Acknowledgements

This work has emerged from the MIME (Mobility and Inclusion in Multilingual Europe) project, funded by European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development. Technically, however, it is not part of this enterprise, for it was produced after the project was completed in 2018, but the authors felt it would be worth while bringing together in a single volume a range of ideas and findings complementing the various articles, books, chapters and reports resulting from MIME, particularly the MIME Vademecum (available at www​.mime​-project​.org​/vademecum).

We would therefore like to thank several groups of people, starting with all the colleagues who were willing to act as outside experts and share their valuable comments and suggestions with us: Jean-Claude Barbier, Pierre Foucher, Melita Koletnik, Rafael Matos Wazem, Tamara Mikolič Južnič, Marija Omazić, Yael Peled, Agnes Pisanski Peterlin, Mojca Schlamberger Brezar and François Vaillancourt. In addition, apart from the editing work carried out by the undersigned, many chapters were cross-read by other authors, whose contributions are greatly appreciated. Our gratitude further extends to Marco Civico and Guillaume Fürst for their invaluable help in preparing the final manuscript.

Nevertheless, this book would never have seen the light of day but for MIME, and it is closely linked to the project and the people who were involved in it at its various stages from 2014 to 2018. So we would also like to thank the members of the MIME Advisory Board, Professors Joe LoBianco, Tove Malloy, Tom Moring and Tom Ricento, as well as Mr Amin Maalouf. We are especially grateful to Tom Moring who, in his capacity as chairman of the Board, gave us his unstinting support and time. Our thanks are likewise due to Professor Wolfgang Mackiewicz who, as special advisor to the project, generously shared with us his intimate knowledge of the subtleties of multilingualism within the European institutions.

The project was not confined to research, but included information, training and communication activities involving organisations of multilingualism practitioners in various fields who took part in the MIME Stakeholder Forum. We are therefore also grateful to Professor Marija Omazić, as well as to Dr Kirsten Leufgen and her team.

Finally, together with all the contributors, we also wish, with this book, to honour the memory of our colleague and dear friend Dr. Rudi Janssens, who wrote Chapter 6 but passed away before this volume went to press. Throughout the MIME project, Rudi's contribution to our shared work has been invaluable.