The Department of English and Modern Languages (DEML) of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) organized the 5th International Conference on “Language, Literature, Culture, and Crises” from June 26-27.
The event examined representations of academic, technological, linguistic, and cultural disruptions through expressive discourse. It was conducted through keynote lectures, plenary sessions, panel discussions, and paper presentations, engaging over 200 participants from Bangladesh and abroad.
Keynote speakers included Professor Niaz Zaman, PhD, advisor, DEML, IUB; Professor Rob Waring, PhD, emeritus professor, Notre Dame Seishin University, Japan; and Professor Kaiser Haq, PhD, dean, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh.
Plenary lectures were delivered by Dr David A Peterson, associate professor, Dartmouth College, USA; Dr Nimanthi Rajasingham, associate professor, Colgate University; Dr Nagesh Rao, associate professor, DEML, IUB; Dr Kittitouch Soontornwipast, assistant professor, Thammasat University, Thailand; and Professor Md Mahmudul Hasan, PhD, International Islamic University, Malaysia.
The chief guest at the inauguration was Prof Mesbahuddin Ahmed, PhD, chairman, Bangladesh Accreditation Council. Attendees included Didar A Husain, chairman, Board of Trustees, IUB; Prof M Tamim, vice chancellor, IUB; Prof Daniel W Lund, pro-vice chancellor; Khandker Md Iftekhar Haider, treasurer; Prof Dr Bokhtiar Ahmed, dean, School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; Dr Naureen Rahnuma, head, DEML; and conference convenors Dr Sarker Hasan Al Zayed and Dr Shaiful Islam.
Sessions addressed themes including gender, power, patriarchy, cultural memory, class, ecology, technology, social media discourse, and representations of utopia, dystopia, and urbanity in literature.
Discussions on language focused on pedagogy in the context of artificial intelligence, local-global educational tensions, identity, inequality, the politics of medium of instruction, and the role of indigenous and minority languages in social change.
A session titled “The Afterlife of Numair Atif Choudhury” explored the literary legacy of the late author and former DEML faculty member.
Prof Dr Fakrul Alam, advisor, Department of English, East West University, analyzed Choudhury’s novel Babu Bangladesh. Dr Sarker Hasan Al Zayed provided commentary on its narrative structure and themes; and Andaleeb Choudhury, lecturer, DEML, IUB, shared reflections on the author’s creative contributions and continued recognitio
