Celebrating Professor Emeritus Colin H. Williams’ contribution to language policy

The event, Innovation and Good Practice in Language Policy, was an opportunity for speakers from Wales, Ireland, Scotland, the Basque Country, Catalonia and Canada to share experiences and ideas about promoting languages, legislating, and the challenges for politicians and wider society.

The conference was organised jointly between the Welsh Government’s Cymraeg 2050 and Cardiff University’s School of Welsh.

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, said: "The Welsh Government has a clear vision for the Welsh language, and innovative plans to turn that vision into a reality. The conference was an opportunity for us to share our experiences, to listen and to learn lessons from other countries.

"It was also an opportunity for us to come together to thank Emeritus Professor Colin H Williams for his significant contribution to language policy, in front of a Welsh and international audience. Colin’s research and wise advice has been invaluable, and he’s always ready to help and challenge constructively."

The Head of the School of Welsh at Cardiff University, Dr Dylan Foster Evans, said: “For us at the School of Welsh at Cardiff University, the expertise, generosity and support of Professor Colin H. Williams is a daily inspiration. This conference was an opportunity to see and appreciate the impact of those qualities on colleagues and friends around the world. It was a privilege to be part of an event to honour Colin, and his own contributions to the discussions were incisive, adventurous and innovative, as always. We all have challenges ahead of us in our different fields, but Colin inspires us to face them with confidence.”

Dr Ane Ortega from the Equiling project in the Basque Country said: "One of the things that researchers and activists of minoritized languages have learned is how important it is to work together, to learn from each other, to imagine novel ways of doing things, and to give each other support. Professor Colin Williams believed in this, and all his visits to other parts of the world and his extensive writing prove it. The work he did was not just for Welsh, it was for all minority languages, and by extension for a more equal world.

“For me it was a real privilege to take part in this conference in honour of Colin to show the respect and gratitude that we Basques feel for him.  Eskerrik asko bihotz bihotzez, Colin!”

Dr Maite Puigdevall Serralvo from the Open University of Catalonia said: "The conference was a celebration of the outstanding and enduring contributions of Emeritus Professor Colin Williams to advance language policy in Wales and in many other minority language communities in Europe and the world. The conference mirrored the way he has been working during all his long professional trajectory in search for best practice interventions that may serve to strengthen and advance policies and practices in other minority language contexts.

"But for me, the most important feature of the gathering was the demonstration of respect and love from students, friends, colleagues and family for his legacy and the personal impact that his mentoring, encouragement, generosity and support has had on many of us. It was the best way to say, thank you to Colin for what you have done for us all, the academic, the political but also the personal contribution."