NoticeBoard

The Aleksanteri Institute invites international students from all countries to participate in the Helsinki Summer School course “Post-socialist Society and Culture” organised by the Institute. The multidisciplinary course examines the social and cultural change that has taken place in former socialist countries, Russia in particular, and focuses on the challenges of post-Soviet modernisation.

The Centre d'Étude de la Vie Politique (CEVIPOL, www.cevipol.be) of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) is looking for one researcher in Political Science to participate in a collective research project (ARC) entitled "Globalization, socio-cultural changes and political claims in Muslim world", in collaboration with the Centre d’Etude de la Coopération Internationale et du Développement (CECID) and the Laboratoire d’Anthropologie des Mondes Contemporains (LAMC). The project brings together anthropologists, sociologists and political scientists and aims to analyse the impact of globalization on social movements in Muslim countries. The position advertised is part of a sub-project dealing with the role of Muslim / Islamic networks in political dynamics and mobilizations.

Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society 24–25 January, 2013

Keynote Speakers: Professor Joanna Woodall, Courtauld Institute of Art, United Kingdom Professor Rosi Braidotti, University of Utrecht, Netherlands

The Conference Death is a defining factor in the explorations of our subjectivity, art, history, politics, and many other aspects of our social interactions and perceptions of the world. In the modern age, conceptions of death have continued to shift and evolve, yet our perceptions are still fueled by an instinctive fear of the end of life.

In recent decades, we have rebelled against the threat of death by inventing new technologies and medicines that have drastically increased our life expectancy—diseases and disabilities are gradually disappearing. Some believe that one day we will completely conquer the aging process, and ultimately death. Life can now be seen as a new form of commodity, a material object that we can trade, sell, or buy. 

Refugee Studies Centre, 27-28 October 2012

The issue of statelessness is rising steadily on the agenda of the United Nations, regional institutions, governments and civil society. There is also an increasing body of theoretical and empirical research looking at citizenship and lack thereof from various perspectives. It is within this context that the Refugee Studies Centre offers its third short course on statelessness and international law.

Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford Department of International Development

European and North-American led humanitarian responses to contexts of forced displacement are increasingly being paralleled and at times overtly challenged by an ever-expanding array of “alternative” models of humanitarian intervention. However, while extensive research has been conducted on South-South development programmes (i.e. Chinese development funding in sub-Saharan Africa), and “alternatives to development” (i.e. post-development studies), there remains a need to comparatively examine South-South humanitarian partnerships. This workshop provides a space for critically reflection upon the various histories, modes of operation and implications of diverse “alternative” models of humanitarian action; such critical analysis is particularly important given increasing governmental and UN interest in Southern-led humanitarianism for a variety of financial and political reasons.

States, Sovereignties and Refugees: A View from the Margins? Alessandro Monsutti, Wed, 6 June 2012, 5.00pm

Refugees are defined as people who have lost the protection of their state of origin and therefore fall under the responsibility of the international community, represented by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. They are situated at the interstice of national and international sovereignty. Building on the Afghan case, one of the most massive forced displacements of population since World War II, the lecture will examine the growth of a global bureaucracy linked to the action of international and non-governmental organisations, philanthropic foundations, think tanks, and even private security contractors. They promote new forms of transnational governmentality that involve benevolence and welfare programmes but also coercion and repression; they may by turns support or challenge the more familiar territorialised expressions of state authority.

On the occasion of its 60th Anniversary, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) Institute and the University of Hamburg will be organising two public events in May 2012, to commemorate the Institute’s work in the field of education and to celebrate the presence of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in Hamburg, Germany.

First and foremost, the international lifelong learning community and the wider public are cordially invited to attend a Public Lecture on May 24th at the university premises, addressing the issue of “Responding to Global Challenges through Lifelong Learning”. The lecture will feature renowned and reputable speakers such as the Director-General of UNESCO herself, Irina Bokova, Mamadou Ndoye (former Minister of Education of Senegal), Elizabeth King (Director of Education in the Human Development Network of the World Bank) and Suzy Halimi (Vice-President of the French National Commission for UNESCO and Chair of its Education Committee). Together they will discuss trends and tendencies in lifelong learning, in particular examining convergence or divergence of international, regional and national LLL strategies.

Slovo is now accepting submissions for its May 2012 issue. Contributions, including research articles, book and film reviews, and review articles are welcome from all research students and academics. Submissions to the Board of Editors may be sent via e-mail attachment (slovo@ssees.ucl.ac.uk), or on a CD in Microsoft Word format. All research articles must include a 100-200 word abstract and adhere to the MHRA Style guide in advance of submission (available for download for free from http://www.mhra.org.uk/Publications/Books/StyleGuide/download.shtml).

The call for participation closes on 30 April 2012, 12:00 (noon) CET

The ESF invites the next generation of leading scientists (‘early career researchers’) across the academic spectrum – including Humanities and Social Sciences - to participate in a four-day discussion of the challenges and opportunities posed by interdisciplinary research. Discussions will focus on various issues related to the event’s general theme of “Water: Unite and Divide. Interdisciplinary approaches for a sustainable future” and take place in Stresa, Lago Maggiore, Italy, on 27-30 August 2012.

Full cost awards are offered on a competitive basis to a maximum of 36 early career researchers.

The Call text and more information can be found at www.esf.org/water

For Civil Society, Government And Regional Organisation Experts And Practitioners In Peacebuilding, Mediation & Peace Processes And Post-War Recovery / Peace Consolidation

The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) and the International Peace and Development Training Centre (IPDTC) of PATRIR are pleased to announce 10 special scholarships for the upcoming Executive Leadership Programmes in London (April 16 – 21, 2012). The scholarships are intended to support experienced practitioners and experts working in peacebuilding from governments, civil society organisations, and regional organisations.Each scholarship covers 300 GBP out of the full fee of GBP 495 for each programmeand can be available for either or both programmes. For the two programmes combined we can provide scholarships of GBP 700. The scholarships do not cover travel and accommodation which must be provided by the sending organisations / agencies.

Thesaurus Poloniae is a three-month fellowship programme of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. The programme is implemented by the International Cultural Centre in Krakow, a leading Polish academic centre. Thesaurus Poloniae is addressed to individuals who carry out research on culture, history as well as the multicultural heritage of the Republic of Poland, both past and present, and broadly understood Central Europe. Both individuals who deal with management and preservation of cultural heritage in practical terms and those who carry out theoretical research in the area of heritage, history, sociology, ethnography and anthropology are invited to participate in the programme.

The Cambridge Central Asia Review is an inter-disciplinary peer-reviewed journal in the field of Central Asian studies. The journal is a bi-annual publication. We accept submissions on a wide range of topics in Central Asian studies including but not limited to economics, politics, literature and cultural studies, sociology, social anthropology, history, international relations, education, geography, environment, health and development studies. Papers focusing on theoretical, empirical or methodological approaches are welcome for submission.

Environmental History Seminar: Landscape (19th - Early 20th Centuries)

Date: Monday 05 Mar 2012 - 16:00

Place: History Faculty, George Street, Room Colin Matthew

Research programme: History of Science

Environmental History Seminar

The aims of this seminar are to help bring together British and French researchers working on the same topics or problematics, and to discuss recent research on environmental history. Therefore, the principle is to invite a French and a British colleague to each seminar, to present their own research and then discuss it.

“Landscape and Preservation in England in the 19th Century”
Charles-François Mathis, Université de Paris-Sorbonne

“Landscape, Preservationism and Local Interests: The Example of Berkshire, Early 20th Century”
Jeremy Burchardt, University of Reading