ISLE 6 now takes place from 2-5 June 2021
23rd March 2020
Dear Colleagues
Joensuu Conference 2020
ISLE members will not be surprised to learn, that in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mikko Laitinen and his team have had to take the difficult and hugely disappointing decision to postpone this year’s conference.
Mikko and his colleagues are posting/have posted various pieces of information about registration fees etc on the conference website, to which members should refer. More information about the rescheduled conference will follow in future communications.
I know that Joensuu colleagues have taken this decision with very great reluctance, after exploring various options including going ‘fully virtual’. But after they had weighed up possible alternatives with much care, a postponement seemed the most appropriate way forward.
As current president of ISLE, I should like to put on record that I agree entirely with this decision, which in the circumstances seems to me by far the best solution in the current circumstances. I should also like to thank Mikko and other Joensuu colleagues for the huge amount of work they have put into preparing for this conference so far; I appreciate how tough this decision will have been for them. When this episode is over, I will look forward eagerly to raising a glass with our good friends in Eastern Finland, and thanking them in person for everything they have done, and continue to do.
I should also like to take this opportunity of saying personally to the whole ISLE community, and to their family and friends: at this difficult time, and in addressing the societal challenges that will undoubtedly follow, take care, and stay safe.
Yours sincerely
Jeremy Smith
Jeremy.Smith@glasgow.ac.uk
(University of Glasgow)
President of ISLE
The deadline for submissions for the Richard M. Hogg Prize for 2020 has been extended until 15 April. Click here to find out more.
Dear ISLE members,
As organizers of the upcoming ISLE 6 conference in Joensuu, we are currently closely monitoring
the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Right now, we are still some 12 weeks from the conference,
but as we all have seen, various international events have been affected by the growing risks related
to the virus.
As organizers, we follow the situation based on the guidelines of the Finnish Institute of Health and
Welfare. They work closely with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
and the World Health Organization (WHO), assessing the health risks related to the virus.
Up-to-date information on the coronavirus in Finland can be found at https://thl.fi/en/web/infectiousdiseases/
what-s-new/coronavirus-covid-19-latest-updates.
As of 6 March, the authorities estimate that the risk of infection in the EU countries is moderate, and
currently no specific measures or restrictions on travel or international trade are planned.
The situation may of course change rapidly, and we want to communicate the situation with you
transparently and quickly. In case the situation changes, we will inform you of any travel restrictions
and recommendations by the authorities through the ISLE website (www.isle-linguistics.org) and
through the ISLE 6 website at www.uef.fi/isle6/. We also assume that all of you monitor the situations
locally.
We currently take the following actions:
- Keep a close eye on the situation in Finland/Europe and in the neighboring regions.
- All the decisions regarding the conference arrangements will be based on the information
available through health authorities in Finland and in Europe. - We are currently considering extending the early bird period for registration to early May so
please check for any updates at the conference website. - No final decisions are made, but similar to many other conferences this year, we are working
on enabling alternative ways of presenting contributions digitally in case some contributors
will not be able to travel because of travel restrictions. - As per the information we currently have, we are planning to have ISLE 6 as scheduled.
We hope that all of you understand this situation.
In case you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact at isle6@uef.fi.
9 March 2020 in Joensuu
Mikko Laitinen and the entire ISLE 6 team
The deadline for abstract submission for ISLE 6 has been extended to 14 November 2019.
Submit your paper here.
ISLE6: 2nd Call for papers - Plenaries - Workshops
Dear ISLE Members,
I am delighted to be able to announce that Tanja Saïly of the University of Helsinki has been elected as the new Secretary of ISLE! Many thanks to her for allowing her name to go forward for this important role, and I am delighted to be working with her in the future.
If folk would like to see Tanja in action, I can recommend this OED webinar!
https://public.oed.com/webinars-and-events/
I should also like to thank Anita Auer for agreeing to be nominated for the election! It was great to have two such excellent candidates to choose from. And thanks again to Kate Burridge and her team on the nominating committee.
And as I have already said – but it stands repeating! – thanks once more to Benedikt for his sterling service.
Best regards,
Jeremy Smith
ISLE President
ISLE 6: Evolving English and the Digital Era will take place at the University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu from 3-6 June 2020. Find out more on the conference page.