Objective: This conference aims to provide an open forum for presentation, exchange and discussion of original research focusing on the plethora of issues and topics that relate to the external borders of the European Union. We hope to attract papers that focus on diverse geographical areas, and approach the question of borders, regions, and cross-border interactions from a wide variety of different theoretical, methodological and analytical backgrounds. We welcome papers that address problems and prospects related to EU external borders from legal, political, economic, sociological, cultural, and historical perspectives.
The event is the final international conference of the EUBORDERREGIONS project and it is expected that the main deliverables and achievements of this four-year research effort will be presented during the conference. However, we also seek to engage a wider community of geographers, political scientists, sociologists and scholars from other disciplines in a multi-disciplinary debate on the changing nature of contemporary borders.
Within the overall guidelines of the conference, all proposals will be given serious consideration even if their topics are not explicitly included in the areas of special interest listed below:
1. Borders and Political Communities-in-the-Making: Experiences of the EU, Russia and post-Soviet Eurasia
2. Political Space in a Wider Europe: a New Inside / Outside Dynamics
3. Cross-border Migrations and Nationalist Mobilization
4. Managing Visa Regimes: Institutional and Political Facets of Bordering and De-bordering
5. Trans-border transportation and infrastructural projects in Eurasia
6. Nation / City Branding and Cross-border Communication
7. Borders within Russia and the EU: Cultural, Social, Economic
8. Borders, Margins and Regions in the Common Neighborhood
9. Borders, Unrecognized States and the Changing Meanings of Sovereignty 10. Ukraine's 2014 revolution and the changing inside - outside dynamics in Europe
11. Arab springs and autumns in the Euro:Mediterranean borders
12. Regionalisation and macroregionalisation along the EU borders
Empirical, methodological, and theoretical, as well as inter-disciplinary, comparative and case studies are welcomed. Case studies have to be analytical, based on empirical analysis or relating the case to broader theoretical frameworks or international norms.
Academic conveners: Prof. James Scott, University of Eastern Finland (James.Scott@uef.fi) & Prof. Andrey Makarychev, University of Tartu (andrey.makarychev@ut.ee).
Envisioned schedule of the conference: The conference will begin with a keynote speech on the morning of November 27, followed by a full day of panels, and a reception in the evening. There will be several panels on the morning of November 28. The conference will conclude with a common lunch (hosted by the organizers) on November 28. On the afternoon of November 28, there will be an optional field trip to the culturally distinct Seto region in the South-East corner of Estonia, close to the border with Russia and Latvia (for more information, see http://www.visitsetomaa.ee/en).
Costs and arrangements: Participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs. Accommodation in Tartu is affordable: according to pre-arrangement with hotel Dorpat (www.dorpat.ee). The Centre for EU-Russia Studies will host a reception on the first day of the conference and a lunch for all participants on the second day.
There is no registration fee.
Proposal submission:
Paper proposals (using the attached submission form) should be sent by April 20, 2014 to ryhor@ut.ee. Proposals should contain a title and an abstract (up to 300 words), with concise information about research questions, theoretical and empirical approach, and expected results. Please include a short biographical note (focusing on: previous publications, research activities and general research interests, max. 100 words). Authors will be notified by May 20, 2014.
For more information: margit @ ctc.ee
Download Call for papers and paper submission form