A Day-Long National Conference

on

English Studies in New Era: Challenges and Dimensions

Date: 27 June 2025

Venue: Central Gallery, Kobi Nazrul Academic Building, Jashore University of Science and Technology

Organized by: Department of English, JUST

We are the inhabitants of an increasingly interconnected and global world and Studies in English across interdisciplinary humanities continue to evolve extensively by highlighting the complexities of human experiences, cultural exchange and socio-political dynamics. Literature, culture and language play a pivotal role in shaping the world, our spirit and the changing landscapes of everyday realities. The proposed conference seeks to explore how studies in English across periods, genres, cultures and linguistic communities serve as a medium of understanding identity, resistance and hegemony by addressing the nuances of individual and collective experiences. The target of the academic confluence is to provide an intellectual platform for scholars, researchers and students of literatures and studies in English in order for them to engage in contesting and confronting the contemporary debates and responses, interpretation and reception across the crossroads and intersections of literary studies. The conference reiterates on the fact that in today’s globalized, digitized and more often fragmented world studies in English continue to bridge the personal and political, the historical and contemporary, the regional and the global. The conference is looking to explore how English studies (Literatures, cultures and languages) across genres and geographical boundaries; periods and cultures help reinvestigate and reimagine narratives of identity, power relations, postcoloniality, memory and ever-evolving human conditions.

Since the focus will be on interdisciplinary / multidisciplinary readings of literary texts as well as English studies across cultures and their relevance to the 21^st century, we invite scholarly contributions that will explore the proposed themes through contemporary and traditional scholarship, creative and critical analysis, and comparative approaches which will help us determine and debate our understanding of the world. The conference will look to-

·        Examine how contemporary literary, cultural voices challenge canonical narratives.

·        Explore new trends of teaching and learning awareness in language, linguistics and cultural studies.

·        Encourage dialogue on intersections of literature with emphasis on issues of race, gender, violence, trauma, class and environment.

·        Create dialogue between traditional criticism and emerging trends and frameworks in English studies

·        Analyze issues faced by contemporary academic community dealing with English studies.   

Sub-Themes

We welcome papers and presentations on (but not limited to) the following areas:

1. Postcolonial (Re)readings of Literatures
2. English in the Digital Era
3. Literature and Social Justice
4. Comparative and World Literatures
5. English Language Teaching and EFL/ESL Pedagogy
6. Memory, trauma and identity in Literature and cultural texts / contexts
7. Linguistic Diversity and Sociolinguistics
8. Corpus Linguistics and Language Research
9. Translation Studies
10. Teaching Academic & Creative Writing
11. Gender and queer studies in Literature
12. Literature and Popular Culture
13. Ecocriticism and environmental narratives
14. Medical Humanities
15. Cultural and Media Studies
16. Literature in pedagogy and curriculum
17. Film and Literature
18. Teaching Literature Using Language
19. AI and Emotion in Literary Studies and Interpretation
20. Teacher training and professional development

Format: The conference will feature keynote speeches, paper presentations, panel discussions, plenary speeches

Target Participants: Scholars, academic researchers, independent researchers, educators, students and literary enthusiasts.

Conclusion:

The conference will look forward to creating bonding and engagement amongst the speakers, scholars, presenters and participants. It will foster critical commitment with literary texts and contemporary theories by contributing to the ongoing debates, issues and contestations about the role of literature, culture and language. Finally the conference seeks to explore how English studies in a broader spectrum locally and globally will work towards shaping our young generation students and researchers in harnessing their abilities to respond to the challenges of our time.  

Important Dates:

Abstract Submission Deadline:  June 13, 2025

Notification of Acceptance: 17 June, 2025

Registration Deadline: May 08-June 23, 2025

Conference Date: 27 June 2025

Abstract Submission Guidelines:

Abstract: 150–200 words

Submit via: chairman.eng@just.edu.bd

(For Abstract submission, ‘Conference 2025’ must be mentioned in the subject line.)

Registration Fee:

Students of JUST: BDT 200

Faculty/Researchers/Others: BDT 1000

Registration link: https://forms.gle/We48DZg2ESqiVKx16

Organizing Committee

Chief Patron:

Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Mazid, Vice-Chancellor,

Advisor:

Professor Dr. Hossain Al Mamun, Treasurer, Jashore University of Science and Technology

Convener Committee

All faculty members of the Department of English headed by the Chairman of the Department