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Read the Participants’ feedback

Toader Adrian <toader.adrian@unitbv.ro>, Lecturer, University of Transilvania from Brașov, Romania, Faculty of Letters, Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics

This was my first time taking part in the ESTIDIA conference. What initially drew me to attend this event was the interesting topic, gravitating around the formation and use of dialogue in different social contexts. From the very beginning, I was pleasantly surprised by the organisers’ efforts which ensured that the conference ran smoothly, keeping the participants well-informed and always providing an open channel of communication throughout the event. In my opinion, what makes ESTIDIA an invaluable experience, for all those interested in dialogue in action, is the interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives put forward by participants from different countries, with various specialties and research interests. I believe that exploring dialogue from multiple angles allows participants to better understand the complexity of the topic and, in my case, to find new analytical and theoretical directions for their own work. It is also important to note that the ESTIDIA members encapsulate a tight-knit community as one of their main foci is to bring together researchers with similar interests by establishing cohesive research groups, in the interest of bringing forward relevant, well-documented contributions in their respective fields of research. Another positive aspect that needs to be mentioned is the quality of the presentations, based on rich corpora, interesting hypotheses, and well-documented work.  ESTIDIA members are friendly and communicative, making every new participant feel comfortable, providing useful insight and always being willing to exchange ideas. I consider this to be one of the most important aspects of an international conference, and I was glad that my expectations were exceeded. I will definitely take place in future ESTIDIA events! 

Daniel Weiss <dweiss@slav.uzh.ch>, Professor Emeritus, University of Zürich, Switzerland

When I received the news that the next ESTIDIA conference would take place in Vilnius I was excited: for the first time since Soviet times when I had visited the Lithuanian capital, I would see this beautifully restored historical town again and come to know the impact of the Lithuanian independence on its outfit. Moreover, I was convinced that the conference would be held at the Vilnius University in the center of the old town, which would have meant a few minutes’ walk from my hotel. Founded by the Jesuits as an Academy in 1578, it represented the second oldest university in the Polish kingdom and the place where Piotr Skarga had preached his sermons against the Orthodox Church and where in the beginning of the nineteenth century the Polish national poet Adam Mickiewicz and more than a century later the future Nobel prize winner Czesław Miłosz had studied. So, one of the first things I did when I left for a stroll through the old town was to throw a look at this impressive complex of beautiful Renaissance buildings close to Vilnius’ most significant landmarks: the Town Hall, the Presidential Palace, and the Cathedral. Unfortunately, it turned out that this was by no means our conference venue: ESTIDIA 7 was located at the Mykolas Romeris University, far away from the center and in a modern complex of buildings embedded in a contemporary neighborhood. I had to google the name and found out that its owner was a professor of law and co-creator of the Lithuanian constitution in the 1930es with a multi-ethnical background: descendant of the Baltic German noble family Römer, which had become partly Polonized, he pursued his studies in St. Petersburg, Cracow, and Paris before acting as a judge and eventually obtaining the chair in the then Lithuanian capital of Kaunas and later in Vilnius. Therefore, he does not only ideally represents the multiethnic, multi-confessional, and multicultural town of Vilnius but also fits in the multilingual and multicultural profile of the ESTIDIA community much better than Vilnius University, which stands for the Polish catholic tradition. In choosing this venue, the organizers thus paid tribute to the small nation of Lithuania which has finally freed itself from the weight of its Polish (and also its more recent Russian) historical ties. Moreover, the discipline of law is intrinsically based on dialogue and debates “in utramque partem”, in other words: the very essence of this ESTIDIA conference. Needless to say, argumentation patterns and strategies belonged to the core of the program. But this program also encompassed a wealth of other types of dialogue, including real and fictional healthcare communication, humor in interaction, the war on Ukraine, and even human-robot relationships, not to mention the diversity of sources, such as AI-generated texts, Facebook and Reddit posts, real-life conversations, TV shows, YouTube comments, hip hop music, etc. All in all, it was this overwhelming multitude of topical themes, puzzling data, and cutting-edge methods that impressed me most. I am deeply grateful to the organizers who let me get acquainted with and immerse in this inspiring communicative universe, and I appreciate the excellent job done by the hosting university, which provided an impeccable organization of this conference.

Hiromasa Tanaka, Ed. D. <tanakahi@eleal.meisei-u.ac.jp>, Professor, School of Humanities, Meisei University, Tokyo, Japan

ESTIDIA conferences always stimulate my academic curiosity by providing opportunities to hear the voices of researchers and practitioners from diverse geographical, regional, academic, and cultural backgrounds. I particularly enjoy the dialogues between these diverse participants, who are eager to engage in cross-disciplinary, cultural, and linguistic discussions.

Attending the 7th ESTIDIA conference, I felt that the degree of diversity and mutual complementarity has developed significantly over the last three conferences I have attended. The presentations and discussions on topics ranging from artificial intelligence to pedagogy, text analysis, and intercultural communication were particularly impressive.

In today’s complex world, shaped by the advancement of IT technologies, increased multiculturality, and multilingualism, the atmosphere of inclusiveness at ESTIDIA stands out. Participants with innovative ideas and perspectives are not left in marginal positions but are well-integrated and actively contribute to the dialogues.

Ludmilla A’Beckett <berchonok@gmail.com>, University of the Free State, South Africa

Seven wonderful things to remember about the 7th ESTIDIA conference in Vilnius, 12-14 June 2024

First, there was a broad coverage of the language used in discussions about the war in Ukraine. One could learn there about alternative accounts of the war in social media and journalist communities, the Ukrainian President’s language change, the attitude of Romanians toward the Ukrainian refugees, humorous responses of Ukrainians to the war, and stances of different discourse communities toward these jokes.

The information war contributes a lot to the hostility and duration of the conflict. It was an excellent venue for scholarly discussions of discourses of the war which became the main crises in Europe of the 21^st century.

Second, if you were low on enthusiasm about the prospects of your research or had methodological doubts, you could simply listen or talk to ESTIDIA President Cornelia Ilie. You were likely to receive a generous charge of energy and optimism. It was like a counselling session for scholars in desperation and consumed by agnosticism.

Third, the plenary sessions also gave everyone ideas that could change the outlook and provide a sense of a new direction. The plenary speakers scrutinized different factors of modern communication such as reverse correlations between diversity and tolerance, and speakers’ perspectives that were instantiated in their choice of metaphor scenarios. You could also learn about analytical tools that unearthed the polyphony of modern discourse.

Fourth, the depth and breadth of the papers presented at the conference were thought-provoking and stimulating.  You could learn that the migration of African youth to Europe was prompted not always by economic factors but also by the internal pressure within the community that made it obligatory for families to send at least one child overseas. If you are interested in music, you could learn about rap which became a vessel for religious feelings. If you were interested in effective strategies of communication with conspiracists you could learn about the humorous responses to believers in a conspiracy surrounding COVID-19 and theorist of a glorious Dacian proto-history of the Romanian people. These presentations were both enjoyable and inspiring.

Fifth, you could envy the students of Mykolas Romeris University when you went down to the canteen to have your lunch for three courses of which you paid less than 10 Euro! Dishes with eggplants and chicken deserve a special recommendation.

Sixth, you could learn a lot about Lithuanian multiculturality and diversity during the excursion to the city centre. Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania used to be one country and this fact could explain the similarities in attitudes of their people to the recent events in Europe!

The stroll around the city centre revived in the memory several scenes of the Soviet blockbuster “Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven” directed by Emil Loteanu.  The streets in Vilnius were meant to represent a provincial city of the Austro-Hungarian empire at the beginning of the 20^th century. Here, the story of the Roma girl Rada who could bewitch any man and stop galloping horses with an intense look of her dark eyes began to unfold. The film was loosely based on the stories “Old Izergil” and “Makar Chudra” by Maxim Gorky and was the most acclaimed romantic drama of the Soviet time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a6EMh3P_bE

It was wonderful to see the church of Saint Ann which Napoleon had wanted to take back with him to Paris in his palm. The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of Vilnius was amazing. It looked different from many other Catholic cathedrals. Perhaps, this difference could be explained by the fact that the cathedral had been reconstructed to its present appearance at the very end of the 18^th century- early 19^th century. The striking thing was the austerity of its décor which is not so common for Catholic churches. The austerity was calming and made you concentrate on your spiritual experience.

Seventh, the quest for spirituality was continued during our visit to Trakai – a de facto capital of Lithuania, also known as the Grand Duchy, in the 14^th -early 15^th century. Again, the striking multicultural development of Lithuania came to the fore in this town. The place was built by Karaims and Tatars and it is known for the Karaim language revival. Unfortunately, there was no time for linguistic field studies but everyone could try the local Karaim dish  Kibinai, kybyn, or kibin. It is a traditional Karaim pastry filled with meat and onion or cheese and spinach. The chicken and mushroom Kibinai was delicious! The main street that leads to the Island Castle was lined with colourful wooden houses, that are typical for Karaims. These houses usually have three windows in the front; it’s believed that the first one is for God, the second for the host, and the third one for Duke Vytautas or guests. The Island Castle was built in the middle of the lake to become an impenetrable fortress. The austerity of the castle décor helped one to remember many details of the royal ambiance in Medieval times. A boat trip around the lake also contributed to the sense of serenity and optimism you acquired at the conference.

Taofeek O. Dalamu <lifegaters@yahoo.com>, PhD, Anchor University, Lagos, Nigeria

I love to heartily congratulate the President, Prof Cornelia Ilie and Convenor, Prof. Viktorija Mažeikienė with the unbeatable and incredible organising committee for the great success recorded with the 7^th ESTIDIA conference 2024, held in Vilnius, Lithuania. You have all been my rays of sunshine worthy of emulating. The organisation was excellent, with a first impression of a rousing welcome to a beautiful and wonderful Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) atmosphere. The vibes of amazing and thought-provoking papers on dialogue-related issues from Nigeria, Croatia, Lithuania, Japan, Romania, Greece, etc. delegates were excellent, characterised by transdisciplinary insights, stimulating discussions that could inform human thinking development in the global realms from both cultural and scientific perspectives. I could also testify that the conference was fascinating for its knowledge-driven ideas, creating an opportunity to meet new faces that turned to friends in the academic domain. In sum, the 7^th ESTIDIA conducted in the culturally-enriched Vilnius has raised the bar of an international event, challenging and re-assuring us of ever better future conferences.