The Plural Research Centre is a vibrant network of researchers from the Languages Unit, embodying a multilingual and multicultural community that boasts global connections and a dedication to interdisciplinary collaboration.
Plural is home to research groups and researchers specialising in linguistics, translation studies, literary and cultural scholarship, fostering unique collaborations among neighbouring disciplines. At the heart of Plural’s research community is a shared interest in exploring how language and culture drive social change.
Plural’s mission is to conduct both cutting-edge basic and applied research that contributes to developing equitable and sustainable societies. Plural articulates its research goal as striving “for inclusive societies and livable futures”.
Plural is structured around research groups, detailed further here . Plural’s research strategy can be found here.
More information on on current and completed projects is accessible through the Projects page. The members of the Plural Executive Board can be found here and the upcoming events here. Follow Plural on Facebook and BlueSky for more updates.
Founded in 2009, Plural was established to coordinate the research activities of the School of Language, Translation, and Literary Studies. It has since broadened its scope to encompass a wide range of research done in the areas of language, translation, literature and culture under the current Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences (ITC).
As a linguistic term, “plural” or its variants refer to plurality. According to Oxford English Dictionary the word “plural” is derived from the Latin word “pluralis”, which is present, among others, in the writings of Roman rhetorician Quintilian in the meaning of “more than one”. One of the derivatives of the word is “pluralism”, the doctrine of multiplicity in philosophy. The word is also used to describe diversity, and in this meaning, pluralism refers to the different value systems in the society or the acceptance of these systems. Pluralism may well be the most important feature of contemporary communities or groups, and a key factor in scientific, social and economic progress.