Daniel Perrin, Dean of the School of Applied Linguistics, will head up AILA from 2017 to 2020 as its president. Marlies Whitehouse, the School’s General Secretary as of September, will manage AILA’s finances as its new treasurer. Aleksandra Gnach, Professor of Media Linguistics at the Institute of Applied Media Studies, will continue to coordinate AILA’s European national affiliates.

AILA’s membership consists of approximately 8000 language researchers and practitioners from 40 countries across all the continents. By 2020, AILA wants to strengthen its collaboration with UNESCO in order to work towards common language, communication and education policy objectives. These include education programmes for a multilingual and ever more closely interconnected world, the development of ethical standards for communication between authorities and migrants, and worldwide access to information and knowledge.