We are pleased to announce The Multilingual North: Challenges and Opportunities, a one-day academic event to be held at Lancaster University on Thursday, 21 May 2026.

The event brings together researchers from across the N8 Research Partnership working on multilingualism, language learning, and cognition. The N8 is a collaboration of eight research-intensive universities in the North of England—Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, and York—established to strengthen research excellence, collaboration, and impact across the region.

Organised by the Multilingualism and Cognition Research Group at Lancaster University, the event combines invited research talks with professional development activities, with particular relevance for researchers navigating key career transitions.

The programme will feature two invited plenary lectures by leading scholars in the field: Angela de Bruin (University of York) and Vicki Chondrogianni (University of Edinburgh). In addition, the event includes an early-career panel discussion titled Transitions: From the PhD and beyond, addressing academic career pathways, publishing strategies, networking, and preparation for competitive research funding, including early-career Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) applications.

A poster session for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers will provide opportunities to present ongoing work, receive feedback, and engage in discussion with peers and senior colleagues from across the N8 institutions.

The event is open to researchers at all career stages with an interest in multilingualism across the lifespan, from infancy through to older adulthood, and aims to foster intellectual exchange and collaboration across the N8 research community.

Attendance is free of charge, but capacity is limited to 50 participants, with places allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

A registration link and further practical details will be made available on this page by 15 January 2026. Registration will close one month prior to the event.

For any questions about the event, please contact the organisers (Fatih Bayram, Patrick Rebuschat, and Jason Rothman) via babel@lancaster.ac.uk.