LATEST NEWS: comparative literature post announced in Limerick: CLICK HERE

CLAI is the word

The Comparative Literature Association of Ireland was launched at a meeting in Dublin in late 2007. Among other things, we decided on the name. CLAI brings together a number of people and institutions, active in the fields of comparative literature, intercultural research, translation studies, medieval studies and modern languages.

November 2008: Official launch and first International Postgraduate Symposium

CLAI was formally launched at a reception in the Royal Irish Academy on 28 November 2008, followed by the Association's first International Postgraduate Symposium at Dublin City University on 29 November. Participation and attendance exceeded expectations.

What's Going On

Ireland's higher education sector is rich in comparative cultural studies. There are postgraduate degree courses, undergraduate options, research groups and centres springing up in various institutions. Amid these shared methodologies and interests, common concerns and approaches, the new Association will help to create dialogue between colleagues in different places, and a forum for discussion and debate. We have much to learn from each other. As a country housing different national histories and cultures, full of language diversity, living on the edge of Europe and connected to the outside world in so many ways, Ireland is a natural site for comparative studies.