Blog CRC1646

From 20^th of April to 30^th of June 2025, the doctoral fellow Mariya Hristova from project B04 profited from the outgoing scholarships of CRC 1964 and used the opportunity for a research stay at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona. In retrospect, two-and-a-half-month turned out to be the ideal length for her: neither too short nor too long. It gave Mariya enough time to become familiar with the Formal Linguistics Group and its activities while also immersing herself in the unique atmosphere of Barcelona.

At UPF, Mariya was supervised by Professor Louise McNally from the Department of Translation and Language Sciences, who has previously visited Bielefeld for academic activities. The main goal of Mariya’s stay was to further develop the formal linguistic modelling in her dissertation and to gain new perspectives on her PhD project more broadly. The research environment was particularly inspiring due to the broad range of expertise represented in the Formal Linguistics Group. Louise McNally’s research on natural language interpretation, including the interaction between linguistic structure, interpretive conventions, context, and world knowledge, provided valuable impulses for Mariya’s own work. Her background in formal semantics, as well as her more recent engagement with vector-based and information-theoretic approaches to meaning, offered interesting perspectives on questions of linguistic interpretation.

During Mariya’s stay, she had the opportunity to receive feedback not only from Louise McNally but also from Professor Laia Mayol and Professor Martina Wiltschko. Laia Mayol’s work in semantics and pragmatics, particularly on discourse structure, non-truth-conditional meaning, and anaphora, as well as Martina Wiltschko’s research on syntax and its interfaces, contributed valuable perspectives from different areas of linguistics. In addition, Mariya participated in workshops organized by the group and presented her dissertation project in the Formal Linguistics Group’s research seminar, receiving constructive feedback from researchers with diverse theoretical backgrounds. The exchange with the PhD students in the group was also a very positive experience for her.

Besides the academic activities, Mariya greatly enjoyed exploring Barcelona and its surroundings. The city has an incredible atmosphere, shaped by its architecture, beaches, cultural life, and historical sites. During her stay, she visited landmarks such as the Sagrada Família, Park Güell, the Gothic Quarter with the cathedral of the city, the Montjuïc hill with its magic fountain and castle, Parc de la Ciutadella, and the Tibidabo hill with the double church, as well as several museums. The excellent public transport connections also allowed her to explore Catalonia, including Girona during its flower festival, the coastal town of Sitges, Montserrat with its famous monastery and impressive landscape, and Tossa de Mar with its beautiful coastline and medieval old town. Mariya also travelled beyond Catalonia, visiting Valencia and the Basque Country, including San Sebastián, where she of course had the chance to try the famous Basque burnt cheesecake.

Overall, her research stay was very well balanced, combining academic exchange, time for reading and writing, and the opportunity to experience life in another country. Changing academic and cultural environment was highly beneficial for Mariya’s research and provided new perspectives on her dissertation project. At the same time, becoming part of a different academic community and exploring a new culture contributed significantly to her personal development. Mariya is very grateful for this opportunity and would highly recommend a research stay abroad to other doctoral researchers.

P.S.: Louise McNally and Martina Wiltschko will visiting the CRC 1646 and teaching two courses during the second week of the DGfS Summer School on Linguistic Creativity. Make sure to check out their courses!

Tossa de mar at the Costa Brava © Mariya Hristova

Campus Poblenou of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) © Mariya Hristova

The old part of the main library of the UPF at the Ciutadella Campus © Mariya Hristova

Sagrada Familia at Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudí © Mariya Hristova

Projekt Team B04                                                                                                                                          © Sascha Hermannski

From left to right: Patricia Linnemann, Heike Knerich, Barbara Job, Anna Kutscher, Mariya Hristova & Ralf Vogel