Johan Rooryck, born in Leuven, Belgium, in 1961. Ph.D. from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Professor of French Linguistics at Leiden University.
Distinguished Lorentz Fellow (1 September 2011 – 30 June 2012)
CORE KNOWLEDGE, LANGUAGE, AND CULTURE
During my stay at NIAS, I prepared a grant proposal entitled Knowledge and culture for NWO’s Horizon scheme (submitted March 1, 2012), and I organized a Lorentz Workshop on Core knowledge, language and culture from 29 May to 1 June 2012. My stay at NIAS provided me with the opportunity to prepare both the research project and the Lorentz Workshop with much greater ease than would otherwise have been possible. NIAS provides time to do research in a stimulating intellectual environment. I had thought-provoking exchanges with fellow linguists Fred Weerman, Enoch Aboh, and Ianthi Tsimpli, and with fellows including Ronald Noë, Kip Williams, Arjo Klamer, Tazuko van Berkel, Saskia Peels, Jo Spaans, Mike Potegal, Marco Pasi, and Jerónimo Pizarro. The environment at NIAS had a decisive impact on the way in which I presented my ideas in the grant proposal, and greatly influenced the way I present my research for non-specialists.