English at Political Science: setting the scene, posing the challenges (2nd seminar)
Friday, January 16, 2026
Department of Political Science, Law and International Studies (SPGI), University of Padova
This one-day meeting in Padova follows from the discussion opened in Torino, 2024, and is intended as an opportunity to continue the exchange of ideas, information and practices between all those involved in the teaching of English in the Departments of Political and/or Social Science. A basis for reflection, which continues from Torino, is the role of English teaching in Political Science where it is a specialised field with its own challenges, opportunities and considerations very different from language teaching in the Humanities.
The meeting aims to promote open discussion and exchange between participants. Contributions are invited which address course content, the changing needs of students and departments, the perception of English (often an obligatory exam), English-medium instruction, language policy within the Department and University, testing and levels of proficiency, public engagement, and teaching practices.
We invite you to participate in the meeting, and to submit the outline of a 20-minute presentation which may take into consideration the above or any other topic relevant to English in Political Science. Some of the themes we hope will be addressed are:
● What is the role of English language professors and researchers in Political Science departments?
● How do we teach and assess/evaluate English language in departments of Political Science?
● What is the impact of the rise of English Medium Instruction and internationalisation on English teaching in Political Science departments?
● What are the implications of artificial intelligence on our language teaching and testing?
● What are the skills and literacies that students of political science need?
● How do we equip students for the analysis of political discourse and fake news?
● What kind of interdisciplinary research do/can we carry out with colleagues in Political Science departments?
Seminar convenors:
Elisabetta Pavan elisabetta.pavan.1@unipd.it
Caroline Clark caroline.clark@unipd.it
Francesca Helm francesca.helm@unipd.it
Please send a title and a short abstract (~100 words) to: elisabetta.pavan.1@unipd.it
DATES TO REMEMBER
October 31, 2025 Abstract submission
November 30, 2025 Notification of acceptance
December 15, 2025 Registration deadline
Fee: none
