FROM SHAKESPEARE TO THE CANADISTS - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENGLISH STUDIES

For the first time, the University of Miskolc hosted the conference of the Hungarian Society for the Study of English (HUSSE). The prestigious event is a focal point for studies of English language, literature and culture on the international scene.

HUSSE organises a travelling conference every two years. This year was special because it marked an anniversary: the founding of the Society thirty years ago, in 1993, as a national branch of the European Society for the Study of English (ESSA). Prof. Gasper Ilc, Professor at the University of Ljubljana, came to Miskolc as one of the leaders of ESSA.

"The academic world and all of us are striving to find solutions to cultural issues," said Prof. Ilc. He added that there were many interesting presentations on the programme and that it was a great step forward for UM as a whole to host such an international event.

"It is not just about the language, it is also about the literatures in English and also the culture of English-speaking people. So, this is a very broad area to be studied. And of course the language and the literature, they reflect the way we think, the way our culture develops," he said, explaining why English, already a popular language in the world, needs to be promoted further.

This was reinforced by Prof. Nóra Séllei, President of HUSSE, when she said that English Studies is the umbrella term for all humanities disciplines that are in some way related to English and American literature, culture and history, including English linguistics and language teaching methodology.

"From a professional point of view, certainly, but perhaps also for outsiders, this conference was of interest, including how the lives of minorities from the former colonies living in England are reflected in contemporary literature. Or, for example, topics of interest to those who study American history. But we also heard how those who study Canada's culture relate to indigenous peoples and how that culture deals with the traumas of former colonialism," said Prof. Séllei. 

Dr. Kinga Földváry, Vice-President of HUSSE and one of the plenary speakers at the conference, is focusing on literary studies. She is a Shakespeare scholar who chose one of the most influential writers in English drama and world literature as the subject of her doctoral dissertation.

"Lately, I have partly wandered into contemporary literature. I am increasingly interested in film adaptations about Shakespeare, but I am also interested in new developments in traditional Shakespeare and Renaissance studies," she explained. Dr Földváry emphasised that doctoral students always bring very exciting new topics. It is worth paying attention to young people, and this conference is an excellent opportunity to do so.