Category: Conferences

CFP World Conference on Media and Mass Communication (Bangkok)

2nd Annual World Conference on Media and Mass Communication (MEDCOM)
Bangkok, Thailand
April 21-22, 2106

The 2nd Annual World Conference on Media and Mass Communication (MEDCOM) will be held April 21-22 in Bangkok, Thailand.  The conference is hosted by The International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM) of Sri Lanka, partnering with the School of Communication at the University of
Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, USA.  The 2016 theme is “Technology: Its Impact on Media and the Way we Communicate.”  MEDCOM 2016 is the premier forum for the presentation of research and new advances in the fields of theoretical, experimental, and applied Media, Journalism, and Mass Communication. The conference will bring together leading researchers, educators, administrators, and scientists in the domain of interest from around the world.

Papers from a variety of disciplines and covering a variety of tracks are welcome. Please visit the website
for additional details.  Abstract submission deadline is January 15, 2016, and the early bird registration deadline is February 15, 2016. Keynote presentations will be delivered by conference chair Thomas
Endres, Professor of Communication Studies, and Dale Edwards, Associate Professor of Journalism & Mass Communications; both from the University of Northern Colorado’s School of Communication.  The conference is held in conjunction with the International Conference on Education (ICEDU), and registration for one conference allows attendance to sessions and keynotes from both.

CFP ICA 2016 Preconference: Communicating with New Power Blocs (Japan)

Call for proposals
ICA 2016 Pre-conference, Tokyo, Japan
Communicating with New Power Blocs: Culture and Ethics in BRICS Media
Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
8 June 2016, Wednesday, 9am-5pm

Deadline for submissions: February 5, 2016

Organizers:
Sudeshna Roy (Stephen F. Austin state University, USA)
Daya Thussu (University of Westminster)
Herman Wasserman (University of Cape Town)

Co-sponsoring ICA Divisions:
Ethnicity and Race in Communication; Global Communication and Social Change
Additional ICA Division Affiliations: Communication Law and Policy; Journalism Studies

The influence and relevance of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries are being increasing felt in the global media arena, as has been evident in recent international news coverage of events in the member countries, such as Chinese moves to devalue their currency and the state visits abroad of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to court the Indian diaspora. Russia is in the news too with its military intervention in Syria and the continuing conflict in Ukraine; Brazil’s corruption scandal around petroleum giant Petrobas is making waves well beyond South America, and South Africa is grappling with political conflict and economic inequality, resulting in clashes such as the xenophobic attacks on foreigners. While the concept of BRICS is problematic in that they are very different countries both in terms of the size of their economies, and political and media systems, nevertheless they have in common a rapid and globalized growth in their media systems.

To what extent BRICS media have the power to shape media agendas and change dominant narratives about the global South? How are cultures and identities being represented in BRICS media? What changes are being experienced in the ethics of media institutions and their processes? What changes are taking place in notions of journalism in these countries? What place do ethnic media have in these countries? In an age of ultimate internet connectivity, in what ways are salience, potency and power of BRICS media being felt in social and cultural realm of BRICS countries and beyond? In light of the linkages between BRICS media and their power to shape, change, and influence cultures, politics, ethics and values not only in the respective BRICS countries but in regions around the world, this preconference aims to bring together scholars to explore the potential for BRICS media to offer new perspectives on media in Asia – also among major non-BRICS countries such as Japan and South Korea – as well as in a global context.

The invited panels will address the intersections of power, politics and ethics in media production, in keeping with the ICA 2016 theme of ‘Communicating with Power’. Panels will additionally address the increasing commercialization of media in the BRICS countries and how that impacts on journalism ethics and examine the role of censorship, visible in key BRICS nations – Russia and China – but also in democratic nations such as India.

The preconference will begin with an overview discussion of the ways in which BRICS media have grown in the past decade and what kinds of cultural, ethical, and power issues are arising from this growth. The following two invited panels will present and discuss scholarship that specifically engages with: ideology, culture, politics and identity representation in BRICS media; and ethics and journalism concerns at the media institutional and social levels. The final session will consist of concurrent roundtables on the media of each of the BRICS countries that will focus on an awareness of the different models of journalism, the tensions between them and the implications of each form as well as discuss the potential of other types of networks that are emerging in BRICS countries, networks that are outside the government control. Invited keynote speakers will feature scholars of BRICS media and, specifically, scholars from Japan and other Asian countries who have the opportunity to attend this year’s ICA taking place in Fukuoka, Japan.

Submissions for participation in the pre-conference should include a brief biographical sketch (50 word) and a 200-word statement describing specific strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats being demonstrated/ faced by BRICS media; and specific ways in which BRICS media can leverage their non-Euro-Atlantic origins and redress power imbalances in existing international institutions and structures. Organizers will identify areas of shared interest in submissions to organize breakout groups for the concurrent roundtable discussions. Scholars at all stages of their careers are encouraged to apply. All proposals must be emailed to Sudeshna Roy. The deadline for submissions is February 5, 2016. Submissions will be judged on relevance, originality, and fit with the preconference theme. Notifications of acceptance will be emailed by end of February 2016.

Cost of registration and attendance:
$65 per person for ICA full members who are not students
$40 per person for students
A limited number of fee waivers are available. To request a waiver,
please include a statement of your specific need in your proposal.

CFP ICA 2016 Preconference: The Politics and Economics of Chinese New Media Industries

Call for Papers: ICA 2016 Preconference:
The politics and economics of Chinese new media industries

[Selected full papers will be included in a special issue for International Communication Gazette, to be published in early-2018.]

Date and Venue
June 9th 2016, ICA conference hotel (Fukuoka, Japan)

Division Affiliations
Communication Law and Policy Division
Communication and Technology Division
Media Industry Studies Interest Group

Organizing committee:
Weiyu Zhang, Associate Professor, National University of Singapore
Zhan Li, Associate Professor, Xiamen University, China
Jing Wu, Professor, Peking University, China
Bingchun Meng, Associate Professor, London School of Economics, UK
Min Jiang, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, US

Keynote Speaker
Prof. Stephen Reese, School of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin

Spotlight Presentation
Selected best submission will be featured as a spotlight presentation.

Conference Fee (lunch and two tea breaks included)
–         Free for presenters
–         25 USD for general audience

Sponsors
Xiamen University, China
Peking University, China

Aim and Scope
Just like many other indicators of China’s development, digital media industries in China are constantly generating impressive figures. For example, Alibaba’s initial public offering in 2014 was ranked world’s
biggest at $25 Billion; Wechat, the fastest rising social media app developed by Tencent, achieved a user base of 440 million within four years of its release. By February 2015, Chinese Internet users have
reached 641 million, more than double the number of users in the U.S. Numbers aside, however, there have not been much academic research on the regulatory context, the political and economic dynamics, as well as the broader implications at both domestic and global levels of such fast-pace development. For instance, there are increasing efforts from the Chinese government and elites to articulate alternative frameworks over the global governance of the Internet and new media industries.

This preconference intends to serve as a platform to facilitate dialogues around the political, the economic, the institutional and the policy aspects of media industries in China, in view of the rapid
development of digital media. But this is not just about having ‘China experts’ analyzing Chinese companies or Chinese policies. We are keen to move beyond the ‘China exceptionalism” by taking an explicitly global and comparative perspective. For one thing, the ownership structure and the business practices of Chinese digital media companies are intricately related to global capitalism in general. For another, Chinese information technology companies, such as Baidu, Alibaba, ZTE and Huawei, are aggressively expanding their businesses overseas, especially in Africa and South East Asia, with varied degrees of success. Last but not the least, through platforms like the National Office for Internet and Information, and channels like the Sino-US Internet Forum, the Chinese authorities are actively participating in the construction of international and global policy frames concerning the future development of digital media industries.

With the global reach of Chinese IT companies and the international ambition of Chinese government, it is imperative to understand how the new developments in Chinese digital media industries, are reconfiguring the politics and the economics of information and communication technologies (ICTs).  Moreover, it is important to understand how traditional media such as mainstream newspapers respond to such changes and incorporate digitalization into their own industry plans. This preconference aims to invite scholars from all over the world to tackle the issue, primarily using China as a context in which innovative research questions and methods can be applied.

We are particularly interested in papers that address the following themes:
–         The globalization and internationalization of Chinese media industries, including both Internet and other traditional media
–         The roles of international regulatory bodies and international non-governmental organizations in shaping the landscape of new media in China
–         The roles of Chinese authorities in shaping global policies regarding information and communication technologies (ICTs)
–         The economics of Chinese new ICT companies, including foreign and local venture capitalists, shareholders, business models, sources of profits, consumer strategy, etc.
–         The evolving political parallelism in Chinese media industry
–         Comparisons of Chinese new media industry with other countries’ media industry

Abstract Submissions
Please submit a 500-words abstract in word or pdf format to ica15china@gmail.com.  All submissions will be subject to a double-blind review by at least 2 reviewers. To facilitate the review process, please write a separate cover sheet with the paper title and affiliation/s and omit the affiliations in the actual abstract.

Deadlines
–         Submission of abstracts: Jan 15th 2016
–         Notification of acceptance: March 1st 2016
–         Final paper submission: June 1st 2016

CFP ALA 2016: Languages for Life: Educational, Professional & Social Contexts (Vienna)

Call for papers
Association for Language Awareness
13th International Language Awareness Conference (ALA 2016)
Languages for Life: Educational, Professional and Social Contexts

WU Wien (Vienna University of Economics and Business)
July 19-22, 2016
Submission deadline: 15 November 2015

Conference Themes
• LALT: Language Awareness in Language Learning and Language Teaching
• LAWB: Language Awareness in the Workplace and Business
• LAMA: Language Awareness and Awareness of (New/Social) Media
• LICA: Language Awareness, Culture/Intercultural Awareness, Communication Awareness
• CLA: Critical Language Awareness
• LAAV: Awareness and Attitudes concerning languages and their different varieties

For further inquiries you can contact us by email.

Confirmed plenary speakers
Veronika Koller (Lancaster University)
Almut Köster (Vienna University of Economics and Business)
Aneta Pavlenko (Temple University)
Dennis Preston (Oklahoma State University) (Eric Hawkins Lecture)

Submission guidelines
Abstracts must be submitted online and may not exceed 300 words (excluding references). Authors may submit a maximum of two abstracts if at least one of these is co-authored. The abstracts will be reviewed anonymously and notification of acceptance will be sent at the beginning of 2016. General registration will open in December 2015.

The language of the conference is predominantly English, but contributions in other languages will also be considered. In such case, PowerPoint or other visual materials should be in English or bilingual. Please choose the language which best suits your needs as well as those of your audience. (The abstracts, however, are supposed to be in English. But indicate the title also in the language planned for your presentation.)

Academic programme
The conference will consist of
–      full paper presentations (20 minutes, 10 minutes Q&A)
–      special symposia and panel discussions in cooperation with AILA/Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquée (Research Networks “Research Cultures in Applied Linguistics” and “Folk Linguistics”; VERBAL/Austrian Association of Applied Linguistics)
–      a poster slam/poster presentations (A0, portrait format)
–      a workshop for PhD students / young scholars

Scholarships
PhD students and early career researchers are encouraged to send in abstracts as they may qualify for an ALA conference scholarship. More information will be made available on the website.

Conference venue
ALA 2016 will be held at the WU, one of the major business universities of Europe. The new campus of the WU, completed in 2013, sets new standards with regard to the construction of universities. It lies at the heart of Vienna and is easily accessible by public transport. The campus’ modern architecture and numerous convenient facilities make this an attractive area to explore, while the ‘Prater’-Park adjacent to the campus affords the opportunity to relax and unwind. Further information about the venue, travel arrangements and accommodation is available on the conference website.

ALA membership
If you are not yet a member of the Association for Language Awareness (ALA), we strongly recommend that you join now. ALA members will be charged a lower conference fee and will receive the official journal Language Awareness (four issues per year).

CFP Crossing Borders: Researching Transnational Media History (ICA 2016 in Japan)

Crossing Borders: Researching Transnational Media History
International Communication Association Preconference
Fukuoka, Japan, June 9, 2016
Sponsor: ICA Communication History Division
Co-Sponsor: ECREA Communication History Section
Organizers: Nelson Ribeiro and David Park

Media history has frequently been tied to the nation-state. This ICA pre-conference is dedicated to considering the history of media that operates across national borders. Indeed, communication has long been a central theme in historical schools of thought that stress the networked and interdependent nature of both the ancient and modern worlds. As such, we welcome papers on a wide array of historically grounded themes that explore transnational communication.

Submissions to this pre-conference are invited to consider the full breadth of transnational communication in history. States, businesses, commercial networks, and other institutions have long been preoccupied with managing the flow of communication across borders. These patterns raise numerous questions regarding the institutions connected to these flows, the messages they circulate, and the audiences they reach. More specifically, the pre-conference will be structured around three themes:
• Histories of transnational media organizations. Different technologies and media have been used to spread information and ideas across the borders. States and the Catholic Church were among the first institutions to understand the importance of having access to information produced abroad and to spread their own messages in different geographies. In modern times, transnational communication played a central role in disseminating political and religious ideals along with business information, thus contributing to early processes of globalization. Although several newspapers in the late 19th century were already operating internationally, in the 20th century the phenomenon of transnational communication became even more prevalent as media organizations played a central role in international propaganda and public diplomacy. The BBC, Voice of America, Radio Beijing, Radio Moscow, and Radio Tokyo are just a few examples that come to mind.
• Histories of transnational media content. Along with transnational media organizations, the content and form of media have never truly been hemmed in by national borders either, as genres, narratives, and franchises have circulated regionally and globally, contributing to hybrid cultural identities. British literature and U.S. music, film, and television serials are obvious examples but many others could be cited, namely Indian cinema, Japanese animation and videogames, and Brazilian telenovelas. After World War II, the circulation of transnational media content also became a major issue in the context of the Cold War leading to the creation, in Europe and Asia, of international organizations that promoted the exchange of television content among its members.
• Histories of transnational audiences. As is the case with the internet today, in earlier times newspapers, broadcasting, musical recordings, and video tapes were used to reach transnational audiences and create diasporic communities, a phenomenon of particular importance in the context of empire. Developing our understanding of how audiences received media content produced in different cultural contexts can expand our knowledge of how transnational networks operate and how communication technologies facilitate (or resist) these flows.

Abstracts of 300 words (maximum) should be submitted no later than 30 November 2015. Proposals for full panels are also welcome: these should include a 250-word abstract for each individual presentation, and a 200-word rationale for the panel. Send abstracts to: nelson.ribeiro@ucp.pt. Authors will be informed regarding acceptance/rejection for the preconference no later than 10 January 2016. Full papers will need to be submitted no later than 30 May 2016 as these will be posted online and made available to all those participating in the preconference.

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.