Monday, March 31, 2014

CFP: Asian Cultural and Media Studies Now

International Conference
Asian Cultural & Media Studies Research Cluster, Monash Asia Institute

6-7 Nov 2014

The Asian Cultural & Media Studies Research Cluster of the Monash Asia Institute, Monash University will host an international conference, 'Asian Cultural and Media Studies Now' at Monash University, Caulfield campus in Melbourne on 6 and 7 November 2014.

The conference aims to critically revisit some of the key issues in the study of Asian culture, media and communications, which have been developed rapidly over the last twenty years, to discuss what kinds of new approaches and scholarly frameworks are required in the current socio-historical context. The conference will focus on four key areas of investigation, whose historical significance and transgressive potential requires reassessment in light of the advancement of market-driven processes of globalization and intensifying socio-economic disparity:

1)Alternative modernities and de-Westernization

2)Trans-Asian connections, dialogue and unevenness

3)Cultural convergence, citizenship and socio-cultural diversity

4)Mobility, imagined communities and cosmopolitanism

We are inviting proposals for paper presentations on these issues, although proposals that are in other ways relevant to the topic of Asian Cultural and Media Studies Now will also be considered.

The conference format will be discussion-oriented and all speakers will give a concise talk of the main points for 10-15 minutes. Speakers are not expected to present complete papers but to raise key theoretical questions with related empirical examination where relevant.

Please send your paper proposals (less than 300 words) with your affiliation details and e-mail address no later than _12 May_ to: MAI-Enquiries@monash.edu <mailto:MAI-Enquiries@monash.edu>

Please clearly put "Paper proposal for Asian Cultural and Media Studies Now" in the subject line.Acceptance of proposals will be notified in mid-June.

Please kindly be advised that we will not be able to offer financial support for participants' travel costs. There will be no registration fees for the conference.

We look very much forward to receiving your proposals!

Best regards,
Koichi Iwabuchi, Olivia Khoo & Dan Black
(Conveners, Monash University, Australia)

CFP: Port Cities in the Early Modern World, 1500-1800

November 5-7, 2015, Philadelphia, PA

Co-sponsored by the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, the Program in Early American Economy and Society, and Temple University.

In the early modern period, advances in maritime technology redrew the global map-not only through the "discovery" of new worlds, but by reorienting patterns of commerce and migration to transform what had been peripheries into vital nodes of exchange, power, and culture. Port cities rose to occupy a critical space, mediating between their own hinterlands and an oceanic world of circulation and exchange. Highly local institutions and networks influenced and reacted to global networks and the movements of people, goods, fashions, ideas, and pathogens.  This conference will explore comparisons and connections among ports in the age of sail.  Through broadly comparative papers and revealing case studies this conference provides a forum to explore comparisons and contrasts, diversity and congruence, competition and emulation, among far-flung port cities on a global scale. Among the topics the organizers hope to explore are socio-political organization, economic and labor patterns, and cultural productions

We seek proposals from scholars at all stages of their careers. Committed participants include Christopher Hodson, Richard Kagan, Willem Klooster, Christian Koot, Kris Lane, Ty Reese, Philip Stern, and David Wheat.

Paper proposals should include an abstract of no more than 500 words and a one-page curriculum vita.  Papers, which will be pre-circulated, should be approximately 7,500 words in length. Please e-mail paper proposals to mceas@ccat.sas.upenn.edu<mailto:mceas@ccat.sas.upenn.edu>  by September 15, 2014.  All queries should be sent to the conference organizer, Jessica Choppin Roney (roney@ohio.edu<mailto:roney@ohio.edu>).
The program committee will reply by December, 2014.

Some support for participants' travel and lodging expenses will be available for paper presenters.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Conference Notice

Symposium: Narrative in Buddhist Texts, Practice and Transmission

April 18, 2014 (Friday)
9:00 am - 5:30 pm
2140 Durant Avenue
Berkeley, California 94704

This symposium will explore the significance of narrative in Buddhism from a variety of perspectives, in particular the narrative core of its texts, structures of engagement of the Buddhist path, and new forms arising within a range of cultural contexts.

Principal Speakers:

Dr. Charles Hallisey, Harvard Divinity School
"Narrative Amidst the Activities of Scripture"

Dr. Richard K. Payne, Institute of Buddhist Studies
"The Path from Metaphor to Narrative: Gampopa's Jewel Ornament of Liberation"

Dr. Michael D. Nichols, Saint Joseph's College (Indiana)
?M?ra Re-imagined: Stories of the 'Evil One' in Changing Contexts?

Co-convenors: Scott Mitchell and David Matsumoto
Admission is free and open to all interested persons

For more information: http://www.shin-ibs.edu/narrative

Monday, March 24, 2014

CFP: Globalization and Health: East and West


June 22-26, 2014
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh will host the 2014 FUTH meeting, which will address globalization in its socio-cultural and health dimensions. It focuses on the nature and impact of globalization and health in the East, present and past, tracing the nature of globalization in the region of densest population. Second, it focuses on the impact of Eastern processes of globalization and health on other regions in the world, notably Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Distinguished speakers include Edmund Burke III (UCSC),  Rila Mukherjee (Hyderabad), Naoki Sakai (Cornell), Joanna Waley-Cohen (NYU-Shanghai), James L.A. Webb (Colby College), Christine Yano (Hawaii), and others.  Prospective participants should send proposals that include a title, a 500-word abstract, a short (2-page) CV, and names of two referees to worldhis@pitt.edu by March 31, 2014.  Proposals should include a clear topic and may include methods, temporal organization, and reference to any links between the proposal and broader global, historical, and especially interdisciplinary approaches and questions. Sponsoring universities: Hanyang University, University of Leipzig, St. Andrews University, University of Pittsburgh, and University of Tampere. 

Conference: Waterfront Asian Cultural Landscape

2014 International Symposium
Waterfront Asian Cultural Landscape
Organised by: ACLA Asian Cultural Landscape Association, and SNU Urban
Greening Institute, Seoul National University, Korea
Date: October 7th (Tue.) - 9th (Thur.) 2014.
Venue: International Conference Hall, Seoul National University, Seoul,
KOREA.

ACLA, Asian Cultural Landscape Association, is an organisation that promotes the physical, natural and cultural heritagescapes, traditions, crafts and creativity as driving forces for overall sustainable landscape development; and the generation of cross-cultural integration and strategies for a balanced socio-economic and cultural development. Apart from organising annual symposium, herewith, ACLA call for the entries on undergraduates design competition, together with the support of Urban Greeting Institute, Seoul National University.

The Preamble

Says an ancient Indian text that, "Water thou art the source of all things and of all existence". Water is symbolised as foundation of all the civilisations, ensuring long life and creative energy and are the principle
of all healing. Local waterfronts have acquired increasing relevance to the economic development of human settlements, and in turn afforded themselves as key nodes in globalization processes and tourism development on the line of sustainable landscape planning. A crucial aspect of the competitive repositioning of Asian towns in the global arena is the capacity of post-industrial waterfronts for urban and environmental and sustainable development. As these cities shift from industrial to service economies,the qualities of their urban spaces become increasingly important and need for clean water becomes more crucial. The visibility of waterfront areas and its access to other parts of the city become assets to the redevelopment of these places. As such, waterfront developments have attracted the attention of different institutions interested and involved in varying aspects of such development through varieties of stakeholders and degrees of public participation.

The ACLA-2014 Symposium will provide a platform for interacting driving thoughts and practices that are resulting from cultural landscapic transformation of the urban waterfront spaces in Asian cities, within their economic, political, socio-cultural and landscapic milieu, resulting in the formation of varieties of waterscapes, visualscapes and faithscapes. Changes in public-policy and traditional practices governing land-use on the waterfront have further allowed for the new spatial configurations, including the changing roles of actors and agencies in the transformations of waterfronts. In these purviews and perspectives discourses will be performed and a rational strategy will be formed in understanding, envisioning and re-making of waterscapes in Asia. The overall changing
spatial relationship of the waterfront with the city is the main emphasis of the Symposium, presuming a dictum that new spatialities will be generated by the re-development of the waterfronts potentially lead to create new meanings for the urban spaces of the Asian cities.

The Focal themes/ Sub-themes (but not limited to):

(a)  Waterfront Cultural Landscape: Theoretical Frame and Images (integrity of water-land-landscape, water-plant-gardening, spatial pattern and designing, waterfront cities, water-plant landscaping, water-smart landscaping, Water-smart landscapes vs. Xeriscapes, etc.) 

(b)  Farming Cultural Landscape: Lifestyle and Practices (such as, lowland, wetlands, highland, paddy field, terraces and terrace paddy, salt farm, efficient irrigation, wisely water use, etc.)

(c)  Human Settlements: Spatial Structure and Morphology  (waterfront siting, village, towns, floating village, waterfront landscaping and settlements, water-wise garden, waterfront and waterways developments, etc.)

(d)  Religion and Symbolism: Ritualscapes, Faithscapes (Sacrality in space and time, the routes, spatiality of time, temporality of space, Sacred Cities and pilgrimages, etc.)

Deadlines & Format

* Deadline of Abstract: The abstracts submission deadline by e-mail is 31st May 2014.

* Abstracts: maximum of 250 words in MSwd.doc file, and should NOT include figure/s.

* Abstract Outline: In the abstract, please include session topics, title, name of the authors including complete mailing address and e-mail, Tel./Mobile, and elaborate the focus, field study and prospects, in one MSwd.doc file and send as attachment.

* Deadline of Decision: Your abstract will be peer reviewed by the Scientific Committee. Authors will be notified about the decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of the abstract via e-mail by 30th June 2014.

* Deadline for Paper: for submission of the full papers is 15th August 2014. A template for full papers will be provided after acceptance as a presenter, if required.

* Paper Format: Abstracts accepted for a paper presentation at the Symposium, should be developed as paper/s (3,500 - 6,000max words in length; Harvard Manuel of format strictly to be followed: all the reference be cited by surname and year within parentheses, and arranged alphabetically at the end; no footnotes to be incorporated; feel free to contact us for further help if required), which will be published in the ACLA proceedings, and research anthologies from a standard and established publisher/s.

Registration Fee
Full Registration Fee for outside Participants: KRW 250,000 (i.e. US$250).

Registration Fee for Local Participants, without accommodation: KRW 100,000 (i.e. US$ 100).

Registration Fee for Observers and other Participants: KRW 100,000 (i.e. US$ 100).

Note: All the payments be transacted or transferred in KRW.

Registration Fee includes subsidised accommodation for three-night (shared basis), meals, local hospitalities, and field-trip (countryside waterfront heritage site), and all the proceedings and kits.

Invitation
First of all, it is our great pleasure to welcome all distinguished participants to the 4th International Symposium on "Waterfront Asian Cultural Landscape", organised under the aegis of the ACLA: Asian Cultural Landscape Association, at Seoul National University, Seoul, KOREA. 

The feedback from the discussions facilitated by this Symposium may find future application in making waterfront cultural landscapes more serene and sensitive environmentally, aesthetically, visually and visionary in Asian
region and serve as a model frame for other parts of the world. We hope this Symposium can provide inspiration to experts in creating and generating new models and platforms in this direction to sustainable waterfront habitat development.

The Symposium's schedule contains many activities designed to help and organize the networking of experts and practitioners in Cultural Landscapes and Heritagescapes in Asian region to facilitate the sharing of expertise
for waterfront cultural landscape and planning.

We promise you that we will make every endeavour to ensure your time here fulfilling, enriching and awakening. We wish to welcome you all and hope you have a wonderful experience attending the Symposium, workshops, and technical excursions.

Thank you very much,
Sung-Kyun KIM

Friday, March 21, 2014

CFP: Peace and Human Rights in World History

2014 Conference Call for Papers
October 10-11, 2014, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida

On the 100-year anniversary of the First World War, the Southeast World History Association invites proposals from scholars, teachers, and students in and beyond the Southeastern United States for papers, posters/media displays, panels, roundtables, and workshops addressing this year's theme of "Peace and Human Rights in World History," encompassing interconnected trends of global citizenship that illustrate the complex need for peace and conflict resolution. Participants will engage in the study of the history of peace, international cooperation, and social justice. Peace and human rights is of particular importance to Florida Atlantic University as it has a Peace Studies program: http://www.fau.edu/peacestudies/ and several human rights initiatives, including the Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education (CHHRE)http://www.coe.fau.edu/centersandprograms/CHHRE

Topics are not limited to, but might include:
        * Peace movements throughout history
        * Resisting, subverting, and recovering from genocides in history
        * Legal, social, and other paths to human rights in history
        * International peace and peacemaking
        * Cases of civil resistance and nonviolent struggle
        * The distinction between combatant and civilian in conflict
        * The role of new technologies and human rights
        * Antiwar activities
        * Positive peace and negative peace
        * Expanding representation and democratic rights
        * Teaching these world historical issues at the K-12 and/or college level
        * Any topic relating to world history research or teaching

In keeping with the mission and character of SEWHA, the Program Committee welcomes proposals that address scholarship and teaching in world history at all levels. Papers not related to this year?s theme are also welcome. The Committee strongly encourages proposals not only for panels (up to three presenters) and individual papers (conference organizers will assemble into panels), but also for innovative formats such as roundtables (up to five participants), individual posters/media displays, workshops, and the like. The Committee also invites interested scholars, teachers, and students to coordinate proposals through the SEWHA list serve, and it particularly encourages proposals that combine teaching and scholarship.

For more information, seehttp://www.sewha.org/conference.

To submit a proposal, please send the following to Prof. Doug McGetchin (dmcgetch@fau.edu) by June 1, 2014:

For Panels:
* An abstract of each paper (no more than 250 words)
* Name, affiliation, and role of each participant (presenters and chair)
* A/V and other equipment needs

For Individual Papers or Posters:
* Name and affiliation of presenter
* Abstract of paper or poster/media display (no more than 250 words)
* A/V and other equipment needs

For Roundtables or Workshops:
* Name and affiliation of each roundtable member or workshop facilitator
* One page description of roundtable or workshop purpose and scope, including statement of relevance to the conference theme, if applicable

For more information about this conference including hotel information, please see our general conference page.
 
Denis Gainty
Georgia State University

CFP: 7th International Indonesia Forum Conference: Representing Indonesia

State Islamic University Sunan Gunung Djati, Bandung, Indonesia
19-20 August 2014.


Call for Papers: Representing Indonesia

From growing democracy to religion, from regional to cultural diversity, all aspects of Indonesia are represented in various ways and through various channels, making these aspects part of the general picture of Indonesia. For the 7th International Indonesia Forum Conference we call once again upon scholars of various disciplines to address the theme of 'representation' in Indonesia in all its aspects: political, religious, social, cultural, regional, economic, education, communication, law, technology.

As 2014 is an election year, representation carries a clear political meaning. However, we challenge scholars to stretch the concept beyond this element of representation in Indonesia. We invite scholars to exercise their expertise and address the conceptual make-up on how values are represented in Indonesia and the mechanisms of this representation: the concept of democracy and how it evolves, the concept of justice and how it is applied, the concept of culture and how it is represented... as well as the representation of elements and groups in Indonesian society.

We also welcome contributions envisioning the concept of representation in a narrow sense of elements pertaining to specific research and disciplines... whether they be elements of religious theories in Indonesia, or implementation of economic development projects. The Conference aims to explore how various aspects of
society are represented and perceived by Indonesians and Indonesianists alike.

The 7th International Indonesia Forum Conference will be held in the State Islamic University Sunan Gunung Djati in Bandung from 19-20 August 2014.

Persons wishing to present papers at the conference are invited to submit a short CV and one-page abstract in electronic form (PDF or MSWord) to Dr Frank Dhont and Chris Woodrich at the following addresses: frank.dhont@iif.or.id and christopher.woodrich@iif.or.id


All papers will be presented in English.
Deadline for submission of abstracts: March 31, 2014.

For information on the 7th IIF International Conference and on IIF's previous International Conferences and publications see http://iif.or.id

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Asian Studies in Africa: The Challenges and Prospects of a New Axis of Intellectual Interaction

Asian Studies in Africa: the Challenges and Prospects of a New Axis of Intellectual Interaction

Dates
15 - 17 January 2015
Deadline
15 April 2014
Location
Accra, Ghana
The conference
Organized by A-Asia in cooperation with the International Convention of Asian Scholars (ICAS), "Asian Studies in Africa" will be the first ever conference held in Africa to bring together a multidisciplinary ensemble of scholars and institutions from the continent and the rest of the world with a shared focus on Asia and Asia-Africa intellectual interactions.
The conference, through panels and roundtables, will seek to assess the prospects for Asian Studies in Africa in a global context by addressing a number of theoretical and empirical questions that such an enterprise will raise: How should Asian studies be framed in Africa? Is Asian studies relevant for Africa? What is the current state of capacity (institutional, intellectual, personnel, and so on) for Asian studies in Africa and can this be improved and how? How does (and must it?) Asian studies dovetail into the broader field of 'Area studies', as it has been developed mainly in Western institutions? Are new narratives required for understanding the very visible contemporary presence of Asia in Africa and Africa in Asia? What is the current state of research on Africa-Asia (transnational) linkages?
Call for panels, roundtables and papers
We invite proposals for panels, roundtables, papers and book presentations in the fields of Asian-African interactions studies.
Proposals in English, French or Portuguese should be submitted online before 15 April 2014.
All panel, roundtable, and paper proposals should clearly outline the methodological approach(es) taken and whether they contribute to the theoretical and/or empirical objectives of the conference (for guidelines see the submission form).
The online submission forms and guidelines are availabale on the conference website.
Those whose proposals have been accepted will be notified by 1 June 2014. The working languages of the conference will be English, French and Portuguese, but all power point presentations must be in English.
Further information about registration fees, the venue, and logistics will be provided on the conference website once the panels and papers have been accepted.
The book prize
The A-Asia / ICAS Africa-Asia Book Prize (AAIBP) was established by the ICAS Secretariat in 2013. The aim is to create by way of a global competition both an international focus for publications on Africa-Asia while at the same time increasing their visibility worldwide.
Academic publications in the Humanities and Social Sciences which are eligible should either be written by an African scholar on an Asian topic or by any other author on Africa-Asia (transnational) linkages. Authors from Africa and Asia are strongly encouraged to submit their books.
Travel Fund
Very limited financial support may be made available to specific scholars residing in Africa and some junior or low-income scholars in other parts of the world. If you would like to be considered for financial support, please submit the Grant Application form in which you state the motivation for your request. Please note that the conference operates on a limited budget, and will not normally be able to provide more than a partial coverage of the conference expenses. The form should be submitted before 1 April 2014. Requests for funding received after this date will not be taken into consideration.
The organisers
The A-Asia was established in Chisamba, Zambia, in November 2012 on the occasion of the 'Asian Studies in Africa' roundtable which was organized by the University of Zambia (UNZA), the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) and the South-South Exchange Programme for Research on the History of Development (Sephis).
A-Asia is registered in Zambia. Its steering committee consists of: Lloyd Amoah (Ashesi University College, Ghana); Thomas Asher (Social Science Research Council, USA); Scarlett Cornelissen (University of Stellenbosch, South Africa); Webby Kalikiti (Secretary A-Asia / University of Zambia); Liu Haifang (Peking University, China); Yoichi Mine (Doshisha University, Japan); Oka Obono (University of Ibadan, Nigeria); Philippe Peycam (International Institute for Asian Studies, the Netherlands).
ICAS is the premier gathering of Asia scholars in the world. ICAS is the premier gathering of Asia scholars in the world. Since its foundation in 1997, ICAS has brought more than fifteen thousand Asia scholars from 60 countries together at 8 conventions which has resulted in new long term international research partnerships and many publications. The ICAS Secretariat is hosted by IIAS. The ICAS International Council consists of Maris Diokno (Southeast Asian Studies Regional Exchange Program, Philippines); Praesenjit Duara (Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore), Carol Gluck (Columbia University, USA); Michael Hsiao (Academia Sinica, Taiwan); Tak-Wing Ngo (University of Macau); Philippe Peycam (International Institute for Asian Studies, the Netherlands); Aromar Revi (Indian Institute for Human Settlements, India); Henk Schulte-Nordholt (Chair International Institute for Asian Studies, the Netherlands) Hiromu Shimizu (Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Japan); Paul van der Velde (Secretary ICAS).
Contact
Please address all enquiries to: Ms Martina van den Haak at m.c.van.den.haak@iias.nl

Monday, March 17, 2014

CFP: A History of Penal Regimes in Global Perspective, 1800-2014

Call for Papers
A History of Penal Regimes in Global Perspective, 1800-2014

March 5-7, 2015
Weatherhead Initiative on Global History, Harvard University

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of publication of Michel Foucault's Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, the Weatherhead Initiative on Global History is planning a conference to spark a global conversation among researchers in the social sciences and humanities at work on the history of distinctive penal regimes. The conference is open to papers that address a variety of themes from the philosophical underpinnings of systems of punishment, the character and function of regimes of incarceration and penality in colonial, liberal, neo-liberal and authoritarian state systems, and the distinctive cultures of confinement that have emerged within these varied systems. Deadline: May 15, 2014. Travel and accommodation will be covered.

CFP: Heritage in the History, Culture and Religion of South and Southeast Asia

Call for Papers
Heritage in the History, Culture and Religion of South and Southeast Asia

June 4 - 7, 2015
Colombo, Sri Lanka


The academic study of heritage in South and Southeast Asia encompasses various aspects of culture and religion. The 6th SSEASR Conference aims at encouraging scholars from all parts of the world to delve into the issues of both tangible/intangible heritage in the region: how heritage is interpreted, constructed, and managed, and related problems, such as the rapidly changing values and modes of communication in the culture and religion of South and Southeast Asia.

CFP: UCLA International Institute Graduate Student Conference

Call for Papers
UCLA International Institute Graduate Student Conference

Conference date: May 16, 2014
We seek paper proposals from UCLA graduate students of all fields whose work is related to the international and transnational scope of the International Institute. Papers dealing with Regional and Area Studies, International Relations, International Development, Transnational Approaches to Domestic Issues, and the Humanities will be strongly considered. Students from ALL fields are welcome to participate.
For more information about submission requirements or event details, please visit us at web.international.ucla.edu/institute/event/10484  
Abstracts must be submitted by April 11, 2014, by email to: uclainternationalconference@gmail.com

CFP: Gender, Migration and Citizenship: Revisiting Southeast Asian international marriages

Call for Papers
Gender, migration and citizenship: revisiting Southeast Asian international marriages

Publisher: Sussex Academic Press (www.sussex-academic.com/)

In the current context of economic crisis, international marriages and family-related migrations are becoming increasingly restricted in many developed countries in the Global North, whereas countries in the Global South are adopting measures to protect local women from the trafficking and sexual exploitation that may arise from international marriages. These regulations of the “marriage market” pose challenges to single men and women looking for partners of a different nationality and for bi-national couples pursuing a family-formation project. For those who successfully immigrated in the country of their partner, social incorporation and cohesive family life are the next challenges in line. To shed light on the multi-faceted life of marriage migrants in the current age of economic crisis and increased border controls, this edited volume will take a closer look at Southeast Asian international marriages. It will also attempt to capture the dynamics of the interaction among macro-, meso- and microsociological factors that shape migrants’ trajectories, while taking into account their subjectivities and agency.

We invite papers that explore one of the following themes:
1) The politics of love and desire in Southeast Asia
This section of the volume will examine the state policies in Southeast Asian countries regulating the migration of men and women and their marriage to foreigners, and also looks at the gender ideologies and norms related to marriage and the family.
2) Contact paths and routes to family formation
This part will investigate the different canals that facilitate contacts between prospective partners from different countries and the way their family formation project concretises itself despite the current economic uncertainties and tightened migration controls in many receiving countries. The objective here is to find out the strategies, agencies and subjectivities of bi-national partners.
3) Southeast Asians as “marital citizens”
This section will explore the immigration experiences of Southeast Asians in their receiving countries through the lens of citizenship. It will examine their social incorporation and their multi-faceted life as partners, lovers, parents and workers, among others.
For pre-submission, please send a 250-word abstract of your proposed chapter and a short bio to the editors before 15 June 2014.Selected contributions will be announced one month later and should be submitted at the latest on 15 February 2015. The edited volume will be printed and released at the beginning of 2016.
For more information, please contact Asuncion Fresnoza-Flot, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium,asuncion.fresnoza@uclouvain.be and/or Gwenola Ricordeau, Lille University I, France, gwenola.ricordeau@univ-lille1.fr  

CFP: Trade in Animals and Animal Products in the Indian Ocean World from early times to c. 1900

Call for Papers
Trade in Animals and Animal Products in the Indian Ocean World from early times to c.1900

October 23-14, 2014
Indian Ocean World Centre, McGill University, Montreal

Recently, much public attention has focused on the lucrative yet often illegal trade in the Indian Ocean World of animal parts, including elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns, and tiger skins. However, this trade is not a modern phenomenon. Its roots can be traced back centuries and is reflected in the traditions, folklore, medicinal practices and religious beliefs of many different societies across this region. By exploring the long-distance trade in animals and animal products, this conference will seek to interrogate the concept of the Indian Ocean as a "world." Papers should be in English or French. Deadline: May 1, 2014.

Monday, March 10, 2014

CFP: Un-thinking Asian Migrations: Spaces of Flows and Intersections

CALL FOR PAPERS

Un-thinking Asian Migrations: Spaces of flows and intersections 25-26 August 2014, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

The Asian Migrations Research Theme is a collective of scholars working in Asian Studies at the University of Otago. The Asian Migrations Research Theme focuses on movements of peoples and ideas--past and present--in East, South, and South-East Asia and into the Pacific (encompassing the Pacific Islands, Australia, and
New Zealand). It engages with the fields of diaspora, intercultural, global, and transnational studies, which have grown over the last twenty years to become key frameworks for understanding culture beyond the boundaries of one nation. We see significant shortcomings in the current theories and methodologies of Asian migration and
diaspora and especially in their application to the Asia-Pacific region. Our focus on Asian migrations allows us to highlight and address these shortcomings and to develop new approaches. The goal of the Theme is to develop a theoretical and methodological framework for understanding the Asia-Pacific region as comprised by movements
of peoples, ideas, and commodities.

This symposium sets out to question and challenge current Asian migration studies. It aims to build upon the interdisciplinary foundations inherent in the field and, as the area begins to reach maturity, suggests that there is now a need to broaden, re-think and more importantly, un-think how Asian migration studies are currently
conceived. The conference proposes that a broadening of the concept of migration should encompass the movement of ideas, cultures, and objects (as well as people) to offer new, different and fruitful avenues of research that embrace the diversity of scholarship in this field.

We are delighted to welcome two keynote speakers, Associate Professor
Eric C. Thompson (Chair of Graduate Studies, Department of Sociology,
National University of Singapore) and Professor D. Parthasarathy
(Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay).

The Asian Migrations Research Theme at the University of Otago invites abstracts for individual papers and panels for this symposium. Abstracts should be no longer than 250 words; abstracts for panels should provide the title of the panel, detail the scope of the panel, and identify the convenor.

Abstracts should be submitted to
asian.migrations@otago.ac.nz<mailto:asian.migrations@otago.ac.nz>, by 30 April 2014.

The early-bird registration rates (closes 13 June) is NZD $120 (waged) and NZD$50 (for postgraduate students). After 13 June the registration rates are NZD $150 (waged) and NZD$70 (for postgraduate students). 
Details of payment methods will be announced in due course.

The symposium will be held on the University of Otago campus. There are many accommodation options in Dunedin close to the University. Please refer to the following website for details:
http://www.otago.ac.nz/about/accommodation/otago000807.html.