Konferenser 2015

Internationell konferens "Communicating with States: ‘Underprivileged’ Migrations within the European Union"
 

Datum: 5-6 oktober, 2015
Plats: Museum Gustavianum och Campus Blåsenhus
Språk: Engelska

The creation of a joint labour market with free mobility set the framework for transnational migrations within the EU. While East to West labour force migrants with attractive skills were received mostly positively, the reaction to underprivileged migrations, of primarily Roma migrants, has been overwhelmingly skeptical in developed EU countries. This conference sets light on: the interrelation between push and pull mechanisms of migration, characterizing different source countries, such as Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Hungary and end-point countries, such as Sweden, Great Britain and Finland; the interface between migrants, local welfare state institutions and civil organisations in different EU countries, and to the role the EU plays in underprivileged mobility;  finally, the methodological aspects of field research. International scholars as well as representatives of civic organisations, politicians and welfare agents share their experiences.

For more information please visit conference website or contact conference organizer Ildiko Asztalos Morell Ildiko.asztalos@ucrs.uu.se.   

Internationell symposium "Inverted Runes: New Perspectives on Literary Translingualism"

Datum: 4-5 september, 2015
Plats: Universitetshuset, Biskopsgatan 3
Språk: Engelska

The phenomena of bi- or multilingual authors and the use of multiple languages within one and the same literary text or oeuvre are as old as literature itself. However, they have arguably become more visible recently due to globalization and increased migration. Translingual literature has also received more attention from literary scholars in the past two decades, but many questions remain to be explored.

This symposium aimed to elucidate the functions and effects of the varied forms of literary translingualism, with a focus on defining and refining theoretical approaches and conceptual tools for the study of it. Questions related to the reception, translation and genres of translingual texts were addressed. The symposium also examined power relations between various languages and registers in translingual texts and oeuvres, as well as the role of translingualism within the world system of languages.  

By bringing together researchers and graduate students working on the topic of literary translingualism in various languages and within different academic disciplines, this symposium primarily focused on broader questions related to literary translingualism, rather than on individual cases of translingual writers or texts, although the analysis of specific texts may served to illustrate and elucidate broader issues.

Programme Day 1
Programme Day 2
Speakers' bios
Abstracts

For more information please contact Symposium organizers Michael Boyden, Department of English, michael.boyden@engelska.uu.se  or Julie Hansen, Department of Modern Languages & UCRS, julie.hansen@ucrs.uu.se

Internationell workshop "Pre-emptive Diasporas: Russian Middle-Class Real Estate Owners Abroad"

Datum: 20 augusti, 2015
Plats: Varna, Bulgarien
Språk: Engelska

Summary of Proceedings

Russian Foreign Real Estate Acquisition (Russian FREA) has been drawing attention for over a decade by now. Very large numbers quoted – like 300-500,000 Russian properties in Bulgaria alone, as well as global figures in circulation (approx. 11 b USD worth of properties by 2009) raise the question of the adequacy of current theorizing as regards the phenomenon. Motivational patterns like conspicuous consumption by the super-rich, or a variety of other reasons for the less wealthy (seeking investment/renting opportunities; second-home and resort FREA, etc.) seem to be only surface expressions of deeper motivational forces. At the Workshop, they have been hypothesized as being, instead, ‘pre-emptive’ as deeper drivers: creating, under various labels, ‘foot-holds’ abroad in view of possible adverse socio-economic and political developments in the country. The Workshop focussed, in particular, on the lower tiers of the post-Soviet Russian ‘middle-class’. The form of human mobility illustrated by this massive segment, was captured as ‘pre-emptive diasporization’.

It has been proposed that studying Russian FREA in the lower-to-middle ‘middle class’ segments shall be used in subsequent research as an heuristic tool for the study of tensions between the power-centre and its civil servants’ base. Such tensions arise from an exocentric propensity of the latter, leading to a ‘de-nationalization of elites’, and a counteracting, endocentric programme (‘nationalization of elites’), attempted by the top political leadership.

Using FREA as optics for observing such processes, we framed our principal objective as one of gauging integrative/disintegrative tendencies between the current power centre and its operational civil servants’ (elita) base. Do both generalized actors share a common agenda? In a similar manner, we intend to study centre-middle tier relationships in the business as well as the state-business middle-class segments. More generally, this is an objective of studying endocentric-vs.-exocentric (integrative-disintegrative) processes in the present Russian polity.

Download workshop programme and Abstracts and bios.

Internationell konferens "Old and New: Tradition and Innovation Within the Political Marketing Discipline"

Datum: 13-14 augusti, 2015
Plats: Museum Gustavianum, Uppsala
Språk: Engelska

Democracy and politics in general, is in a constant state of flux, re-defining and evolving into new forms. This exerts an influence on the nature and value of relationships between politics and publics.

After focusing on Russian, East-European and Eurasian topics in the first two editions (University of Illinois, US, 2012; Budapest, Hu, 2013) and political marketing theory and practice in the third (Bucharest, Ro, 2014), The Forum is now aiming at exploring a wider spectrum of different political times and spaces. The general idea is to have a ‘stock take’ of the old, but also to try and push the current boundaries of the discipline. Currently there is a focus on political marketing within the context of Western-style democracies. This conference shall seek to broaden the academic scope of the discipline to include other political environments at the local, state, national, regional and international levels. Although this does not mean that the established research areas should be neglected as there is still room and space for broadening how these ‘traditional’ political spaces are studied and understood. This shall create a lively pluralistic environment of learning and knowledge: on what is established, on new research territory and hopefully to plot some discussion and debate on where the discipline can be taken in the future.

Complementary to the classic purpose of the Forum which is to join and bridge political marketing experiences from various societies and elections, different views and opinions, and discussions on possible new paths to take the theory and practice of political marketing is of great interest in the 2015 event. Understanding the role and nature of political relationships is the essence of grasping political value. The propagation and communication of politics through the exchange paradigm and campaign strategies are good avenues for comprehending the issue.

Programme Day 1
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For further information, please contact Dr. Gregory Simons greg.simons@ucrs.uu.se 

Internationell konferens: "Trans-ethnic Coalition-building within and across States"

Datum: 7-9 januari, 2015
Plats: Universitetshuset, Biskopsgatan 3
Språk: Engelska

International actors, state governments, local authorities and non-governmental organizations across Europe, Eurasia and worldwide are today all engaged in institutional frameworks that seek to regulate conflicts and encourage intercultural dialogue and cooperation between different ethnicities living within the same state or sub-state region. At the same time, one can also point to many instances of coalition- building at the international level between activists drawn from different ethnicities debates, within still developing contexts of multi-level governance and international frameworks of human and minority rights. This multidisciplinary conference brings together academics and policy practitioners to explore both sets of practices of trans-ethnic coalition-building, across a range of geographic and political settings and from both a contemporary and historical perspective: which factors drive mobilization and interaction across ethnic boundaries, and on what issues? What are the frameworks in place, how do they function and what are the practices and outcomes to which they give rise? The conference is funded by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, in conjunction with Uppsala Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies, the European Centre for Minority Issues, the University of Glasgow Centre for Russian, Central and East European Studies and the Kazakhstan Academy of Public Administration.

Programme Day 1
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Programme Day 3
Speakers' Bios
Abstracts

For further information, please contact Prof David Smith david.smith@glasgow.ac.uk