International Symposium on “Language, Literature, Culture and Sustainability” Held at Our University
13.10.2025
Hosted by the Turkish-German University, the international symposium entitled “Language, Literature, Culture and Sustainability. Perspectives from DaF/DaZ, Linguistics, Literary and Cultural Studies,” organized by the Faculty of Cultural and Social Sciences and the School of Foreign Languages between 9–10 October 2025, was held with strong academic participation in the sections of literary studies, cultural studies, linguistics, and teaching German as a foreign or second language.
In the opening speeches, the Vice-Rector of our university and Dean of the Faculty of Cultural and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Aysel Uzuntaş, stated that the gathering of scientists from different disciplines around a common theme at an international level provided diverse perspectives, enhanced scientific exchange, and strengthened intercultural communication. She emphasized that sustainability should be addressed not only in its ecological dimensions but also in its economic, social, cultural, and linguistic aspects.
The Vice-Rector of Baku Slavic University, Prof. Dr. Fikret Cihangirov, underlined that sustainability is not only an environmental issue but also a cultural and social one, emphasizing that cooperation among universities strengthens scientific and international interaction.
The Director of the School of Foreign Languages of our university, Prof. Dr. Leyla Coşan, emphasized the importance of addressing sustainability through an interdisciplinary approach and stated that bringing together environment, language, culture, and literature from a common perspective contributes to a sustainable future. Following the opening speeches, the keynote sessions began.
The keynote sessions of the symposium started with the presentation by Prof. Dr. Hacı-Halil Uslucan titled “Visual Multilingualism as a Vehicle of Belonging,” which dealt with visual multilingualism as a means of belonging in the context of migration, and continued with the presentation by Prof. Dr. Ernst Struck titled “The Construction of a Culture of Sustainability,” which examined the development of sustainability and the construction of a sustainability culture.
On the first day of the symposium, various papers on sustainability were presented in the sections of literary studies, cultural studies, and linguistics. The symposium addressed the concept of sustainability in the fields of language, literature, and culture within an interdisciplinary framework, offering participants the opportunity to discuss current theoretical approaches and practical applications.
The main goal of the event was to make the concept of sustainability visible not only in its environmental dimension but also in its cultural, linguistic, and social dimensions. In the sessions on literary and cultural studies, the importance of critical thinking in developing sustainability awareness, the contribution of poetic modes of thinking to the formation of a sustainable linguistic culture, and the effects of social transformation processes on cultural production were discussed. Participants explored cultural practices that strengthen social sustainability, the reinterpretation of responsibility and equality during times of crisis, and various dimensions of sustainability in literary representations. Furthermore, discussions included the future narratives of contemporary literature, the transformation of mythological figures in environmental representations, and how cultural memory and the perception of time are reconstructed in the context of sustainability. In the linguistics sessions, attention was given to language-sensitive teaching methods, sustainable learning strategies through migration-themed film scenes, and the transmission of sustainability discourse in scientific texts.
Through these presentations, the principles of inclusive philology, intercultural sensitivity, and sustainability in language education were emphasized. The keynote speeches on the second day began with the presentation by Prof. Dr. Carola Surkamp titled “Awareness, Negotiations and Tolerance of Ambiguity – Education for Sustainable Development through Linguistic, Cultural and Literary Education,” which addressed awareness, negotiation processes, and tolerance of ambiguity in the context of education for sustainable development. It was followed by Dr. Zuzana Münch-Manková’s presentation titled “Learning to Teach Sustainability: The World Climate Game as an Approach to ESD Competences in the DaF Context,” which examined the use of the world climate game as a tool to develop sustainability competences in the teaching of German as a foreign language.
In the sessions of the second day, the principles of sustainability in teaching German as a foreign or second language were discussed in detail. It was emphasized that language is not only a communicative tool in the learning process but also a carrier of social transformation. Sustainability in education was defined as a critical and participatory learning process; in this context, it was emphasized that prospective teachers should take on transformative roles in the transmission of language, culture, and values.
Another axis of discussion was the acquisition of sustainability-based skills in teacher education programs. Academics highlighted the importance of addressing sustainability themes systematically in faculties of education and focused on the responsibility of teachers to integrate values such as equality and participation into course content. The discussions were conducted particularly around concepts such as language-sensitive teaching, empathetic learning, and critical awareness.
On the second day, the potential of digitalization in sustainable education processes was also addressed comprehensively. Examples illustrated how virtual learning environments and digital games can be used to foster sustainability awareness and how they enhance global cooperation and intercultural dialogue among students. Global learning, virtual exchange, and online collaboration models were evaluated as tools that develop both the digital and cultural competences of students. In the sessions on cultural sustainability, the transformative power of language on cultural representations and its relationship with identity and belonging were discussed. Sustainable cultural development was understood not only as the preservation of the past but also as the promotion of diversity, multilingualism, and intercultural dialogue.
Participants emphasized that within intercultural approaches, language is a powerful means of transmission and that sustainability should therefore be considered on the basis of equality and respect. The symposium also discussed how linguistic creativity and literary production can be linked to sustainability awareness through new teaching methods.
Participants stated that the aesthetic dimension of language fosters awareness, empathy, and critical thinking in individuals, and that language education is therefore a vital tool for sustainable cultural transformation.
The closing evaluation of the symposium was carried out by Prof. Dr. Aysel Uzuntaş and Prof. Dr. Leyla Coşan.
At the symposium, which stood out for its interdisciplinary character, the topic of sustainability was addressed through a holistic approach in the context of language, language teaching, culture, literature, and social responsibility; a platform for international exchange of ideas and experiences was created among the participants. Supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and held with the participation of Bielefeld and Heidelberg Universities, the symposium contributed to the discussions on sustainability not only from an environmental but also from a human, cultural, and ethical perspective.
In the opening speeches, the Vice-Rector of our university and Dean of the Faculty of Cultural and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Aysel Uzuntaş, stated that the gathering of scientists from different disciplines around a common theme at an international level provided diverse perspectives, enhanced scientific exchange, and strengthened intercultural communication. She emphasized that sustainability should be addressed not only in its ecological dimensions but also in its economic, social, cultural, and linguistic aspects.
The Vice-Rector of Baku Slavic University, Prof. Dr. Fikret Cihangirov, underlined that sustainability is not only an environmental issue but also a cultural and social one, emphasizing that cooperation among universities strengthens scientific and international interaction.
The Director of the School of Foreign Languages of our university, Prof. Dr. Leyla Coşan, emphasized the importance of addressing sustainability through an interdisciplinary approach and stated that bringing together environment, language, culture, and literature from a common perspective contributes to a sustainable future. Following the opening speeches, the keynote sessions began.
The keynote sessions of the symposium started with the presentation by Prof. Dr. Hacı-Halil Uslucan titled “Visual Multilingualism as a Vehicle of Belonging,” which dealt with visual multilingualism as a means of belonging in the context of migration, and continued with the presentation by Prof. Dr. Ernst Struck titled “The Construction of a Culture of Sustainability,” which examined the development of sustainability and the construction of a sustainability culture.
On the first day of the symposium, various papers on sustainability were presented in the sections of literary studies, cultural studies, and linguistics. The symposium addressed the concept of sustainability in the fields of language, literature, and culture within an interdisciplinary framework, offering participants the opportunity to discuss current theoretical approaches and practical applications.
The main goal of the event was to make the concept of sustainability visible not only in its environmental dimension but also in its cultural, linguistic, and social dimensions. In the sessions on literary and cultural studies, the importance of critical thinking in developing sustainability awareness, the contribution of poetic modes of thinking to the formation of a sustainable linguistic culture, and the effects of social transformation processes on cultural production were discussed. Participants explored cultural practices that strengthen social sustainability, the reinterpretation of responsibility and equality during times of crisis, and various dimensions of sustainability in literary representations. Furthermore, discussions included the future narratives of contemporary literature, the transformation of mythological figures in environmental representations, and how cultural memory and the perception of time are reconstructed in the context of sustainability. In the linguistics sessions, attention was given to language-sensitive teaching methods, sustainable learning strategies through migration-themed film scenes, and the transmission of sustainability discourse in scientific texts.
Through these presentations, the principles of inclusive philology, intercultural sensitivity, and sustainability in language education were emphasized. The keynote speeches on the second day began with the presentation by Prof. Dr. Carola Surkamp titled “Awareness, Negotiations and Tolerance of Ambiguity – Education for Sustainable Development through Linguistic, Cultural and Literary Education,” which addressed awareness, negotiation processes, and tolerance of ambiguity in the context of education for sustainable development. It was followed by Dr. Zuzana Münch-Manková’s presentation titled “Learning to Teach Sustainability: The World Climate Game as an Approach to ESD Competences in the DaF Context,” which examined the use of the world climate game as a tool to develop sustainability competences in the teaching of German as a foreign language.
In the sessions of the second day, the principles of sustainability in teaching German as a foreign or second language were discussed in detail. It was emphasized that language is not only a communicative tool in the learning process but also a carrier of social transformation. Sustainability in education was defined as a critical and participatory learning process; in this context, it was emphasized that prospective teachers should take on transformative roles in the transmission of language, culture, and values.
Another axis of discussion was the acquisition of sustainability-based skills in teacher education programs. Academics highlighted the importance of addressing sustainability themes systematically in faculties of education and focused on the responsibility of teachers to integrate values such as equality and participation into course content. The discussions were conducted particularly around concepts such as language-sensitive teaching, empathetic learning, and critical awareness.
On the second day, the potential of digitalization in sustainable education processes was also addressed comprehensively. Examples illustrated how virtual learning environments and digital games can be used to foster sustainability awareness and how they enhance global cooperation and intercultural dialogue among students. Global learning, virtual exchange, and online collaboration models were evaluated as tools that develop both the digital and cultural competences of students. In the sessions on cultural sustainability, the transformative power of language on cultural representations and its relationship with identity and belonging were discussed. Sustainable cultural development was understood not only as the preservation of the past but also as the promotion of diversity, multilingualism, and intercultural dialogue.
Participants emphasized that within intercultural approaches, language is a powerful means of transmission and that sustainability should therefore be considered on the basis of equality and respect. The symposium also discussed how linguistic creativity and literary production can be linked to sustainability awareness through new teaching methods.
Participants stated that the aesthetic dimension of language fosters awareness, empathy, and critical thinking in individuals, and that language education is therefore a vital tool for sustainable cultural transformation.
The closing evaluation of the symposium was carried out by Prof. Dr. Aysel Uzuntaş and Prof. Dr. Leyla Coşan.
At the symposium, which stood out for its interdisciplinary character, the topic of sustainability was addressed through a holistic approach in the context of language, language teaching, culture, literature, and social responsibility; a platform for international exchange of ideas and experiences was created among the participants. Supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and held with the participation of Bielefeld and Heidelberg Universities, the symposium contributed to the discussions on sustainability not only from an environmental but also from a human, cultural, and ethical perspective.
