The 2nd International Symposium on Language Policy, organised by NEOLAiA – an alliance of young European universities dedicated to regional development, innovation and inclusion – was held at the University of Jaén, Spain, from 18 to 20 June 2026. The symposium brought together over 150 experts from 22 countries to exchange on English-Medium Instruction (EMI), plurilingualism and the future of higher education in Europe.

The Council of Europe was represented by Sarah Breslin, Executive Director of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) and Head of Language Policy, who contributed to an interactive Q&A session. Sarah Breslin underlined the Council’s commitment to linguistic diversity, inclusion and democratic values as foundations for quality education in an international context. She encouraged universities to draw on Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)1 on the importance of plurilingual and intercultural education for democratic culture when developing their language policies. She directed participants to policy resources available on the recently developed website “towards plurilingual and intercultural education”, as well as to ECML resources on CLIL and pluriliteracies as practical support for teacher education and curriculum design.

NEOLAiA’s focus on promoting inclusion and celebrating linguistic diversity resonates with the values of the Council of Europe. The symposium served as an important opportunity to share experiences, discuss current challenges, and explore strategies for implementing language policies that promote both internationalisation and Europe’s linguistic diversity, not just English alone.