New trends in Uralistics: typology, syntax, sociolinguistics
An international conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Department of Finno-Ugristics of the University of Szeged, Hungary.


Meeting description
The Department of Finno-Ugristics of the University of Szeged is pleased to announce the New trends in Uralistics: typology, syntax, sociolinguistics conference, to be held from 3 to 5 September, 2009 at the Department of Finno-Ugristics in Szeged. The objective of the conference is to bring together linguists who are engaged in research on the typological, syntactic or sociolinguistic study of the Uralic languages, to exchange ideas across approaches, theories, methodologies. The conference is intended to bridge the gap between theoretical, typological, sociolinguistic approaches in general and Uralic studies, and help to initiate new research projects or collaborations.

Call for papers
We therefore invite papers both on theoretical and on empirical aspects from a language-specific or cross-linguistic perspective. Contributions are expected to be based either on new data, or new approaches to analysis. We especially encourage submissions on minor, less well studied Uralic languages and dialects.

Papers are invited on, but not limited to, the following topics:
  • phonological typology
  • phonological typology and grammar
  • morphological typology
  • synthesis and fusion
  • syntactic typology
  • typology of parts of speech
  • information structure
  • information-structural categories and types
  • syntactic hierarchy
  • clause structure
  • bilingualism/multilingualism
  • language endangerment
  • linguistic human rights
  • language policy

Keynote speakers
Riho Grünthal – typology (University of Helsinki, Finland)
Elena Skribnik – syntax (University of Munich, Germany)
Tove Skutnabb-Kangas – sociolinguistics (Roskilde University, Denmark – Åbo Akademi University, Finland)

Submission of abstracts
Two types of submissions are invited: paper abstracts (20 minutes for presentation followed by a 10-minute discussion) and poster abstracts. Abstracts should not exceed 500 words (bibliography excluded) and should be sent electronically in word AND pdf format to szevers@nytud.hu with the subject heading “Conference”. They must be anonymous. Name(s) of authors, e-mail address(es) and affiliation(s) should be sent in a separate document. Abstracts will be reviewed by two readers also anonymously and authors will be notificed by April 30, 2009.

Conference programme
3-4 September: Conference
5 September: Excursion

The detailed program of the conference can be found here.



Tove Skutnabb-Kangas: Linguistic Human Rights in Education - plenary talk. 5th International Congress of Hungarian Studies. Jyväskylä 2002.

Important dates
Submission deadline: Tuesday, 31 March, 2009
Notification of acceptance: Thursday, 30 April, 2009
Registration: Sunday, 31 May, 2009

Registration
Registration fee: 50 Euro
Reduced student fee: 30 Euro

The fee includes the conference coffee breaks and social dinners. Excursion is not included in the fee. Further details about accommodation, excursion and how to register will be announced in early 2009.

You can read the second circular here.