Vigdís International Centre receives NordPlus funding for two new projects

The Vigdís International Centre for Multilingualism and Intercultural Understanding has been awarded funding for two collaborative research projects under the 2025 round of the NordPlus Nordic Languages programme. The projects will be launched in the autumn of 2025.

Romani Educational Materials in a Nordic Context (NordEduRom) focuses on the revitalisation of Romani (Romani čhib, Romanes) by critically examining existing teaching and learning resources. The multidisciplinary research investigates how these materials have been developed and used in Nordic countries where Romani holds the status of a national minority language (Finland, Norway, and Sweden). Implemented in cooperation with the University of Bergen and the Finnish Literature Society and guided by an Advisory Board with primarily Roma participation, the project seeks to build a foundation for Nordic cooperation that promotes Romani for both cultural and inclusive purposes through research and transnational exchange of knowledge and practices.

The second project, Multilingualism and Inclusion: Language Learning and Migrants in the Nordic Region, aims to strengthen Nordic academic cooperation on the role of official language learning among migrant communities. It will bring together researchers from across the Nordic countries to discuss language learning, inclusion, and integration during workshops and a regional Nordic conference. The project is carried out by the Vigdís International Centre in partnership with the Centre for Intercultural Communication (SIK) at VID Specialised University in Stavanger and in cooperation with the International Migration and Ethnic Relations (IMER) research network based at the University of Bergen.

The two projects reinforce the Centre’s role as a hub for socially engaged research that addresses real-world challenges related to language, identity, and integration. Aligned with the Centre’s status as a UNESCO Category 2 institution, they aim to advance global goals of cultural inclusion, minority rights, and multilingual education.