Spanish as an International Academic and Scientific Language

Spanish as an International Academic and Scientific Language: Towards a Strategy at the UGR

In its session of 30 January 2025, the Governing Council of the University of Granada (UGR) approved a key strategic document aimed at promoting Spanish as an international academic and scientific language. Developed by the Directorate for Language Services and Resources (Vice-Rectorate for Internationalization), the plan sets out a series of objectives and actions for the period 2025-2031.

The document responds to the need to counteract the limited use of the Spanish language in the production and transfer of specialised knowledge, despite the large number of speakers around the world and the growing demand for certifications. The dominance of English in scientific communication has led to a limited output of scientific publications and text corpora, as well as a lack of neologisms for disseminating scientific knowledge in Spanish. In turn, this has resulted in the limited development of both language technologies (LT) and AI models in Spanish, with implications for scientific pluralism and universal access to knowledge.

In the words of Vice-Rector for Internationalization Inmaculada Marrero, this Strategy demonstrates the UGR’s role as a standard-bearing institution in academic internationalization, as well as its commitment to promoting Spanish as a valid language for disseminating scientific and technological knowledge. The Strategy is also aligned with the UGR's vision for the future, drawing on some of the pillars and action areas of the UGR 2031 Strategic Plan, including internationalization, inclusion, digital transformation and social responsibility.

• Click here to view the full document (in Spanish): Spanish as an International Academic and Scientific Language: Towards a Strategy at the University of Granada

Proposed actions

To achieve these objectives, the Strategy sets out a number of specific actions, including:

• Creating a Committee for the Promotion of Academic Spanish at the UGR, which will be responsible for setting priorities and coordinating actions.
• Establishing cooperation with institutions such as the Cervantes Institute and the Directorate-General for Spanish in the World (DGEM) in order to coordinate strategies.
• Encouraging the publication of scientific content in Spanish in university media and digital platforms.
• Creating a standardised corpus of scientific Spanish in coordination with Spanish-speaking countries.
• Boosting the presence of the Modern Languages Centre (CLM) in key markets for Spanish as a second language.

Next steps

Over the coming months, the University of Granada will implement a series of initial actions and will seek to collaborate with local, regional, national and international organisations. This preliminary document will serve to kickstart a debate that will help to position Spanish as a language of science and technology on the international stage.