About the project
The main goal of the partnership for MultiLing to establish, further develop, and strengthen collaboration with scholars at the South African and US universities, whose work is highly relevant for MultiLing’s research agenda.
While there is increasing attention to mobility and linguistic diversity resulting in widespread multilingualism in a European context, there is a growing interest and need to draw attention to southern experiences of multilingualism, mobility and diversity.
With its eleven official languages, South Africa offers a truly ideal setting for the study of multilingualism, and the research done at these four leading South African universities is highly relevant for MultiLing. The addition of Georgetown University in the USA will strengthen the goal of bridging the gap between psycholinguistic/cognitive and sociolinguistic approaches to the study of language and multilingualism.
Mobility grants ensure research exchanges among staff and students across the three countries — for research stays and for participation in research training courses.
The project activities include jointly organized seminars, workshops and conferences; guest researcher visits; exchange of research and teaching staff, as well as research administrative staff; postgraduate student exchanges; and discussions towards enriching course and curriculum development.
Objectives
The main goal of the partnership project is for MultiLing to establish, further develop and strengthen collaboration with scholars at four leading universities in South African and Georgetown University in the USA. Their work is highly relevant for MultiLing’s research agenda, in particular our primary goal of bridging the gap between psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic approaches to language and multilingualism. In addition, there is a new focus on multilingualism in the individual and society: Learning, globalization and social justice. In line with the central aim of the INTPART scheme, the project seeks to link research and higher education cooperation in the project activities.
Outcomes
The proposed INTPART project partnership greatly contributes to MultiLing’s goal and vision. The collaboration facilitates the mutual development and enhancement of unique and sought-after knowledge, as well as the promotion of an international recognition for an increasingly important field in a global context.
More specifically, the work from the long-term international partnerships between MultiLing/the Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies/UiO and the selected world-class research institutions in South Africa and USA will result in the following:
- Joint courses, seminars and educational programs established and institutionalized within the framework of the partnership (cf. particularly the MA course program in multilingualism for the Department of Linguistics and Scandinavians Studies, UiO)
- Mobility of students and researchers, as well as structures that support mobility, within the framework of the partnerships;
- Joint articles and publications between researchers and/or (post)graduate students in the partnerships;
- New research funding applications developed and submitted within the framework of the partnerships;
- Cooperation with the public sectors.
Dissemination of research results is imperative in the study of multilingualism given its high societal relevance and importance in today’s society. Collaborative efforts between MultiLing and the partner institutions will be promoted in reaching out to central stakeholders in the public sector.
Reciprocity of knowledge exchange, through research and education, from southern and northern researchers with an interest in linguistic diversity, will enrich global understanding of multilingualism, a phenomenon that not only has personal possibilities and challenges but also consequences for society at large.
About INTPART
The MultiLing project is a network project under the International Partnerships for Excellent Education and Research (INTPART) (external link). The main goal of INTPART is to develop world class higher education and research institutions in Norway by promoting and funding long term institutional partnerships with strong academic groups and institutions in eight prioritized countries: Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa and the USA. The scheme aims to increase the quality and relevance of cooperation with selected countries, particularly through integration of the higher education and research components.
Partner universities
- University of Oslo (MultiLing), Norway
- University of the Western Cape, South Africa
- University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Stellenbosch University, South Africa
- University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), South Africa
- Georgetown University, USA
Financing
The Research Council of Norway and the Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (DIKU), INTPART scheme (3.4M NOK).
Duration
2019–21 (3 years), extended to 2022.
INTPART 2.0 is a continuation and expansion of the research networking project, INTPART (2015–18).