The Distinguished Frameworks Lecture Series
Each semester, the Institute hosts its flagship public event: the Distinguished Frameworks Lecture Series. We invite leading thinkers from diverse fields—not just linguistics, but neuroscience, anthropology, computer science, literature, and art—to present on topics at the intersection of their work and meta-linguistics. Past speakers have included a Nobel laureate in physics discussing the language of scientific revolutions, a renowned novelist exploring the meta-linguistics of fictional dialogue, and a pioneer in human-robot interaction talking about designing personality for AI. These lectures are designed for an educated public audience; technical jargon is explained, and the focus is on big ideas and implications. Each lecture is followed by a lively Q&A session and a reception, fostering a sense of community among attendees. The lectures are recorded and made freely available online, along with curated reading lists, extending their reach to a global audience and serving as a primary entry point for many into the world of meta-linguistic thought.
Open Workshop Weekends: Hands-On Meta-Linguistics
Four times a year, the Institute throws open its labs and classrooms for Open Workshop Weekends. These are interactive, hands-on events where the public can experience meta-linguistics directly. Activities are designed for all ages and backgrounds. Participants might join a session on 'Building Your Own Mini-Language in 90 Minutes,' attend a demonstration of our eye-tracking lab showing how the brain processes metaphors, try their hand at analyzing political speeches with our conceptual metaphor software, or play framework-mapping games developed for children. Researchers and graduate students are on hand to chat informally about their work. The goal is to demystify our research and show its immediate relevance and fun. These weekends are immensely popular, drawing families, students, professionals, and the simply curious, creating a vibrant bridge between the Institute and the local and global community it serves.
The Annual International Conference on Meta-Linguistics (ICML)
The premier academic event in the field is our Annual International Conference on Meta-Linguistics (ICML). Held every summer, it attracts hundreds of scholars, practitioners, and students from around the world. The conference features parallel sessions for presenting peer-reviewed research papers, but its structure is uniquely interactive. Plenary sessions are often structured as debates or roundtables on contentious topics (e.g., 'The Ethics of Framework Design in AI'). There are 'poster blitz' sessions where researchers have one minute to pitch their work. A hallmark is the 'Framework Clinic,' where practitioners (e.g., a diplomat, a software designer) present a real-world problem, and multidisciplinary teams of attendees brainstorm meta-linguistic solutions in a live, collaborative session. The conference also includes a small trade fair for related publishers and tech companies, and numerous social events designed to spark collaboration. The ICML is more than a presentation venue; it is the annual heartbeat of the global meta-linguistics community, setting the agenda for the year to come.
Special Thematic Symposia and Artist Residencies
Beyond regular events, the Institute organizes smaller, focused symposia on emerging topics. These might be two-day intensive gatherings on 'Meta-Linguistics and Climate Change Communication' or 'The Future of Writing in a Digital Age.' These symposia often result in white papers or special journal issues. Uniquely, we also host an Artist-in-Residence program. We invite writers, poets, visual artists, musicians, and dancers to spend a term at the Institute, engaging with our research and creating work inspired by it. The residency culminates in a public exhibition or performance. This might be a poet creating a cycle of poems based on grammatical structures of endangered languages, or a visual artist creating an installation that maps the semantic space of emotion words across cultures. These collaborations are mutually enriching: they inject artistic creativity into our scientific environment, and they give artists deep conceptual material to work with, resulting in powerful public engagements that communicate meta-linguistic ideas in visceral, emotional ways that lectures cannot.
The events program of the Institute of Meta-Linguistics is a core expression of our commitment to being an open, engaged, and vital intellectual institution. We believe that the insights of meta-linguistics belong to everyone, and we are dedicated to sharing them in accessible, exciting, and interactive ways. Through lectures, workshops, conferences, and artistic collaborations, we invite the world to join us in the fascinating exploration of the frameworks that shape our lives, fostering a more linguistically aware and thoughtful society.