IUB hosts 5th International Conference on Literature, Language, Culture and Crises

The Department of English and Modern Languages (DEML) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) successfully hosted the 5th International Conference on "Language, Literature, Culture, and Crises" from 26 to 27 June 2025, bringing together academics, researchers, and literary scholars from Bangladesh and abroad to engage in rich discussions on contemporary global and regional disruptions as reflected in language and cultural discourse.

The conference explored how crises—be they academic, technological, linguistic, or cultural—are navigated through expressive forms and critical inquiry. Through a combination of keynote addresses, plenary lectures, panel discussions, and paper presentations, the two-day event engaged over 200 participants in interdisciplinary dialogue.

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, USA; 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 conference was inaugurated by Professor Mesbahuddin Ahmed, PhD, Chairman of the Bangladesh Accreditation Council, who attended as the Chief Guest. Also present were Mr Didar A. Husain, Chairman, Board of Trustees, IUB; Professor M. Tamim, Vice Chancellor; Professor Daniel W. Lund, Pro-Vice Chancellor; Mr Khandker Md Iftekhar Haider, Treasurer; Professor Dr Bokhtiar Ahmed, Dean, School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; Dr Naureen Rahnuma, Head of DEML; and conference convenors Dr Sarker Hasan Al Zayed and Dr Shaiful Islam.

Academic sessions focused on diverse and pressing themes such as gender, power, patriarchy, cultural memory, class, ecology, social media discourse, and the representation of utopia, dystopia, and urbanity in literature. Language-focused discussions addressed pedagogical approaches in the age of artificial intelligence, identity politics, the tension between local and global educational contexts, and the preservation of indigenous and minority languages.

A special session titled "The Afterlife of Numair Atif Choudhury" paid tribute to the late author and former DEML faculty member. Professor Dr Fakrul Alam, Advisor, Department of English, East West University, offered critical analysis of Choudhury's novel Babu Bangladesh!. Dr Sarker Hasan Al Zayed reflected on its narrative structure and thematic depth, while Lecturer Andaleeb Choudhury shared personal and professional insights into the author's creative legacy.

The conference reaffirmed IUB's role as a hub for scholarly exchange and cultural discourse, fostering a space where language and literature illuminate the crises of our time and offer pathways to critical understanding and inclusive dialogue.