UB’s int’l conference on ‘Literature, Language, Culture

The Department of English at the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) successfully hosted a three-day international conference titled “Literature, Language, Culture and Crises”, bringing together scholars, researchers, and students from around the globe to engage with pressing cultural and academic conversations of the modern era.

Held on IUB’s Bashundhara campus, the event explored how literature, language, and cultural narratives respond to—and are shaped by—global crises such as climate change, pandemics, conflict, identity politics, and technological disruption. The conference featured keynote speeches, panel discussions, and research presentations covering a wide range of interdisciplinary themes, including: Postcolonial identity and resistance Literary responses to political unrest and environmental degradation. The role of digital media in shaping language and cultural memory Linguistic and pedagogical shifts in post-pandemic education. Prominent academics from both local and international institutions addressed the sessions. Participants came from countries including the United States, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, and the UK, reflecting the global relevance of the conference theme. In his opening remarks, IUB Vice Chancellor Tanweer Hasan, PhD, emphasized the importance of fostering critical thinking in times of crisis:

“Literature and language are not just artistic expressions—they are tools for resilience, resistance, and reimagination in moments of disruption.” Chair of the English Department and conference convener Dr. Razia Sultana Khan noted that the event provided a platform for dialogue that bridges the gap between academic inquiry and social responsibility. The event was supported by IUB’s School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (SLASS), and the university’s commitment to academic freedom and interdisciplinary collaboration was widely praised by attendees.

The conference concluded with a cultural evening celebrating the diversity of voices in contemporary literary and cultural studies, followed by the announcement of a forthcoming edited volume featuring selected papers from the event.