The UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) offers degree courses and language short courses in 18 languages of the region. The school’s research is supported by the SSEES Library, one of the major research libraries covering the whole of the Central and East European region and Russia.

PROLang, is a newly established research group in the school, which supports and contributes to the promotion, research and outreach of language-based interdisciplinary studies. The challenges of encouraging students to study foreign languages in the UK have been well documented. This is particularly true when discussing East European languages, where student numbers are often influenced directly by political events, exposure in the media, or personal experiences.

PROLang aims to strengthen, further promote, and influence policy, on East European language-based studies through seminars, talks, workshops, and a biannual conference. PROLang also networks with other relevant institutions such as Institute of Modern Languages Research, Chartered Institute of Linguists, British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies, University Council of Modern Languages, All Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages, other universities and bodies that share our aims.

PROLang will run twice termly seminars (which can be joined online) on a wide range of topics. They are involved in outreach projects as well as organising an interdisciplinary biannual international conference and share postgraduate and students’ ongoing research through dedicated presentations. PROLang also welcomes proposals and contributions from everyone with an interest in the region and its languages.

Interested CIOL Members are invited to join PROLang’s launch event on 2^nd December where you can join a panel of academics who will discuss the case of Romanian Studies in the UK and beyond. They will provide an overview of the programmes that are offered in their institutions and how these have changed and evolved over the years, influenced by the ebbs and flows of current events, before offering some suggestions of how PROLang activities could help improve this situation in the future.

To book your place at the event via Zoom please visit the UCL website here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ssees/events/2022/dec/prolang-launch-event-ebbs-and-flows-case-romanian-studies-uk