Report on the 28th International Congress of Onomastic Sciences
Abstract
The 28th International Congress of Onomastic Sciences (ICOS) took place in Helsinki, Finland, from 19 to 23 August 2024. After the previous congress – held online due to the global pandemic – this year’s event marked a return to face-to-face participation, while still offering the option of remote attendance and online presentations. The congress was jointly organized by the University of Helsinki and the University of Turku. The overarching theme, Sustainability of names, naming, and onomastics, explored the contemporary challenges and opportunities faced by onomastic research in the digital age. Presentations covered a broad spectrum of topics, addressing the cultural, economic, and ideological dimensions of names, as well as their role in shaping and maintaining identity. The discussions spanned multiple historical periods and geographical settings, ranging from urban environments and national parks to imaginary literary worlds. The congress attracted participants from 29 countries. The academic program included 223 section papers and three plenary lectures, complemented by a poster session and two symposia. The symposia examined, respectively, the regulation of minority place-name usage in Europe and the use of personal names in multicultural contexts. Several ICOS working groups also convened during the congress. At the ICOS General Assembly, a new executive board was elected for the forthcoming three-year term. Notably, Erzsébet Győrffy (University of Debrecen) was among those elected to the board. The Assembly also decided that the 29th ICOS Congress will be hosted in Vienna, Austria, from 16 to 20 August 2027.
