Decoloniality in Multilingual University Spaces Book launch

Join the Multilingual University (MU) Hub and International Students' Belonging and Wellness (ISBAW) Hub of CILTER at their first jointly organised event: Decoloniality and Multilingual University Spaces – a book launch with author Dr Sarah Hopkyns, Lecturer with the University's International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute, and discussant Dr Khawla Badwan from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Decoloniality in Multilingual University Spaces examines the nexus between colonial legacies and neoliberalism and how English-centred language-in-education policies shape students' experiences of belonging. The event will look at decolonial research methodologies and current developments in linguistic landscape research, along with findings from a walking ethnography and students' perspectives on their UAE-based university educationscape.

The discussion will highlight key findings, including the dominance of English, imbalanced bilingualism, bottom-up translanguaging, everyday nationalism, and “sticky objects and places”. The session will end with practical and theoretical recommendations for decolonising multilingual educational spaces and a question-and-answer session.