The 21st International Congress of Linguists (ICL 2024) was held from September 8 to 14, 2024 in Poznań. The event was hosted by Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań. The Chair of the Local Organising Committee was Prof. Katarzyna Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, Vice-Rector for Research at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, while Dr. Camiel Hamans served as the representative of CIPL. The leitmotif of the ICL 2024 congress was “Languages – Communities – Technologies”.
We believe that this leitmotif attracted scholars investigating both world languages and local languages, including minority and endangered languages and sign languages as well as, on the other hand, experts in AI communication systems”, said Prof. Katarzyna Dziubalska-Kołaczyk at the official opening of the Congress.
The event included 11 plenary lectures, almost 20 workshops and about 30 thematic sessions divided into sections and focus streams. A plenary lecture by Prof. Frederick J. Newmeyer “Can one language be ‘more complex’ than another?” was open to the public. One of the thematic sessions was devoted to sign language. It was convened by Prof. Paweł Rutkowski and interpreted by a team of three sign language interpreters.
The congress was attended by 647 people, from 73 countries, including approx. 550 registered participants and 100 invited guests. The number of presentations (talks and posters) was approx. 520.
Congress participants enjoyed a wide range of social events, including a concert by Ray Wilson, a concert by Stan Breckenridge with the GLAM quartet, and a performance “Kupalnocka, mała nocka” (“Kupalnocka, little night”) by the AMU Chamber Choir conducted by Prof. Krzysztof Szydzisz. City walks around Poznań were also offered to the participants.
The congress was held under the honorary patronage of the Voivode of Greater Poland – Ms. Agata Sobczyk, the Marshal of the Wielkopolska Region – Mr. Marek Woźniak; the Mayor of Poznań – Mr. Jacek Jaśkowiak and Her Magnificence Rector of Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań – Prof. Bogumiła Kaniewska.