Granted by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Humboldt Professorships recognise leading researchers in all disciplines around the world.

As part of the Professorship, Professor Piller will relocate to Hamburg University in 2025 to head the interdisciplinary Literacy in Diversity Settings (LiDS) research centre. She will continue her association with Macquarie University on a part-time basis.

The award will build on Professor Piller’s outstanding track record of driving innovative research in linguistic diversity in social life – including though intercultural communication, language learning, multilingualism and bilingual education.

Her research project will focus on migrant language socialisation, language learning and settlement across the lifespan and outside formal education institution.

These include digital spaces as well as language brokering and other forms of informal language assistance that often underpin institutional communications in linguistically diverse societies. The work will be carried out in Australia and Europe.