Iceland has a fascinating and distinctive language that dates back centuries, but what does the future of Icelandic language look like? On May 10th, the Icelandic American Chamber of Commerce is organizing panel discussions on the Future of the Icelandic Language with a keynote presentation from the President of Iceland, Mr. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, at the Scandinavia House on Park Avenue in New York City.
The panel is part of a year long celebration of Iceland’s 100th year of sovereignty. On December 1, 1918, Iceland became an independent and sovereign state following the Union Treaty with Denmark, which had been in progress for nearly a century. For Icelanders, this day is seen as one of the most monumental dates in history, as it established the nation as a determined, strong leader on the world stage.
Iceland’s 100 year anniversary offers a moment for Icelanders to pause and reflect on all that the Nordic nation has achieved in the past century and consider what the future holds – the opportunities, advantages and challenges it presents. The upcoming panel in New York is dedicated to this inquiry, focusing specifically on the Icelandic language.
The lineup includes discussions on language and technology, the status and future of Icelandic literature, as well as appearances from Icelandic authors and researchers. For more details and to register for the event, click here.
Agenda May 10th:
08:15-09:00 Light breakfast and networking
09:00-09:10 Welcome
09:10-09:40 Keynote Presentation Followed by Q&A
The President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson
09:40-10:20 The Icelandic Language and Technology
Moderator: Jennifer Sertl, President, Agility3R
Panelists:
Richard Sproat, Senior Staff Research Scientist, Google, Inc
Hal Daumé III, Principle Researcher and Associate Professor, Microsoft Research and University of Maryland
Eiríkur Rögnvaldsson, Professor of Icelandic Language, Faculty of Icelandic and Comparative Cultural Studies, University of Iceland
Anna Björk Nikulásdóttir, Researcher at the Language and Voice Lab, Reykjavik University
Pamela Pecs Cytron, CEO, Pendo Systems, Inc.
10:20-10:40 Networking Break
10:40-11:20 The Status and Future of Icelandic Literature
Moderator: Anne Giardini, Chancellor, Simon Fraser University
Panelists:
Eliza Reid, First Lady of Iceland
Adam Gopnik, Staff Writer, The New Yorker
Chad W. Post, Contributing Writer, Publishers Weekly, Publisher/Editor, Open Letter, University of Rochester
Birna Anna Björnsdóttir, writer
11:20-11:30 Closing
Stefanía Guðrún Halldórsdóttir, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, Landsvirkjun, Chairman, Almannarómur
To stay up to date on all the events going on this year in celebration of Iceland’s 100th year anniversary, be sure to follow us on Twitter at @IcelandNatural!
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