Call for Papers

2nd Call for Papers

At the beginning of the 21st Century, relations with Asia have become crucial not only for the private, but also for the public sector. Economic, political and cultural relations between the West and the East are growing, and the need in our part of the West – the Nordic region – for solid knowledge about Asia, is also growing.

The present situation presents new opportunities for Asian studies within the Humanities and Social Sciences and, not least, a need for closer cooperation between the two. Unfortunately however, while our knowledge has become more useful and relevant to the wider society, many of us experience general budget cuts and difficulties in maintaining, not to speak of developing, our academic activities.

The Nordic Council of Ministers, the formal cooperation institution for the Nordic governments, has this year decided “to investigate the possibilities of creating a closer relationship between the Nordic Council of Ministers and China”. While the rise of China is clearly catching global and Nordic attention, the importance of other parts of Asia should not be underestimated. India is obviously of growing importance, and together with the East Asian countries it expresses interests in the Arctic. The ongoing diplomatic problems between Norway and China, and between Denmark and India, which would possibly be handled more easily in a Nordic frame, should also be considered.

These challenges and opportunities call for the further development of Nordic cooperation within research and studies focusing on Asian affairs. We therefore invite you to join the conference, Nordic Asian Studies in the 21st Century – Stocktaking for the Future.

The programme will consist of keynotes, panel debates, roundtables, informal discussions and networking. Collegeagues who will take this occasion to listen to the keynotes and panel debates but not present a paper, are also most welcome to do so. This event will offer important opportunities to meet people in the field, network, exchange views and ideas and also, recharge our batteries.

 The aim of the conference is twofold:

  • To gather colleagues from the Asian studies environments in all five Nordic countries to identify current tendencies and future prospect for Asian studies within the Humanities and the Social Sciences, as well as to identify Asia-relevant tendencies in academia outside these fields for future cooperation.
  • To invite people from the public and private sectors who engage with Asian partners. Through their presentations and in a dialogue with them, locate areas of common interest.
 

Keynote Speakers

The following speakers will inspire our proceedings: 

  • Pingtjin Thum, Visiting Fellow at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford; Research Associate at the Centre for Global History, University of Oxford; and coordinator of Project Southeast Asia

  • Tansen Sen, Professor of History, City University New York (CUNY), Director of the Center for Global Asia at NYU Shanghai Campus.

  • Jong-kun Choi, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Political Science and International Studies, Yonsei University, Seoul

  • Kerstin Sahlin, Professor, University of Uppsala, Secretary General of Humanities and Social Sciences, Swedish Research Council, Stockholm

  • Ummu Salma Bava, Director, Europe Area Studies Programme, Professor of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

  • James Wertsch, Professor, Washington University in St. Louis

  • Henning Kristoffersen, Public Affairs Director Asia, DNV·GL, Shanghai   

            

Suggested topics for panels: 

  • Globalization and area studies, a contradiction in terms? Perspectives from Nordic Asian studies.
    - New regional opportunities in a globalized World?
    - A Nordic response to One Belt, One Road?
    - Nordic perspectives on Asia 

  • A stocktake of developments in cross-faculty cooperation:
    - Disciplinary strength and/or area insights

  • Asia – Nordic academic collaboration: experiences from area studies and from the disciplines.
    - Student and staff exchange, Nordic and Asian experiences
    - Teaching Asian area studies in the Nordic countries

  • Welfare for human security or for securing the market?
    - Life science and national politics: Low fertility and aging societies
    - Social engineering between ethics, politics and economy
    - Western ideals, challenges, visions and Asian reality
    - Mega-cities and urban landscapes: East-West perspectives on quality of life in the 21st Century
    - Comparative philosophy on quality of life

  • Digital realities, Eastern and Western challenges and perspectives on freedom, censorship and on the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”. 
    - National and global educational challenges and approaches in Asia and in the Nordic region 

  • Sustainability, climate change and the environment
    - Nordic-Asian collaboration in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals
    - Cross-regional learning
    - Engaged scholarship and transitions to sustainable societies

 NB: the number of panels and session will be adjusted according to the number participants and their fields of interest.

On Monday 7 November the conference starts with registration and the opening keynote lecture. This is followed by a session on the future of Asia research funding featuring Kerstin Sahlin, Secretary General of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Swedish Research Council. A panel on current and future Nordic Asia research, with presentations from each of the five countries will also be included. In the afternoon, we will visit the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM), NIAS’ main funding body, for an introduction to the organization and its work, and to meet with officials dealing with relations between Asia and the Nordic region, including Dagfinn Høybråten the Secretary General of the NCM.
The day ends with an Opening reception at the Nordic Council of Ministers.


In recent years, Asia observers have debated the distinctive role of cultural factors – history, language, religion and memory – in shaping Asia’s identity and institution building. Addressing this issue, the Fudan-European Center for China Studies will host a roundtable – “The Struggle for Normative Order in East Asia” – questioning if East Asia is functioning in the same way as European or Western theories might predict. Is there an Asian way of building regional institutions, despite the penetration of Western norms via globalization? Are there Asian norms defining the forms of government, social model and international order in the region?
This will be debated by James Wertsch from Washington University in St. Louis along with a colleague within the same field from Fudan University, Shanghai. Together they will engage the floor in a larger discussion on the topic.


Participation
Conference participation is open to scholars and doctoral candidates in the social sciences and humanities.
It is possible for a limited number of participants to attend the conference without presenting a paper, or to attend only the keynote speeches.

Conference Fee and Accommodation:
The conference fee for paper presenters is 250 Euro, which includes accommodation during the conference, as well as receptions, conference dinner and lunches.
Accommodation will be provided at a hotel near the conference site. More information will follow on the conference website soon.

If you wish to attend the conference without presenting a paper the conference fee is 100 Euro and includes receptions, conference dinner and lunches.

Extended Deadlines for Conference and PhD Course:
•  3 Oct 2016: Deadline for submitting abstract (maximum 300 words)
• 10 Oct 2016: Acceptance of abstracts by Academic Committee
• 20 Oct 2016: Deadline for submitting the full paper and paying the conference fee

Abstracts and full papers should be submitted by registering on the conference website where all practical information about the conference also will be available:

Conference tag: #noasc2016

 

 

 
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