Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies (ILCS)

Description

The Institute of Languages, Cultures, and Societies (ILCS) supports research in the integrated study of languages, cultures, and societies. Its strengths lie primarily within the fields of French and Francophone, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American/Caribbean studies. However, ILCS also promotes the transnational study of languages and cultures and aims to establish connections with organizations focusing on cultural and linguistic experiences in other global contexts. The expertise of ILCS staff spans literary, historical, ethnographic, and digital research, with a particular emphasis on postcolonial and migration studies, as well as the environmental humanities. ILCS is an integral part of the School of Advanced Study, which promotes interdisciplinary research through its eight Institutes.

The role of ILCS includes the following:

• Promoting the value and importance of the integrated study of languages, cultures, and societies, while strengthening its position within the broader field of Humanities.
• Shaping the development of research culture in collaboration with subject associations, such as AMLUK, the British Academy, the AHRC, and the UCML.
• Emphasizing the contribution of the subject area in addressing societal concerns and encouraging researchers to consider the policy implications of their work.
• Organizing strategically focused lectures, workshops, colloquia, conferences, and public engagement initiatives that span different languages and encompass literary, cultural, and societal research.
• Providing support and guidance to postgraduate and early career researchers through expert supervision and mentoring for their PhD studies.
• Developing a cutting-edge research training series tailored to the needs of the subject community, supporting the growth of current and future generations of researchers.
• Facilitating national and international collaborations for researchers within and beyond academia.
• Ensuring connectivity of research initiatives across the educational landscape.
• Demonstrating the value of research to the wider public through visiting and funded fellowship schemes, conference grants, and publication series.
• Building networks with citizen and community groups, as well as institutions in the GLAM sector (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums).
• Advocating for greater inclusivity, diversity of representation, and efforts to decolonize the disciplinary area across all aspects of their work.

The vision for the future is to build upon the Institute's past work, its Centres, and its strong connections to subject associations, in order to offer a forward-thinking and globally relevant definition of the subject area. The recent name change to the Institute of Languages, Cultures, and Societies (ILCS) reflects the consultation with subject associations representing Modern Languages, Area Studies, and Linguistics. The new name better encompasses the research and teaching conducted throughout the UK in this disciplinary field. It aligns with subject benchmarking, reflects the trend of university departments moving away from the name "Modern Languages," and allows for clear identification of the subject area among colleagues in the Humanities and Social Sciences. It highlights the connection between specialized language knowledge and cross-cultural and real-life concerns.

In 2021, the Institute established the Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS), which incorporated a significant portion of the Institute of Latin American Studies following its closure. The interdisciplinary work of CLACS at the interface of Humanities and Social Sciences provides a valuable resource for researchers in the broader disciplinary area. The revised name of ILCS accurately describes the subject area and indicates its wide-ranging, inclusive, and adaptable nature across different emphases and perspectives. It eliminates the distinction between "modern" and "community" languages, recognizing that university departments increasingly offer a diverse range of languages from around the world. This name change aims to demarcate a university area that is easily understood, inclusive, and serves the purpose of providing a framework to address the pressing challenges faced by society.

ILCS changed its name from the Institute of Modern Languages Research (IMLR) in October 2022. The IMLR was formerly known as the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies (IGRS), which was established in 2005 with the merger of the Institute of Germanic Studies and the Institute of Romance Studies, founded in 1950 and 1989 respectively.

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

Founding year

1950

Contact details

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University affiliation(s)

University of London
London