Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Predoctoral Fellowships - Transparency for Development Project

Talented ethnographic predoctoral researchers wanted to conduct case studies of health information and social action interventions in Tanzania and Indonesia. The research project is being conducted by scholars and practitioners at the Ash Center of the Harvard Kennedy School and the Results for Development Institute in Washington, D.C. Each scholar will be expected to live among and closely observe three rural communities in one of the two countries for 6-7 months to document the social and political processes of informational intervention, dissemination, reception, social action, and response.  These case studies will be paired with separate quantitative survey studies of a larger group of communities.  This project is ideal for doctoral students interested in doing field work and write dissertations in Tanzania or Indonesia.  Scholars will also have time in the field to pursue their own research.  We will provide travel, a stipend of $13,000, and language training as needed.  Strong references are a must and prior field research experience a strong plus.

Contact t4dfellowships@gmail.com for details. All application materials are due by midnight, March 6, 2015.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

International Conference on Lao Studies - Call for Papers


International Conference on Lao Studies Call for Papers
When: Friday, 08 July 2016 to Sunday, 10 July 2016

Where: Thammasat University; Bangkok, Thailand

The Faculty of Liberal Arts, Thammasat University and the Center for Lao Studies (CLS) are pleased to announce that the Fifth International Conference on Lao Studies (ICLS V) will be held from July 8 to 10, 2016 on the Tha Phrachan campus in Bangkok, Thailand. The main objective of the conference is to promote Lao studies, broadly defined, by providing an international forum for scholars to present and discuss various aspects of Lao Studies.

Theme
The theme of the Fifth International Conference on Lao Studies is "Lao PDR in the ASEAN Context," with particular (though not exclusive) emphasis on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

All Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states have committed to creating a region which is highly competitive, equitable in economic development and fully integrated into the global economy. The establishment of the AEC in 2015 will bring enormous opportunities as well as great challenges for the individual member countries in the region, especially for Lao PDR .

Suggested topics for the Fifth ICLS include, but are not limited to:
  • Laos' trade integration within AEC
  • Special economic zones (SEZs)
  • Export survival
  • Roles of the private and public sectors
  • Human resources and effects on local employment
  • Migration
  • Infrastructure demands
  • Balancing development growth and environmental conservation
  • Tourism
  • Traditional knowledge and cultural expressions in economic development
  • Impacts on cultures and life ways
  • Lao language, culture, and history
  • Art, literature and music
  • Buddhism
  • Border Trade and culture
  • Isan Regionalism
  • Architecture
  • Education
  • Environment and Health
  • Rural Development
  • Other topics
Submissions for consideration may be individual paper presentations, panels, exhibits, posters, artistic and musical performances, and/or cultural activities. Comparative perspectives are welcome and encouraged.
The following are included within the target groups of the conference:
  1. All self-identified ethnic groups of Lao PDR (e.g. Lao, Khmu, Hmong, Iu-Mien, Akha, Phouan, Phou Tai, Nyouan, etc.);
  2. Lao/Thai Isan and other ethnic Lao groups in Thailand (e.g. Lao Song, Phouan, Phou Tai, etc.)
  3. Ethnic Lao living in Cambodia
  4. Cross-border ethnic groups living in Vietnam, China, Burma, Thailand and Cambodia (e.g. Akha, Hmong, Phouan, Ieu-Mien, Khmu, Tai Lue, Tai Dam, Lahu, Brao, etc.)
  5. Overseas diaspora originally from Laos or descendents of people from Lao PDR (including Lao Americans, Hmong Americans, Khmu Americans, French Lao, Australian Lao, Canadian Lao, etc.)
Procedures and Timelines
Deadline for submissions: Please submit abstracts in English before October 31, 2015.
  1. Abstracts should be submitted electronically, preferably as a Microsoft word document in an e-mail attachment to ICLS2016@gmail.com (see below for specific instructions regarding preparation of abstracts).
  2. The conference committee will review abstracts and send an acceptance letter (via email) in December 2015 with scheduling information and other instructions for submitting final abstract statements and full versions of papers.
  3. Abstracts and full versions of conference papers will be collected for distribution on-line.
     
Abstract preparation guidelines:

INDIVIDUAL PAPERS will be grouped into panels by the conference committee. Submissions should include the following information:
  • Title of the paper
  • Name, institution, address and email address of paper presenter
  • Abstracts (250 words or less) with identified keywords
  • Related conference topic(s)    
PANEL submissions should include 3 to 4 scholars presenting formal papers and 1 or 2 discussants. Panels will be approximately 75 to 90 minutes. Panel organizers are requested to supply the following information:
  • Title of the panel
  • Conference theme(s) related to the panel
  • Name, institution, address and email of the panel organizer
  • Name, institution, address and email of each paper presenter
  • Names, institutions, addresses and email of the panel discussants
  • Abstract (250 words or less) describing the panel as a whole 
Contact information:

Varisa Kamalanavin, Ph.D. (Co-chair) 
Fifth International Conference on Lao Studies
Faculty of Liberal Arts                                                                
Thammasat University
Tha Phrachan, Bangkok 10200
Thailand
Email: varisagoy@gmail.com  

Or

Vinya Sysamouth, Ph.D. (Co-chair) 
Center for Lao Studies
405 Grand Ave., South San Francisco, CA 94080

Updates will be posted on the conference website.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Fellowship for Young Scholars

FELLOWSHIP FOR YOUNG SCHOLARS

The Pacific Trade and Development (PAFTAD) Fellowship for Young Scholars is aimed at attracting emerging economists in the Asia Pacific region and to assist them in contributing to discussion of Asia Pacific economic policy and the work of PAFTAD.

It is widely considered one of the most distinguished fellowships available to young researchers in the field. Up to 5 of the Fellowships will be offered by the PAFTAD Secretariat in 2015.

The Young Fellows program will take place in the run-up to the 37th PAFTAD Conference, co-hosted with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore from 2-5 June 2015.


Submission requirements

·     Unpublished empirical paper on themes related to Asia Pacific trade and economic development (see www.paftad.org/fellowshipfor previous topics selected).
·     7,000 - 10,000 words (including abstract of less than 300 words).
·     Individual author.
·     Current résumé (including citizenship(s), date of birth and gender).
·     Aged 35 years or younger at 2 June 2015 (proof of age will be required if selected).
·     Be available to participate for the duration of the Conference (3-5 June 2015).
·     Have not previously been selected as a PAFTAD Young Fellow.

Due date

Paper and résumé must be emailed to paftad@gmail.com by 5pm (AEST)27 February 2015.

Fellowship entitlements

·     Return economy airfare to Singapore from home institution.
·     Registration for the Young Fellows Seminar and PAFTAD Conference.
·     Accommodation for the duration of the Young Fellows Seminar and PAFTAD Conference (2-5 June).
·     Publication of your paper as a PAFTAD Working Paper (see: http://paftad.org/publications).

Involvement in PAFTAD conference

·     Present your paper at the Young Fellows Seminar (2 June).
·     Act as a discussant on another Young Fellow’s paper (2 June).
·     Attend and provide comment where possible on the papers presented during the PAFTAD Conference (3-5 June).