades, but today there is a new Brussels in which multilingualism is the basis of an open society. For tomorrow’s children, knowledge of languages is essential if they are to seize the opportunities to which they are entitled. In the Council for Multilingualism, we combine this social approach with practical experience and scientific expertise,” says Vandenbussche.

The first Brussels Day of Multilingualism is a project by Brussels minister Sven Gatz, who is responsible for the promotion of multilingualism in Brussels. The aim of the day is to bring together all those who are interested in multilingualism in Brussels and who want to get to know other languages and exchange ideas on the subject. The day was livestreamed and can be watched here.

Other members of the Council for Multilingualism include Yvon Englert (ULB), Dirk Jacobs (ULB), Laurence Mettewie (UNamur) and Aimée-fidèle Mukunde (Minderhedenforum).

Contact:

Rudi Janssens

rudi.janssens@vub.be

0497 188 857

Wim Vandenbussche

wim.vandenbussche@vub.be

0499 201 769

 

LW
Contact us
Lies Feron
Lies Feron Persrelaties Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Lies Feron
Lies Feron Persrelaties Vrije Universiteit Brussel
About Press - Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Vrije Universiteit Brussel is an internationally oriented university in Brussels, the heart of Europe. By providing excellent research and education on a human scale, VUB wants to make an active and committed contribution to a better society.

The World Needs You

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel assumes its scientific and social responsibility with love and decisiveness. That’s why VUB launched the platform De Wereld Heeft Je Nodig – The World Needs You, which brings together ideas, actions and projects based on six Ps. The first P stands for People, because that’s what it’s all about: giving people equal opportunities, prosperity, welfare, respect. Peace is about fighting injustice, big and small, in the world. Prosperity combats poverty and inequality. Planet stands for actions on biodiversity, climate, air quality, animal rights... With Partnership, VUB is looking for joint actions to make the world a better place. The sixth and last P is for Poincaré, the French philosopher Henri Poincaré, from whom VUB derives its motto that thinking should submit to nothing except the facts themselves. VUB is an ‘urban engaged university’, strongly anchored in Brussels and Europe and working according to the principles of free research.

www.vub.be/dewereldheeftjenodig

 


Press - Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Pleinlaan 2
1050 Brussel