📍 Clarens, South Africa | 26-29 November 2025
The Eighth International Symposium on Place Names (ISPN 2025) is set to take place from 26-29 November 2025 in Clarens, South Africa. Hosted by the Department of South African Sign Language and Deaf Studies at the University of the Free State, in collaboration with the Joint ICA/IGU Commission on Toponymy and the ICOS Working Group on Toponymy, this biennial international symposium aims to bring together researchers and experts from across the globe to discuss the complex relationship between toponymic standardisation and local cultural diversity.
Theme: Harmonising Toponymic Heritage
🌍 Balancing Standardisation and Local Diversity 🌍
Place names serve a dual function—they are both geospatial markers and cultural artefacts. While standardisation is crucial for communication, navigation, and record-keeping, it often comes at the expense of linguistic diversity and cultural representation.
This year’s theme aims to explore:
✅ How can we develop a globally recognised system for standardising place names while preserving local identity?
✅ What are the challenges of multilingual and multicultural toponymy?
✅ How can best practices ensure an inclusive approach to indigenous and minority place names?
The symposium will encourage critical discussions around the symbolic significance of place names and how they shape our understanding of history, heritage, and identity.
Call for Papers: Submit Your Abstract by 4 April 2025
Researchers, scholars, and professionals are invited to submit 250-word abstracts to kongresETFB@ufs.ac.za by 4 April 2025.
Potential Research Topics Include:
- Recognition beyond standardisation – advocating for indigenous and minority place names.
- Best practices for standardisation and management of multiple place names.
- Diversity in place names – sociolinguistic influences in multilingual societies.
- Harmonising toponymic heritage across diverse communities.
- Mapping place-name diversity in texts and geographic representations.
- Administrative, economic, historical, and linguistic dimensions of place names.
All sessions will be plenary, ensuring an engaging and interactive platform for knowledge-sharing.
Why Attend ISPN 2025?
🔹 Global Networking: Connect with leading experts in toponymy, linguistics, and cultural heritage.
🔹 Cutting-Edge Research: Explore emerging trends in place-name standardisation and identity.
🔹 Diverse Perspectives: Gain insights into indigenous, minority, and multilingual naming traditions.
Interested participants can also join the ISPN LinkedIn group for updates and discussions: ISPN LinkedIn.
For further inquiries, contact Dr. Chrismi Loth at kongresETFB@ufs.ac.za.
✨ Be part of the conversation on shaping the future of place-name standardisation while preserving cultural diversity! Submit your abstract today and join us in Clarens, South Africa, in November 2025. 🌍
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