During the week of International Mother Language Day (celebrated every year on the 21st February), UNIC ran a series of online lightning talks on the theme of mother languages. Connecting across the 10 Universities campuses, the short talks invited students, staff, city stakeholders, and citizens to discuss how languages and multilingualism could advance inclusion and the Sustainable Development Goals’ focus on leaving no one behind. For more info regarding the theme please check: https://www.un.org/en/observances/mother-language-day.
Each lightning lab session involved a 15-minute talk and 15-minute Q&A moderated by the host. Speakers noted that the audience was broad and recorded versions may be viewed by a general public audience. The talk was therefore required to be ‘plain English’ and relatable to non-experts.
On February 21, 14:00-14:30 CET (16.00 TRT), Figen Ecer from Koc University presented:
Multilingualism as a Catalyst for Cultural Understanding In this panel, the impact of cultural intelligence on navigating diverse contexts in the workplace was explored. The panel shed light on how multilingualism fosters cultural appreciation, breaks down barriers, and promotes global unity. The benefits of multilingual education were also discussed, addressing challenges and solutions in implementing effective programs.
