About us

Colloquium VocUM (from now on VocUM) is a non-profit organization whose objective is the establishment of an annual event, a multidisciplinary colloquium on language. Its primary objective is to open a space for sharing the results of student research on language. This objective has two motivations, which stem from the shortcomings of the current structure of master’s and Ph.D. programs.

On the one hand, language is an object of study for many disciplines. However, these remain largely isolated from one another, as evidenced by the highly compartmentalized training offered at graduate level (a single department, a single supervisor, a highly specialized subject). On the other hand, graduate studies are currently based on three activities perceived as priorities: schooling, carrying out the research project and writing the dissertation or thesis. As a result, certain crucial aspects of the research profession are neglected, namely the dissemination of research results – through participation in conferences and publication of articles – professional networking and research within multidisciplinary teams. As a result, students do not have the opportunity to develop the associated skills: oral communication, writing, interpersonal skills (communication, adaptability, teamwork, etc.). All these elements put together contribute to the loneliness experienced by many graduate students, on a personal level (little interaction with peers), on an intellectual level (little feedback from peers) and on a professional level (little dissemination, and hence recognition, of research projects).

The VocUM project addresses both these issues. VocUM enables up-and-coming researchers to present their work to a community of peers, and to write an article based on that presentation, in a multidisciplinary context that fosters the integration of different perspectives and the development of innovative solutions.