The Amsterdam Centre for Language and Communication (ACLC) was launched on December 15th, 2000, almost 25 years ago. Since then, the center has thrived to become an academic home to a vibrant community of scholars (i.e., PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, assistant, associate, and full professors, visiting scholars) involved in some twenty-one thematic research groups focusing on research questions revolving around Language, Communication, and Cognition, as well as variations and constraints thereof. A unique aspect of the human species is language: it translates our thoughts into communication, while at the same time, it permeates all aspects of culture. As an interface between the human mind and the outer world we engage with and act upon, language can inform us on the mind itself and on how we ‘see’ ourselves in relation to the outer world, the societies we live in, and the challenges we face. The ACLC seeks to understand this intricate interaction through an integrative and inclusive approach that favours collaboration across competing paradigms and methods to develop interdisciplinary solutions for the scientific community and the society.
To celebrate the past twenty-five years and further engage with future challenges of our societies, the ACLC decided to organize a conference on the theme of Language, Inclusivity, and Cognition. The conference is made up of three parallel workshops, and the conference ends with a plenary keynote lecture by Rowena Garcia (Leibniz-ZAS and MPI).