What: Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA), a premiere communications management institute, will be presenting a historic international conference on Hinglish.
When: January 10 and 11, 2009
Where: Le Royal Meridien Mumbai
"We've changed as people," says Professor Rita Kothari, the convener of the first-ever conference on Hinglish. "This is not merely about being globalised (or using multinational products or brands). It's also about thinking differently and talking differently without even realising it. We now mix our mother tongues and English and don't even realise it. And it is important for us to see whether this new language has the ability to be pan-Indian in a way that neither Hindi nor English have been.
"Up to this point, there has rarely been more than jocular interest in the study of Hinglish and its relevance to a multiplicity of disciplines, ranging from literature, culture studies, and advertising to linguistics, sociology, and anthropology. With this conference, we will bring Hinglish to the forefront and delve deeper, making reference not only to the fields I just mentioned, but also bridging academic research with industry practice."
The speakers and panelists that have been selected to participate in the Chutnefying English conference reflect this commitment to a diversity of perspectives. Speakers include an international group of students and professors from institutions all over the world, such as the University of Texas, Austin; University of Westminster; Delhi University; JNU; and, University of California, Berkeley. Panelists will primarily be industry practitioners, such as Prasoon Joshi, Nandita Das, Gurcharan Das, Cyrus Broacha, Urvashi Butalia, and Prashant Panday. The keynote speakers will be Harish Trivedi and Mahesh Bhatt.
Beyond the participants, this event will draw over a hundred students, scholars, and industry leaders. "This interface between participants and attendees will generate fertile discussions, and we certainly won't shy away from disagreements," emphasized Professor Kothari. "I guarantee that participants and attendees alike will come away having gained a tremendous amount from this two-day event, which they can apply in their professional or academic lives."
How to participate
Registration information can be found on the conference website: http://conferences.mica-india.net. A full listing of speakers, panelists, and other detailed information is also available on this site.
Contacts
Professor Rita Kothari
Phone: 09909928984 or 2717-237946 ext. 184
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Shawn Kumar Jain
Phone: 09601073676 or 2717-237946 ext. 192
