Category: Conferences

Voices of Culture: Intercultural Dialogue Brainstorming Session

Voices of Culture: Call for Applications
Intercultural Dialogue Brainstorming Session

For its fourth brainstorming session on intercultural dialogue to take place in March 2016, Voices of Culture is calling for applications.

Voices of Culture is a process established to create exchanges between civil society stakeholders in the cultural field and the European Commission. Within the “structured dialogue between the European Commission and the Cultural Sector” cultural professionals can make their voices heard at the European level. In total 5 topics will be covered and so far two brain-storming sessions – one on “Audience Development via Digital Means” and another “Participatory Governance of Cultural Heritage” took place. The next session for the third theme “Developing the Entrepreneurial and Innovation Potential of the Cultural and Creative Sectors” is set to take place in February 2016 and the fourth is set for March. NEMO participated in the first two brainstorming sessions.

35 European civil society stakeholders will be invited to discuss the topic “Promoting intercultural dialogue and bringing communities together through culture in shared public spaces“. The theme is derived from the political commitment of the European Commission following the Work Plan for Culture (2015-2018), which identified intercultural dialogue as a core subject. The specific interest lies in the question how culture in shared public spaces can be used to promote intercultural dialogue and bring communities together. The call for applications is open now!

The group of selected participants will brainstorm on this issue from 17-18 March 2016 resulting in a summarised Brainstorming Report. In April 2016, the main ideas can be discussed with the European Commission at a Dialogue Meeting at Flagey in Brussels.

The call is open to representatives of the cultural and creative sectors (professional organisations, cultural institutions, non-governmental organisations, European networks, foundations, private organisations, etc.) with sound expertise on the topic “promoting intercultural dialogue and bringing communities together through culture in shared public spaces”, who would like to contribute to discussions with the European Commission. Organisations applying must be from one of the 28 EU Member States.

The deadline for applications is 4 December 2015.

For further information on the theme see the Voices of Culture website.

2015 Conference on Cultural Diplomacy (Germany)

Building Bridges of Peace and Reconciliation in Times of Greater Global Insecurity
2015 Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy
Berlin, Germany, 10 – 13 December 2015

The Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy is the world’s leading event in the field of cultural diplomacy, hosted and organized by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) in partnership with other leading institutions at the end of each year. The 2015 Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy: Building Bridges of Peace and Reconciliation in Times of Greater Global Insecurity, to be held in Berlin, Germany, on 10–13 December 2015, aims to present all practices that the field of cultural diplomacy has to offer to the international community for their application to try to remedy and solve the growing global challenges. The conference will bring together leading politicians, religious leaders, senior academics and celebrated artists together with representatives from areas of conflict in order to establish new institutions and initiatives that will help with these challenges using the practice of cultural diplomacy together with other practices and means.

Participation in the conference is open to governmental and diplomatic officials, academics, artists, journalists, civil society practitioners, private sector representatives, young professionals and students as well as other interested individuals from across the world. The Conference Committee encourages academic research and analysis of issues related to the goals of the Conference. The Conference Committee would therefore like to welcome the participants of the conference to submit a paper they would like to be considered for presentation at the conference as well as being included in the proposal document that will be issued following the conference and will be sent to all governments and leaders of the international community worldwide.

More information:
Institute for Cultural Diplomacy
Genthiner Str. 20
10785 Berlin, Germany
E-mail: info@culturaldiplomacy.org
Web: www.culturaldiplomacy.org

CFP Media Ecology Association: Interfaces of Play and Game: Engaging Media Ecosystems (Italy)

CFP: Call for Papers: Media Ecology Association 2016 Convention
The Seventeenth Annual Convention of the Media Ecology Association
INTERFACES OF PLAY AND GAME: ENGAGING MEDIA ECOSYSTEMS
June 23-26, 2016
University of Bologna
Bologna, Italy

MEA Convention Coordinators: Paolo Granata, Elena Lamberti, Brett Lunceford
UNIBO Coordinators: Roberto Farnè, Mirco Dondi

The University of Bologna, Italy, is proud to bring the Media Ecology Association to Europe for the first time and host the 17th Annual Convention in Bologna and Rimini on June 23-26, 2016. Considered the oldest university in the Western world, the history of the University of Bologna speaks to its role as the crossroads of a variety of scholarly traditions and changes involving the broader society. The University of Bologna provides a welcoming setting for old and new MEA members, inviting scholars, professionals, and interested people to attend from different fields, as well as from different nations.

The 17th Annual Convention, focusing on the theme “Interfaces of Play and Game,” invites papers, panels and creative projects exploring the topic within complex media ecosystems. We encourage participants to start from an appreciation of game and play in the broader context of media ecology, therefore overcoming too specialized understanding of both terms. Playing with Johan Huizinga’s idea that game and play are older than culture, we seek to recall the multifaceted symbolic dimensions embedded by these very terms: at its roots the word game means participation, communion, and people together; similarly, the word play introduces the ideas of cultivating, taking care of, and performing. Therefore interfaces of play and game engage us in a plurality of explorations, all placing media and media environments at the core. Lines of investigations may include but are not limited to the following:
·  game/play as frames for meta-communication
·  game/play as rituals
·  game/play as strategies for storytelling
·  game/play as self/meta-representations
·  game/play as entertainment
·  game/play as educational strategies
·  game/play as system and complexity theories

Although we encourage submissions that touch upon or align with the convention theme, papers, abstracts, and panel proposal submissions from all areas of Media Ecology are welcome. A maximum of two submissions per author will be accepted. Authors who wish their papers to be considered for the Top Paper or Top Student Paper award must indicate this on their submission(s). The top papers will be published in Explorations in Media Ecology. All submissions will be acknowledged. The language of the convention is English.

Guidelines for Submission (Deadline: November 1, 2015)
For Manuscripts (for MEA award submissions):
1. Manuscripts should be 4,000-6,000 words (approximately 15 to 25 double-spaced pages).
2. Include a cover page (or e-submission page) with your academic or professional affiliation and other contact information.
3. Include a 150 word abstract, with the title. Use APA, MLA, or Chicago style.
4. Papers should be written in English.

For Paper and Panel Proposals:
1. Include title, abstract, and contact information with your proposal.
2. Outline, as relevant, how your paper or panel will fit with the convention theme.
3. Presenters should be prepared to deliver their papers in English.
4. Authors with papers submitted as part of a panel proposal or as a paper proposal that wish to be considered for Top Paper or Top Student Paper must send completed paper to the convention planner by June 1, 2016.

Inquiries: Contact the Convention Coordinators at MEA2016@unibo.it.

Convention Venues and Location
The University of Bologna has adopted a multicampus structure in order to permit the diffusion of educational offerings, foster research activity, and improve the functionality and quality of university community life. The MEA convention will be hosted by the University of Bologna at:
–  LILEC (Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures) – UNIBO Main Campus
–  DISCI (Department of History and Culture) – UNIBO Main Campus
–  QUVI (Department for Life Quality Studies) – UNIBO Rimini Campus

The University of Bologna is a city university, with the main campus in downtown Bologna. All facilities can be reached on foot easily from any hotels or university residency. We envisage a dedicated shuttle to bring MEA Convention participants from Bologna to Rimini and back. The City of Bologna and the City of Rimini will co-promote the Convention.

Travel to the Convention
Even though there are no direct flights from North America (with some exceptions in the summer, especially from NYC), the Bologna international airport is well connected to major European hubs (several daily flights to all EU hubs and capital cities). The Railway station in Bologna is connected to all main Italian cities, hourly (e.g.: 1,05 hour to Milan; 37 minutes to Florence; 2,05 hours to Rome).

Leisure time / Excursions
Bologna is at the crossroad of many possibilities: MEA participants could easily reach many different Italian historical places by public means of transport (Florence, Venice, Rome, Milan, Ravenna, etc.). This opens up many possibilities for extended stays.

Similarly, from Bologna it is possible to organise short trips (about 30 minutes), also by train or bus, to such renowned cities as Ferrara (city of Bassani’s The Garden of the Finzi Contini and of Lucrezia Borgia) or Modena (city of the Ferrari team).

Bologna Tour
We would be happy to plan special guided tours within the city of Bologna, including:
–  University Collections (Bologna was the home city of Galvani, Aldrovandi, Marconi, and many other illustrious men and women of science and art; the University collections include memorabilia from various historical times).
–  Historical places (The “Seven Churches” and other Cathedrals; Giorgio Morandi’s studio and museum collection; The Anatomical theatre of the Archiginnasio, etc.).
–  Museums (as diverse as: Museum of Music; Museum of the City of Bologna; Museum of contemporary Art; Ducati Motors Museum; Pinacoteca Nazionale, etc.).

CFP Culture and Foreign Policy: Global Cultural Citizenship (Germany)

ifa Research Programme “Culture and Foreign Policy”
Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations), Stuttgart, Germany

Within the framework of ifa’s Research Programme‚ Culture and Foreign Policy‛ experts examine current issues related to foreign cultural and educational policy. In projects of three to six months, experts provide actors in the field of foreign cultural and educational policy with up-to-date scientific findings in a concise and precise way, they formulate recommendations for future foreign cultural policy and they initiate discussion forums and other events among experts.

The ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen), in partnership with EUNIC, is currently calling for proposals for the following research project, pending the allocation of funds:

Global Cultural Citizenship – New Dimensions for Cultural Diplomacy?
In a world of multiple transnational relationships and ever-increasing interconnectedness between civil societies, traditional approaches to cultural diplomacy are being challenged by more cooperative approaches, often labelled ‘cultural relations’, which focus on building intercultural understanding and long term relationships based on trust and credibility rather than delivering one-way messages. Within this new framework has emerged the concept: Global cultural citizenship, which promotes global cultural rights and global shared responsibilities. This is especially applicable to the current challenges posed by the protection of cultural heritage and mass migration.

This conference will ask the following questions: How should national cultural institutes and ministries of foreign affairs respond to these new dimensions for cultural diplomacy? To what extent do these institutions have a mandate to work beyond the national interest, either to promote European and/or Global cultural citizenship? What are the differences between national, European and Global values and principles? How should they be represented by national cultural institutes?

Format: International Conference in Brussels; Study in the ifa Edition Culture and Foreign Policy, concept and acquisition of about 10 speakers for a half day conference in Brussels.
Duration: 6 months
Start: 1 November 2015 Location: flexible
Deadline for applications: 26 October 2015

The research contract is for a sum of € 7,000.00 (gross).
Please send your complete application documents (in an attachment of max. 3 MB) via email to research(at)ifa.de by 26 October 2015 at the latest. Interviews are likely to be held in calendar week 44.

Application prerequisites
• Certificate of higher education (at least M.A.)
• Proven experience and sound knowledge in the subject area as well as in the field of foreign cultural and educational policy
• Proven experience in event organisation and public relations
• Very good skills in writing and editing scientific reports
• Very good language proficiency in English, proficiency in French would be an asset
• The advertised projects are full time fellowships. The chosen candidates may not be elsewhere employed during the research project. These rules do not apply to research contracts.

Application process
In order to apply for the advertised project, the following documents must be submitted:
• Letter of Motivation. With full personal details (including postal address, e-mail address, telephone number, mobile number)
• Details concerning the project:
• • Title and subject matter
• • Short statement explaining why the subject is relevant
• • Short outline of a one day conference including suggestions for speakers (2 pages in length)
• • Short outline of the study
• CV

CFP Language, Indexicality and Belonging: Linguistic Anthropology Conference (England)

CALL FOR PAPERS
Language, Indexicality and Belonging: Linguistic Anthropology Conference
SOMERVILLE COLLEGE | UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
7-8 April 2016U

ORGANISING COMMITTEE: Kinga Kozminska, Leonie Schulte, Dr. Nancy Hawker, Dr. Stephen Leonard

This 1.5-day conference brings together leading scholars and graduates in linguistic anthropology and related fields in order to explore the relationship between languages and senses of belonging. Focus is placed on the indexical character of language in the modern, changing world as manifest in communicative practices that are impacted by social, political and economic processes that bring different languages or forms of language into contact. Participants in three dedicated conference panels will examine how global, state, local and institutional aspects of belonging are indexed through language, how these levels can be distinguished from one another, and how linguistic anthropology and sociolinguistics can account for related linguistic transformations.

At the conference we would like to address such questions as:
• Are ideas of citizenship on the one hand and national identity on the other being conflated? What role does language play in these debates?
• How do migrants appropriate and challenge existing language ideologies and norms?
• In a globalized world, what does it mean to ‘sound’ local? What does it mean to ‘sound’ like a national? Can local communicative practices transcend local environments?
• How does the development of multiethnolects, such as those emerging in ethnically mixed and economically disadvantaged areas of some European cities, challenge or even redefine understandings of the relationship between language and social class, ethnicity, gender, but also national and local belonging?

We invite 20-mintute-long papers contributing to the debate on the relationship between language and regional, national and transnational affiliations contested on social, economic and policy-based levels.

Preference will be given to papers based on fieldwork conducted in the last three years. The papers given at the conference will be published through open access platforms.

Submissions of 500-word abstracts with keywords and short bios should be sent to lib.conference2016@gmail.com.

Abstracts will undergo blind review, so please make sure that your submission is properly blinded. The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2015. Accepted speakers will be notified on February 1, 2016.

There will be a conference fee, which will be confirmed in December

For more information visit our website which we will be updating regularly.

CFP A Hundred Years of Film Theory (Leipzig, Germany)

Call for papers
A hundred years of Film theory. Münsterberg and beyond: Concepts, Applications, Perspectives
Leipzig, Germany, 29th June 2016 – 2nd July 2016
Paper submission is now open until Sunday, November 15 2015.

A century after Hugo Münsterberg´s pioneering publication of 1916, The Photoplay. A Psychological Study, an international and interdisciplinary conference will look at audiovisual media from a broad variety of perspectives and disciplines. The conference will highlight Münsterberg´s achievements as a scholar, who began his academic career at the University of Leipzig before going to Harvard, via the Universities of Heidelberg and Freiburg. The interdisciplinary character of the conference reflects the wide range of visions and interests that Hugo Münsterberg pursued in the course of his life.

Münsterberg´s scientific interests reached from philosophy to different fields of psychology and found a symbiosis in his studies on the new medium of film in the last years of his life. Münsterberg´s work is noted for the independent and pioneering development of Wundtian experimental psychology based on fundamental concepts in philosophy and physiology. This was his later groundwork for behaviorism as well as for application oriented psychological sub disciplines. In addition to his manifold interests and activities as a scholar, Hugo Münsterberg played a significant role in the political trials and tribulations in pre WWI. At his time and still today, the views on his role as a German in the prewar period vary extremely between a German-US bridge constructor and a spy for the German Empire.

Held at the University of Leipzig, Germany, and sponsored by the International Association for Media and History (iamhist) as well as the Zentrum für Wissenschaft und Forschung|Medien (ZWF), the conference will host a ceremony to celebrate Münsterberg’s achievements, who began his career as a professor at the University of Leipzig before going to Harvard.

Papers in five thematic areas are welcome:

Area 1: MEDIA THEORY REVISITED
This area focuses on the role of this early film theory and takes a new look at canonical works and examines forgotten theorists, ideas and debates. Presentations may feature original analyses of individual texts or theorists’ works from a variety of angles. Proposals may include analyses of specific theorists, development of schools of thought, dissemination of theory (e.g. in trade and specialist journals or academic writing), approaches to media social theory and early ways to implement theory into practice. Papers based on primary sources (archival documents, contemporary journals, etc.), international perspectives and comparative approaches are strongly welcomed.

Area 2: HUGO MÜNSTERBERG
This area invites analyses of individual films using Münsterberg’s ideas, including considerations of film in comparison to other art forms, film reception, the relevance of aesthetic and technical means in the medium of film, and the value of cinema’s mimetic ability to represent reality. Paper topics might also examine Münsterberg’s life and work, as well as the impact and applications of his ideas. This area welcomes interdisciplinary approaches, and papers, which discuss the transnational influence of Münsterberg’s published work in both Germany and America, as well as in other countries.

Area 3: MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY AND RECEPTION
This area investigates the psychological foundations of film reception studies. It addresses various forms of reception research from preview audiences, panels, focus groups, numerous forms of test marketing to more recent uses of social media and gaming. We are particularly interested in studies applying basic psychological concepts to practical reception phenomena. Proposals may include analyses of individual case studies, the development of certain methods (like physiological measures, eye-tracking, real-time-response measurement etc.), the dissemination of results, the implications of reception studies on film marketing and production, as well as ways of putting psychological theory into practice.

Area 4: CONSULTANTS, CRITICS AND THE AUDIOVISUAL INDUSTRY
Presentations may feature analyses of individual academics or critics working for the film business or other sponsors, investigate the role of consultants, or take a closer look at how journalists or critics influenced production from the early pre-production stages through distribution, promotion, and reception.

Area 5: REDEFINING THE BOUNDARIES OF CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE
This area investigates the ways in which the boundaries of the cinematic experience have been redefined throughout the history of moving images from early fairground attractions to multiplex cinemas, to yet more contemporary developments, i.e. in movie theatres or at home. This area particularly welcomes papers based on primary sources (archival documents, contemporary journals, interviews, etc.). Proposals may include case studies of films, screening facilities, distribution and promotion, as well as the changing role of cinema within global, national, regional, or local contexts.

For further information, contact:
Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Steinmetz
Chair, Media Studies and Media Culture
Universität Leipzig, Germany

International Academy for Conversation Analysis (The Netherlands)

International Academy for CA (IACA16) July 2016
With the support of ISCA (the International Society for Conversation Analysis), the Language and Social Interaction group of the University of Groningen will organize the first International Academy for Conversation Analysis (IACA16)
July 11 – 14, 2016, in Groningen, The Netherlands

IACA16 will take place in between two ICCA-conferences (2014 and 2018) and will focus on the research process rather than on research output. The academy is meant for CA researchers in all career stages, including PhD students. It will offer members of the CA community an environment to learn from each other about analytical choices, modes of analytical reasoning, and the different technologies that may support CA research.

The programme comprises four 4-day workshops on the following topics:
(i) ‘Interaction Organization’: Geoffrey Raymond on sequence organization
(ii) ‘Actions and Activities’: Paul Drew & Merran Toerien on action formation
(iii) ‘Practices’: Lorenza Mondada on embodiment
(iv) ‘Contexts’: Jeffrey Robinson on medical interaction
and two plenary lectures:
Elisabeth Couper-Kuhlen on Interactional Linguistics: its Achievements and its Future
Anita Pomerantz on some Methodological Issues in Conversation Analysis: Starting and Moving Forward

Registration will open on October 1 and close on October 15, 2015.

Korean Adoption Studies Research Symposium (Seoul)

Call for Papers
Fourth International Korean Adoption Studies Research Symposium
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Planned location: IKAA Gathering 2016, Seoul, Korea.
Symposium Sponsor: IKAA (International Korean Adoptee Associations). 

Submissions Due by: December 1, 2015
Submit to: ISKAS2016@gmail.com

Questions? Please contact the Symposium organizers Sara Docan-Morgan, Tobias Hübinette, Kimberly McKee, and Elizabeth Raleigh at ISKAS2016@gmail.com.

The International Korean Adoptee Associations (IKAA) will convene the Fourth International Symposium on Korean Adoption Studies as part of the IKAA Gathering 2016. The field of Korean adoption studies is specifically concerned with international adoption from Korea including the experiences of overseas adopted Koreans, birth families, adoptive families, and the families of adoptees. We recognize and celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of Korean adoption studies. These scholars work at the intersections of Asian and Korean studies, postcolonial and cultural studies, and social and behavioral sciences. Their research is also engaged with issues of race and ethnicity, migration and diaspora, gender and family, and globalization and transnationalism.

The day-long symposium will bring together scholars from around the world who are conducting research in the field of Korean adoption studies. We also welcome submissions from scholars creating linkages between transnational adoptions from Korea and other sending countries such as China, Ethiopia, and Ukraine. By bringing together a diverse group of scholars from multiple fields, we hope to build on the momentum of the previous Research Symposiums to further academic inquiry and strengthen the network of scholars tackling questions surrounding international adoption.

We encourage submissions from everyone, but will prioritize academic papers from those who have completed or are currently enrolled in a terminal master’s or Ph.D. program. All studies involving human subjects must abide by IKAA’s Rules and Guidelines for Conducting Scholarly Research. We seek presentations/papers on a range of topics that represent as many of the current research approaches on Korean adoption as possible. Suggested topics include (but are not limited to):
–       Research related to the theme of the IKAA Gathering 2016: Connecting Communities & Looking Towards the Future
–       Links in adoption policy, history, ideology and/or adoption cultures between South Korea and other sending nations
–       Ethics and positionality in Korean adoption research, imagining and researching adoption, including methodologies, disciplines and the politics of criticism
–       The lifelong processes of Korean adoptee identity: Genealogies, long-term mental health issues in Korean adoptee populations, intimacy, sexuality, and family formation
–       Korean adoption aesthetics, representation and affectivity
–       Korean adoptee experiences in the context of the larger Korean diaspora

Submission Deadline and Instructions
Submissions are due December 1, 2015. No late proposals will be accepted. We will accept proposals via email only. A cover page submitted without attached proposal or CV is NOT considered complete. The cover page can be found online. We will not accept or consider submissions that are lacking information. Selection notifications will be made by e-mail by the end of January.

ABC Cape Town Regional Conference (South Africa)

Association for Business Communication 2016 Cape Town Regional Conference
Dates: 6 to 8 January 2016
Host: Terri Grant, Head, Professional Communication Unit (PCU), School of Management Studies (SMS), University of Cape Town (UCT)
Location: University of Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town, on the tip of the African continent at the foot of the iconic World heritage site, Table Mountain, is proud to host the first ever Association for Business Communication (ABC) conference in Africa.

As a country with both first and third world conditions, characterised by pockets of world-class infrastructure and democratic institutions as well as huge inequality and poverty, South Africa grapples with the challenges faced by many developing nations.

The Professional Communication Unit in the School of Management Studies in the Commerce Faculty at the University of Cape Town is your official host. From the above, four major areas of interest emerge which underscore this conference: professional communication, management studies, business and commerce as well as education and scholarship.

With the advent of new media where, for instance, hundreds of YouTube videos and millions of tweets are posted every minute globally, companies and institutions struggle to control and manage their messages, both positive and negative. Viral communication allows every echelon of society access to environmental, social and financial data that in the past companies could control, gate keep and manage. Negative messages, in particular, could be delayed, re-scripted, even suppressed.

This so-called openness, however, did not warn many powerful constituents of the financial crash of 2008 (let alone contribute to its prevention), and the results of this meltdown are still being globally felt many years later. The conference seeks to be a meeting place for both scholars and workplace practitioners to discuss and debate a wide range of communicative and numerate topics.

ABC Asia-Pacific Conference (China)

The 14th Association for Business Communication (ABC) Asia-Pacific Conference
November 27–29, 2015
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
Guangzhou, China

We are living in the 21st Century of increased level of globalisation and internationalisation in which people of different countries, cultures and communities interact more frequently than ever. Along with this trend, communication across cultures also poses great challenges for both academics and practitioners alike in business and management contexts. The conference therefore aims to focus on the diversity and complexities of business communication across countries and cultures.

Click here for the full call for papers (submission deadline: June 30, 2015).