Programme

'Programme now completed. Here is a look back at key moments and insights'

Highlight: Professor Steven L. Thorne awarded the Francqui International Professor Chair at UCLouvain

In 2024–2025, UCLouvain and its Institute for Language and Communication (ILC) had the honour of hosting Professor Steven L. Thorne (Portland State University, USA) as Francqui International Professor, an appointment supported by the Francqui Foundation and by four other Belgian universities: VUB, ULiège, UAntwerpen, and KU Leuven. His six-month stay as part of the TeAMM research group at UCLouvain marked a major milestone in the university’s commitment to fostering international academic excellence and innovation in language learning and teaching research. 

Professor Thorne’s time at UCLouvain was marked by a rich programme of academic events and collaborative initiatives. His inaugural lecture introduced his pioneering work at the intersection of language development, digital technologies, and intercultural communication. The talk set the tone for a series of seminars, workshops, public lectures and individual one-to-one meetings that followed, exploring topics such as rewilding language education, generative AI for second language learning, and the role of digital ecologies in reshaping multilingual practices. These events, hosted at UCLouvain and across all partner institutions, created a space for dialogue among faculty, doctoral researchers, and students, and contributed to the growth of dynamic, cross-university scholarly communities in Belgium. 

During his stay, Professor Thorne also had the opportunity to engage with developments in European University Alliances, and with Circle U. in particular. He took part in several exchanges related to the activities of CU.mil (Circle U.’s Multilingualism, Interculturality and Language Lab), benefiting from the proximity and involvement of his hosts, who also serve as Academic Director and Academic Chair of CU.mil. These moments of dialogue enriched mutual reflections on multilingual and inclusive higher education. 

The culmination of his tenure came with a high-level symposium hosted at UCLouvain, which brought together members of the five Belgian universities - as well as international researchers -  to reflect on emerging challenges and future directions in multilingual, digitally mediated language education. The event served not only as a celebration of the work achieved during the Francqui Chair but also as a springboard for continued collaboration and innovation in the field!

This prestigious Francqui appointment greatly contributed to the central role of the TeAMM research group in international research networks committed to innovative and forward-thinking approaches to language learning and teaching research and practice!