2018 04 24 neapol

The Italian Association of Ukrainian Studies (AISU) is pleased to announce an open call for papers for its seventh international conference Ukraine and its Neighbors: Cross-Cultural and Transnational Interactions to be held at Naples University on 14-15 January 2019.

Ukraine’s geographical position as a locus between the Orthodox East and the Latin West has long been a topic of scholarly interest. In 1988, Ihor Ševčenko observed that “without Byzantium there would have been no Ukraine […] but, on the other hand, without Poland there would also have been no Ukraine”. Ukraine’s variegated spectrum of social and cultural phenomena is the result of an intricate shared history with a number of foreign actors that include the Byzantine Empire, Western Europe, Russia, the Islamic world, and the Jews. The multidisciplinary conference Ukraine and its Neighbors: Cross-Cultural and Transnational Interactions invites reflection on historical, social, linguistic, ethnic, political, cultural, literary, and religious interconnections between Ukraine and its neighboring cultures. We invite papers that explore the complexity and intensity of Ukraine’s active engagement with foreign cultural paradigms from the early modern period up to the present day. Current nation-state narratives and rising nationalisms demand that we rethink the notions of cultural space, cultural self-sufficiency, center and periphery, frontiers, and “contact zones”. We aim to develop new theoretical and methodological perspectives on the cross-cultural and transnational dimension of Ukrainian history, bringing together experts from literary and cultural studies, history, sociology, and political science. We especially welcome submissions that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Themes to be addressed should include one of the following research areas: History, Literary Studies, Linguistics, Political Science, Cultural Studies, and Religious Studies.

Important dates:

Deadline for submissions: June 1 2018

Notice of acceptance will be made by June 15 2018

Guide for authors:

Proposals for 20-min papers (maximum 500-word abstract) and a short biography of the author with his/her affiliation and contact details should be sent to: aisu.studiucraini@gmail.com

We are able to cover meals and accommodation costs for all participants presenting a paper. We may provide a limited number of early career scholars (up to 5 years after PhD completion) with travel funding.

Organizing committee:

Alessandro Achilli

Maria Grazia Bartolini

Simone Attilio Bellezza

Giovanna Brogi

Andrea Graziosi

Marco Puleri

For any enquiries regarding the program, please contact:

aisustudiucraini@gmail.com

For all general enquiries, please contact:

aisudtudiucraini@gmail.com