Conference: Modern Greek Studies Association Symposium, Bloomington, Indiana, 14-16 November 2013‏

MGSA Symposium 2013
23rd biennial conference of the Modern Greek Studies Association
November 14-16, 2013 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana

For detailed call for papers and information about the conference and
submission process see the
MGSA Symposium 2013 website:
http://mgsasymposium.org/
(ALL submissions must be made ELECTRONICALLY by website. Note that this is a new procedure and website).

Hosted by the Modern Greek Program and West European Studies at
Indiana University.

Organized by The Modern Greek Studies Association Executive Board and
the MGSA 2013 Local Arrangements and Program Committees.

Deadline for abstracts for 20-minute papers: January 15, 2013;
Deadline for panel proposal: January 31, 2013;
Deadline for special sessions (roundtables, lunch brainstorming,
workshop, etc.): March 1, 2013

Open topic on Greek, Greeks, Greece, and Cyprus, and ideas of the
Greek in modern times. Approaches are welcome from all disciplines in
the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts and from interdisciplinary
fields. Comparative perspectives are encouraged.

Suggested topics of special interest are:

40 years after the Polytechneio
Migration and citizenship
Gender relations and the politics of sexuality
Historical culture and social memory
Pedagogy and curriculum development
Teaching Greek as a foreign language: linguistic and other approaches
Material culture, museums and heritage
Crisis and critique
Cultural circulation, exchange, and change
Spaces of intellectual fertilization in and out of Greece
Transnational communities
Greek literature and arts in national and post-national contexts
Greece, Greeks, Cyprus in the arts or media today
New economies of labor
Cypriot and other identities
Greek studies and the critical vocation

Program Contact Information

Questions may be submitted via the contact form on the website or to:
Prof. Victor Papacosma, MGSA Executive Director, mgsa.org@gmail.com

Please note the importance of respecting those January deadlines, as the majority of the conference content consists of the sessions proposed in those abstracts.

PhD: Fellowship Announcement, American Research Centre in Sofia‏

AMERICAN RESEARCH CENTER IN SOFIA


ACADEMIC PROGRAM FELLOWSHIP COMPETITION


Deadline: January 15, 2013





ELIGIBILITY


Graduate and advanced undergraduate students enrolled at North American academic institutions (or academic institutions accredited in North America) engaged in research on ancient, medieval, or modern Bulgaria or the Balkan peninsula, in any field of the humanities and social sciences.





THE PROGRAM


The fellowships are of 9-month (September-May) or 3-month (September-November or February-April) duration. In addition to independent research, Fellows will participate in ARCS academic program which includes a series of lectures, seminars, and excursions designed to provide a broad thematic vision of Bulgarian and Balkan history and culture from prehistory to present.





THE FELLOWSHIPS


Fellows receive a monthly cash stipend ($600/month), housing in Bulgaria, language instruction, travel expenses within the academic program, and up to $1,000 for travel expenses between North America and Bulgaria. Up to 10 fellowships are awarded. Every year there are some applicants who were accepted in the program with only partial fellowship or without fellowship. We strongly encourage you to inquire in timely manner about possibilities for funding from your home institution as well and to indicate this in your application.





APPLICATION PROCEDURE


An application consists of the application form (available at http://arcsofia.org/en/page/8-ARCS-Fellowship); a project proposal describing how participation in the ARCS academic program will serve your research interests (not to exceed five double-spaced pages); a current CV; academic transcripts; and two letters of reference from scholars familiar with your work. For full consideration, these materials must be submitted by email to ARCS Fellowship Committee at office@arcsofia.org . ARCS expects to notify applicants of the decision of the Fellowship Committee by March 1, 2013.





Please direct any questions about ARCS academic programs, fellowships, or application procedures to Professor Eric De Sena (sofiadirector@arcsofia.org), Director of ARCS or Dr. Emil Nankov (emil.nankov@arcsofia.org), Archaeology Program Officer of ARCS.


The American Research Center in Sofia does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, sex, sexual orientation, color, religion, ethnic origin, or disability when considering admission to its programs.

Conference:The Second Euroacademia International Conference: The European Union and the Politicization of Europe, Budapest, 6-8 December 2012‏

The Second Euroacademia International Conference


The European Union and the Politicization of Europe





6-8 December 2012, Budapest, Hungary


Mercure Budapest City Center Hotel





Deadline for Papers: 15 October 2012



Conference Description:

The European Union was described by Jacques Delors as an unidentified political object and by Jose Manuel Barroso as the first non-Imperial empire. The descriptors assigned to the European Union are creative and diverse yet the agreement on what is the actual shape that the EU is taking is by no means an easy one to be achieved. Historical choices shaped and reshaped the size and functioning of the EU while the goal of an emerging ‘ever closer union’ is still in search for the paths of real and not ideal accomplishment. The agreement seems to come when it’s about the growing impact of the decisions taken in Brussels on the daily lives of the European citizens and the increasingly redistributive outcomes of the policy choices inside the EU. These dynamics created the framework for the politicization of Europe and opened a vivid debate about the direction and proportions of such a process.



The politicization of Europe takes various shapes and addresses significant puzzles. While it is clear that the EU doesn’t resemble a state it is less clear if the decisions that shape its policies are configured by Pareto efficient outcomes or by dynamics that are intrinsic to political systems and defined by emerging party politics within the European Parliament. The democratic problem or the democratic deficit issue was and continues to be one of the main challenges facing the European Union in any terms or from any position is understood or described. The problem of accountability for the decision making inside the EU was there from the beginning and it emerged gradually as more emphatic on the agenda of vivid debates as the powers of the EU have grown after the Maastricht Treaty. This was concomitant with a growing disenchantment of citizens from member states with politics in general, with debates over the democratic deficits inside member states, with enlargement and with a visible and worrying decrease in voters’ turnouts at both national and especially European elections. The optimist supporters of EU believe in its power to constantly reinvent and reshape while the pessimists see either a persistence of existing problems or a darker scenario that could lead in front of current problems even to the end of the EU as we know it.



The Euroacademia International Conference ‘The European Union and the Politicization of Europe’ aims to survey some of these current debates and addresses once more the challenges of the EU polity in a context of multiple crises that confronted Europe in recent years. It supports a transformative view that involves balanced weights of optimism and pessimism in a belief that the unfold of current events and the way EU deals with delicate problems will put an increased pressure in the future on matters of accountability and will require some institutional adjustments that address democratic requirements for decision making. However in its present shape and context the EU does not look able to deliver soon appropriate answers to democratic demands. In a neo-functionalist slang we can say as an irony that the actual crisis in the EU legitimacy is a ‘spillover’ effect of institutional choices made some time before. To address the EU’s democratic deficit however is not to be a sceptic and ignore the benefits that came with it but to acknowledge the increasing popular dissatisfaction with ‘occult’ office politics and with the way EU tackles daily problems of public concern while the public is more and more affected by decisions taken at European level.



Is the EU becoming an increasingly politicized entity? Is the on-going politicization of Europe a structured or a messy one? Do political parties within the European Parliament act in a manner that strengthens the view of the EU as an articulate political system? Are there efficient ways for addressing the democratic deficit issue? Can we find usable indicators for detecting an emerging European demos and a European civil society? Does a Europeanization of the masses take place or the EU remains a genuinely elitist project? Did the Lisbon Treaty introduce significant changes regarding the challenges facing the EU? Can we see any robust improvements in the accountability of the EU decision making processes? Are there alternative ways of looking at the politicization processes and redistributive policies inside the EU? Is the on-going crisis changing the European politics dramatically? These are only few of the large number of questions that unfold when researchers or practitioners look at the EU. It is the aim of the Second Euroacademia International Conference ‘The European Union and the Politicization of Europe’ to address in a constructive manner such questions and to offer o platform for dissemination of research results or puzzles that can contribute to a better understanding of the on-going process of politicization within the European Union.





Selected Panels proposed by participants:
1. New Panel: The Eurozone Crisis: Transformative Impact on the European Project and Models(s) of Capitalism
2. New Panel: Toward the Europeanization of Digital Powers: The Role of Digital Technologies in the European Integration
3. New Panel: Elections to the European Parliament
4. New Panel: The Persistence of the Democratic Deficit in the European Union



The conference is organized yet by no means restricted to the following orientative panels:




· The Crisis of Europe and its Political Challenges


· The Crisis of European Solidarity


· Greece and the Questioning of the Factual European Unity


· Is Euro-enthusiasm Still Possible?


· The Politicization of Europe: Desirable or Contestable


· The Neo-medieval EU: Resembling an Enlightened Despotism?


· The EU as a Political System: Features and Curiosities


· Differentiated Integration and Club Based Hypotheses


· Re-distributive Policies Inside the EU Impacting the Medium Voter


· European Elections and Strategies for Politicization


· European Parties and Party Politics in the European Parliament


· Strategies for Bringing European Issues to Public Scrutiny


· Taking ECB Out of the Political Vacuum: Strategies for Accountability


· The Democratic Deficit Issue: A Persistent Anomaly?


· In Search of a European Demos


· Inclusion/Exclusion Nexuses


· Looking for a European Civil Society


· Appropriations and Politicization of Wider European Values and Narratives


· Persisting Intergovernmentalism?


· EU and Traces of Imperial Politics


· EU and Identitarian appropriations


· Scenarios for Change Inside the EU


· The Future of EU Enlargement


· The Europeanization of Balkans


· Taking Euroskepticism Seriously


· Assessing the EU External Action


· Increasing Public Saliency for Supranational Issues


· Lobbying and Policy Making Inside the EU


· Cultural Policies and the Politicization of Europe


· Educational Policies of Europeanization


· Representations of EUrope


· Arts and the Imaginary Shape of the EU


· Mobility and Europeanization


· Europe 2020 - Scenarios for Future





Participant’s Profile




The conference is addressed to academics, researchers and professionals with a particular interest in Europe and the European Union from all parts of the world. As the nature of the conference is intended to be multidisciplinary in nature different academic backgrounds are welcomed. Post-graduate students, doctoral candidates and young researchers are welcome to submit an abstract. Representatives of INGOs, NGOs, Think Tanks and activists willing to present their work with impact on or influenced by specific understandings of the European Union are welcomed as well to submit the abstract of their contribution.



Abstracts will be reviewed and the participants are selected based on the proven quality of the abstract. The submitted paper for the conference proceedings is expected to be in accordance with the lines provided in the submitted abstract.



A specific spot in the conference program will be dedicated to social networking and therefore all the participants interested in setting or developing further cooperation agendas and prospects with other participants will have time to present and/or promote their project and express calls for cooperation. A specific setting for promotional materials connected with the topic of the conference will be reserved for the use of participants. Books authored or edited by the participants can be exhibited and promoted during the whole period of the conference and can also be presented within the conference package based on prior arrangements.



Publication:

Selected papers will be published by Euroacademia Publishing (Paris) in an electronic volume with ISBN after the confirmation of the authors and a double peer-review process based on an agreed publication schedule. All the papers selected for publication should be original and must have not been priory published elsewhere. All participants to the conference will receive a copy of the volume.





Important Dates


15 October 2012 - 300 words abstracts and details of affiliation




The 300 word abstracts and the affiliation details should be submitted in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats, following this order:


1) author(s), 2) affiliation, 3) email address, 4) title of abstract, 5) body of abstract 6) preferred panel or proposed panel

The abstract and details can be sent to application@euroacademia.eu with the name of the conference specified in the subject line or through the on-line application form available at http://euroacademia.eu/conference/second-eu-and-the-politicization-of-europe/

We will acknowledge the receipt of your proposal and answer to all paper proposals submitted.



If your paper was accepted a notification of acceptance will be sent to you. Your confirmation of attendance will be expected until 25th of October 2012 and until the 30th of October the payment of the participation fee through bank transfer is requested. Early registrations prior to 10th of October benefit of a 10% discounted rate in the participation fee. No paper will be introduced in the program without confirmation and payment of the participant fee. By 20th of November 2012 the full paper is to be sent according with the style standards provided to the accepted participants by organizers. All papers will be uploaded on the website as drafts available for consultation for other participants and the public. The conference will be held in English and will focus on the discussion of 5,000–6,000-word, pre-circulated papers.





Euroacademia is a non-profit organization, based in Paris and Vienna, aiming to foster academic cooperation, networking and a platform for dissemination and valorisation of academic research results, trends, and emerging themes within the area of concern for European studies, political science, critical studies, cultural studies, history, anthropology, social psychology, semiotics, philosophy, sociology and wider and inclusive interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary approaches that contribute to a better understanding of the ‘self-organizing vertigo’ (Edgar Morin) of the European realm. Euroacademia’s goal is to become a hub for academic interaction on and about Europe.

For more information visit www.euroacademia.eu

Conference: Orthodoxy, Music , Politics and Art in Contemporary Russia and Eastern Europe, Goldsmiths, University of London, 16-17 March 2013‏

Centre for Russian Music, Goldsmiths, University of London


Orthodoxy, Music , Politics and Art in Contemporary Russia and Eastern Europe

16-17 March 2013

Organized by the Centre for Russian Music and the Department of History, Goldsmiths, University of London


"Orthodoxy, Music, Politics and Art in Contemporary Russia and Eastern Europe" is a two-day conference organized by the Centre for Russian Music and the Department of History at Goldsmiths, University of London, dedicated to the interaction between music, politics, the plastic arts and Orthodox Christianity from the beginning of the 20th century to the present.

Particular areas of interest include, but are not limited to: the expression and suppression of religious faith in the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries; the role of faith in artistic expression since the fall of institutionalized communism; the spiritual/the sacred in music; chant as an element of musical vocabulary; the revival of sacred choral music, and politics and faith.

Papers should be no longer than 20 minutes in length, allowing for 10 minutes' discussion afterwards. Please send a 250-word abstract to russianmusicconference@gmail.com by 10 December 2012, including name, affiliation (if any) and contact mail. Please also send any enquiries to this address. The language of the Conference is English. The possibility of the publication of some or all the papers presented will be considered.

The Conference will include concerts by the English Chamber Choir and the Goldsmiths Chamber Choir.

The convenors of the Conference are Professor Alexander Ivashkin (Centre for Russian Music, Goldsmiths, University of London) and Rev. Dr Ivan Moody (CESEM - Universidade Nova, Lisbon).

The Keynote speaker is Rev. Dr Ivan Moody.

PhD: Pre-Doctoral Fellowship - Cold War/Post-1945 International History, Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, George Washington University, Washingtone DC‏

The George Washington University’s Institute for European, Russian and
Eurasian Studies (IERES) is pleased to announce a call for applications for
the Mellon Pre-doctoral Fellowship in Cold War/Post-1945 International
History for 2013-2014. Applicants need to have completed archival research
for their dissertation in two or more countries and be at the final writing
stage of their dissertation at an American university. The Fellow must be
in residence at IERES from September 2013 through June 2014 and will be
provided with an office and computer. The Fellow will also help the IERES
Director administer several workshops that train Ph.D. candidates to
conduct archival research. The award will offer support in the amount of
$25,000 per year, plus benefits.

Interested applicants should submit an 8-10 page proposal, curriculum
vitae, and a letter of recommendation from a member of your dissertation
committee. Please also submit a cover letter that clearly addresses your
experience with archival research and any previous administrative
responsibilities. All applications are reviewed by a GWU faculty panel that
rewards clarity of argument and method as well as the originality of the
research and the argument.

Deadline for all fellowship applications is January 15, 2013.
Applications should be sent to sicar@gwu.edu by 15 January, 2013 with the
subject line reading “Pre-doctoral Application.” Recommendation letters may
be e-mailed or sent to:

Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies
ATTN: Pre-doctoral Application

1957 E Street NW, Suite 412
Washington, DC 20052
Tel: 202-994-6340
Fax: 202-994-5436

Master: European Master's Programme, Global Studies - A Euroepan Perspective‏

European Master’s Programme

GLOBAL STUDIES – A EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE





Topic: “Global Studies – A European Perspective” is an interdisciplinary, research-based Master’s course offered by a Consortium of five European universities, that are namely: University of Leipzig (Germany), London School of Economics and Political Science (UK), University of Roskilde (Denmark), University of Vienna (Austria) and University of Wroclaw (Poland) and seven Non-European universities: Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), Dalhousie University (Canada), Fudan University (China), Jawaharlal Nehru University (India), Macquarie University (Australia), University of California at Santa Barbara (USA), University of Stellenbosch (South Africa).

The Master’s course combines approaches from Global History and International Studies. Cultural Studies, Area Studies, Social Sciences and other disciplines contribute to a wide ranging academic programme.

Mobility track: The course is modularised and integrated: It can be studied for one year at one of the European partner institutions, and for the second year at a different European university. Additionally there is the opportunity to spend one semester at one of our Non-European partner universities.

Application requirements: The Master’s Course ‘Global Studies’ aims at excellent students with a first degree in social sciences and humanities with an interest in issues of globalisation. The minimum application requirements are a BA degree or a recognised equivalent from an accredited institution, sufficient undergraduate training to do graduate work in the chosen field, excellent written and oral command of English.

Application files: A filled in application form (to be found on www.globalstudies-masters.info), two academic references, proof of an excellent BA in the social sciences or humanities, a statement of purpose, curriculum vita and language certificates.

Grants: The European Master ‘Global Studies – A European Perspective” is part of the EU’s co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education ERASMUS MUNDUS. Therefore the EU offers each year scholarships for highly qualified applicants of this Master’s course. These grants include besides the coverage for the complete tuition fees also a monthly living allowance.

Application deadline: The application deadline is December 1st of each year for applicants who want to qualify for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship and for the next cycle of the course, which starts in fall of the following year. Meeting the application deadline will be established by the date of arrival of the paper application.

Information: http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~gesi/index.php?id=57

This Master’s Course is part of the EU programme for academic exchange ERASMUS MUNDUS.

It is co-ordinated by the University of Leipzig. E-Mail: em@uni-leipzig.de

Conference: The external implications on EU Internal Security Strategy, Panel at 20th International Conference of Europeanists Amsterdam, 25-17 June 2013‏

20th International Conference of Europeanists

Crisis and Contingency: States of (In)stability

Amsterdam, The Netherlands • June 25-27, 2013



The external implications on EU Internal Security Strategy



Daniela Irrera

University of Catania



Since its foundation and through its various adaptation process, the EU has always been concerned with the strengthening of security. The need to secure its internal borders and to assure adequate protection to its own citizens has been combined, over the years, with the urgent necessity to face external threats, to be part of strategic alliances, to build stable regional partnerships, to satisfactorily follow and to adapt to the constant changes occurring to global security.

From the Solana document, issued in 2004, to the last Security Strategy, the EU has envisaged its list of priorities and has focused on terrorism, organised crime failed states, and more recently, cybercrime and natural disasters.

The last documents illustrates that debates about security are still necessary either for practical and theoretical reasons. This panel is based on the abovementioned assumption and aims at discussing current and future implications of the EU Internal Security Strategy. It addresses to papers based on theoretical analysis as well as to those presenting case studies and/or empirical studies of the present threats. If you are interested, please send a short abstract (no more than 250 word) together with your full affiliation to dirrera@unict.it by October 3rd.