Conferences
June 3-6, 2009 SSEASR Conference on Waters in
South and Southeast Asia
March 13-14, 2009 Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand
and the Vietnam War
October 24-26, 2008 Cornell University 11th
Annual Southeast Asian Studies Graduate Conference
October 17-18, 2008 Nationalism, Culture, and
Identity: New Boundaries in Asia
September 13-15 2008 IABU Secretariat: The 1st
International Association of Buddhist Universities Conference
and Symposium
European Association
of Southeast Asian Archaeologists (EurASEAA) 12th International
Conference, Leiden, the Netherlands
May 22-23, 2008 NRCT – ICSSR Joint Seminar
on Sustainable Development at Miracle Grand Convention Hotel,
Bangkok, Thailand
The fifth United
Nations Day of Vesak, Hanoi, Vietnam
Diaspora Conference, University of Illinois , Urbana-Champaign
April 11-12, 2008 Hmong Studies at Concordia
University
Southeast Asian Studies
Graduate Conference, Cornell University
Cambodia and Mainland Southeast Asia at its Margins: Minority Groups and Borders Center for Khmer Studies (CKS) International Conference http://www.khmerstudies.org/ Siem Reap, Cambodia
The Judiciary and Policymaking: Experiences from Southeast Asia
Student Conference on Southeast Asian Studies,
Northern Illinois University
International Conference of Thai Studies, Thammasat Univ., Bangkok
International Shan Studies Conference, SOAS, London
Buddhism and Science Conference, Mahidol University, Thailand
Map and the World, National Museum, Bangkok
May 24 - 27, 2007 International Conference on Syncretism in South and Southeast Asia: Adoption and Adaptation.
May 3 - 6, 2007 The Second International Lao Studies Conference
February 20 - 23, 2007 International Conference of Asian Queer Studies
Map and the World in Buddhist Studies, UCR
February 16 - 18, 2007 Religious Festival in Contemporary Southeast Asia, UCR _________________________________________________________________________________________________
See information below about these conferences
SSEASR Conference on Waters in South and Southeast Asia
SSEASR Conference on Waters in South and Southeast Asia: Interaction
of Culture and Religion is international Conference of South and
Southeast Asian Association for the Study of Culture and Religion
(SSEASR). Co-sponsored as a Regional Conference by the parent
body, International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR),
Member of CIPSH, an affiliate organisation of the UNESCO, the
Conference would be held at Denpasar from June 3 to 6, 2009 in
collaboration with Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) and Universitas
Hindu Indonesia (UNHI), Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. The information
can be seen also at www.sseasr.org and the registration can be
filled in online.
Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand and the Vietnam War
2009 Vietnam Center Conference, Texas Tech University
March 13-14, 2009
Web announcement http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/vietnamcenter/events/2009_Conference/index.htm
Most historical examinations of the Vietnam War tend to focus
on the effects of the war on the principal participants to include
the Republic of Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and
the United States. The events that took place in Vietnam from
1955 through 1975, however, had a tremendous impact on the entire
region.
The purpose of the 2009 Vietnam Center Conference will be to
examine the effects of the war on the neighboring nations of Laos,
Cambodia, and Thailand. The Vietnam Center invites both individual
paper proposals as well as complete panels that will examine a
wide range of topics to include the effects of the war within
these nations either individually or collectively; specific events
and activities that took place within each of these nations; the
participation of US and other military, diplomatic, and civilian
organizations within these countries, issues of regional and international
diplomacy and diplomatic relations; the participation of these
nations’ military, diplomatic, and civilian organizations
within Vietnam and each other, postwar issues for each nation,
etc…
Persons interested in participating should provide a proposal
as soon as possible. Please format proposals to resemble an abstract
to include the author’s name, title, and affiliation, contact
information, along with a 500 word topic description. Complete
panel proposals should include brief biographies of each speaker,
their contact information, as well as a 500 word abstract that
describes the theme and purpose for the panel. Please submit proposals
to:
Stephen Maxner, PhD
Director, Vietnam Center
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409-1041
You may also submit proposals via email to <steve.maxner@ttu.edu>.
If you make a submission but do not receive notification of receipt
within 14 days, please call 806-742-9010.
The deadline for submitting proposals is October 1, 2008. This
event will take place at the Holiday Inn Park Plaza in Lubbock,
Texas. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!
Cornell University 11th Annual Southeast Asian Studies Graduate
Conference
This year this annual event will be held at the Kahin Center
for Advanced Research on Southeast Asia at Cornell University
in Ithaca, New York on October 24-26, 2008. We welcome submissions
from graduate students at any stage engaged in original research
related to Southeast Asia. Graduate students working in the following
disciplines as well as other related fields that contribute to
the understanding of Southeast Asia are encouraged to apply: history,
literature, art history, sociology, musicology, religion, anthropology,
archeology, architectural history, gender studies, political science,
economics, linguistics and literature.
This year we are honored to announce that our keynote speaker
will be Professor Benedict Anderson (Aaron L. Bienkorb Professor
Emeritus of International Studies, Government and Asian Studies,
Cornell University), the author of Imagined Communities: Reflections
on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism ([1983], rev. ed. 1991),
The Spectre of Comparisons: Nationalism, Southeast Asia, and the
World (1998), and Under Three Flags: Anarchism and the Anti-Colonial
Imagination (2007). Papers related to Professor Anderson’s
interests are strongly encouraged.
We ask that prospective presenters submit a one-page abstract
and curriculum vitae by September 1, 2008 to: <seapgradconference@gmail.com>.
Final papers will be due by October 10, 2008. Papers should be
in English with a reading time of no more than 20 minutes (plus
10 minutes of discussion).
Please see http://www.einaudi.cornell.edu/southeastasia/symposium/2008fall.asp
for details on abstract format and submission, as well as further
information and future updates. A limited number of modest travel
grants are available. Please indicate in your email when you submit
the abstract if you would like to apply for a travel grant.
Nationalism, Culture, and Identity: New Boundaries in Asia
Friday, October 17- Saturday, October 18, 2008
Web announcement http://www.asu.edu/clas/asian/Nationalism,%20Culture,and%20Identity.html
The Arizona State University Center for Asian Research is pleased
to host its first annual Asian Studies Graduate Student Conference
entitled “Nationalism, Culture, and Identity: New Boundaries
in Asia.” This conference is an opportunity for graduate
students from across the country to present their current research
projects related to the topics of culture, nationalism, and identity.
More broadly, the conference seeks to explore the meanings and
applications of the term Asia. By juxtaposing these three areas
of research, the conference looks to draw out original and intriguing
questions pertaining to the study of Asia in general as well as
specific locales.
Presentations should deal critically with the three themes in
the context of the guiding question: Should Asia as conceived
by scholars be redefined? If so, how?
Papers can address the themes of nationalism, culture, and identity
from any number of disciplinary approaches including religious
studies, history, literature, political science, and anthropology—ideally,
combining two or more fields. Papers will be selected on their
cross-disciplinary nature and significance to the field. Papers
need not be limited to solely contemporary issues. Some topics
students may consider presenting on include:
-the interaction of Asian regions;
-the influence of religion on the development of nationalism;
-how cultural and national identity formation is negotiated among
different actors;
-the relationship between localization, nationalization, and globalization;
-ethno-nationalism and the effects of colonialization on identity
and culture
The deadline for submitting abstracts is July 1, 2008. Abstracts
should be maximum 250 words, accompanied by a 100 word biography.
Student’s contact information including: full name, university
affiliation, field(s), and a current email address, should be
at the top of every document submitted.
Any questions or concerns should be directed to any of the following
conference organizing committee members:
Mugdha Yeolekar (Mugdha.Yeolekar@asu.edu)
Samsul Maarif (Samsul.Maarif@asu.edu)
William Nitzky (William.Nitzky@asu.edu)
Seth Clippard (Seth.Clippard@asu.edu)
IABU Secretariat: The 1st International Association of Buddhist
Universities Conference and Symposium
To be held on 13-15 September 2551/2008 at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya
University [ www.mcu.ac.th ] in Bangkok, Thailand, with the theme
of the symposium being: Buddhism and Ethics, with the following
sub-themes:
• Buddhist Ethics and Economy – headed by Ven. Xue
Cheng
• Buddhist Ethics and Education – headed by Dr. Tamas
Agocs
• Buddhist Ethics and Literature – headed by Dr.
R. Panth
• Buddhist Ethics and Mind Culture – headed by Dr.
Sumanapala
• Buddhist Ethics and Politics – headed by Ven. Bhikkhuni
Dr. Yifa
• Buddhist Ethics and Science – headed by Ven. Prof.
Geshe Samten
• Buddhist Ethics and Social Development – headed
by Ven. Prof. Le Mahn That
Extended deadline for full-article submissions will be 4 July
2008. Please try to send an abstract before 30 May 2008.
, Leiden, the Netherlands,
1-5 September 2008
This is to announce that the 12th International Conference of the European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists will be hosted by the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) in Leiden, the Netherlands, from 1-5 September 2008. We invite papers on all aspects of Southeast Asian archaeology, including art history, epigraphy, and numismatics. Papers on China and India that closely relate to Southeast Asian themes, may also be presented by agreement and if time permits. Paper titles and abstracts are due by 1 February 2008. To submit paper titles and abstracts, or for further information, please contact: Euraseaa12@let.leidenuniv.nl or http://www.iias.nl/euraseaa12/ We will apply for grants from various Dutch funding organizations, specifically for travel grants. As there is an overwhelming demand for support, the organizing committee has decided to support mainly young (below 40) and promising scholars from Southeast Asia and eastern Europe. The grant may include: registration fee, (partial) travel costs, and shared hotel accommodation during the conference. To qualify for a grant: please submit an abstract of your intended paper, your CV, and a short letter of motivation to the above e-mail address. The organizing committee, Marijke Klokke, Leiden University Martina van den Haak, International Institute for Asian Studies.
NRCT – ICSSR Joint Seminar on Sustainable
Development at Miracle Grand Convention Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
22 – 23 May 2008
Rationale
The National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) signed a memorandum
of understanding (MOU) with the Indian Council of Social Science
Research (ICSSR) on September 11, 2006 for the purpose of collaboration
in social science research between Thai and Indian researchers.
The MOU specifies joint seminars as one of those activities to
be organized. In pursuance of this, the first Joint Advisory Committee
Meeting in New Delhi on May 4, 2007 agreed to organize the first
NRCT – ICSSR Joint Seminar on Sustainable Development in
Thailand.
The
fifth United Nations Day of Vesak (UNDV)
Hanoi , Vietnam from 13-17th May in 2008. This is the first ever biggest international Buddhist conference in Vietnam . The celebrations are expected to draw a gathering of 4500--including Buddhist leaders from all traditions, leading scholars, state dignitaries and practitioners from all around the world, and in Vietnam.
The celebrations commemorating the 2550th Year of the Birth, Enlightenment and Passing Away of the Buddha Gautama will be four- dimensional—covering Spiritual, Academic, Cultural and Religious aspects.
As you may be aware, in a resolution passed by the United Nation's General Assembly in December 1999, it was decided to celebrate the thrice-sacred day of Vesak in the month of May. The first celebration was held back in the year 2000 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York . Subsequently, the celebrations for the United Nations Day of Vesak were successfully held in Bangkok , Thailand since 2004.
The United Nations Day of Vesak 2008 celebrations in Vietnam offer a welcome opportunity to spread the Buddha's message of peace, reconciliation, harmony, love, progress and development to the world.
The preparations for the event are in full swing. Papers are now being invited for the Conference. We welcome your contributions on the following themes:
Main Theme: Buddhist Contribution to Building a Just, Democratic and Civil Society.
Sub Themes:
1. War, Conflict and Healing: A Buddhist Perspective
2. Buddhist Contribution to Social Justice
3. Engaged Buddhism and Development
4. Care for Our Environment: Buddhist Response to Climate Change
5. Family Problems and the Buddhist Response
6. Symposium on Buddhist Education: Continuity and Progress
7. Symposium on Buddhism in the Digital Age
Title proposal submission guidelines:
Please submit a title and abstract of no more than one single-spaced page. Please also submit a one-page CV or a 250-word biography. Proposals must be received by December 31, 2007 . We will send confirmation of the receipt of your proposal. The proposals will be reviewed by the conference organizing committee. You will receive confirmation of your participation by February 2008.
Please send all title proposals and abstracts in Word Format File via email to Ven. Dr. Thich Nhat Tu at thichnhattu@yahoo.com
Paper submission guidelines: Word limit: 7000 words
Papers must be received latest by March, 2008.
Please send in all papers and abstracts in Word Format File via email to Ven. Dr. Thich Nhat Tu at thichnhattu@yahoo.com
Note: One person can contribute more than one Paper. The Papers may be published during the Vesak Day 2008 Conference
Not all the authors may be invited for the Paper presentation. Standard Presentation Time including questions period is 20 minutes.
Elise DeVido
Dept. of History
Natl Taiwan Normal University
Southeast Asians in the Diaspora Conference
Location: University of Illinois , Urbana-Champaign
Date: 15-16 April 2008
Submission Deadline: Postmarked or Emailed by 16 November 2007 .This two-day conference examines the emerging field of Southeast Asian/American studies, which because of specific histories of colonialism and imperialism, has produced subjects and objects of analysis that confound categories of diaspora, citizenship, and affiliation. Studies of the Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese diasporas investigate and trouble the structuring effects of Cold War geopolitics; while studies of Hmong, Mien, Cham, and other stateless ethnicities necessarily reconsider the bases for global and local practices of identification as well as strategic claims to rights and resources. Given this, the field foregrounds important epistemological and methodological shifts that productively disrupt the analytic conventions of area studies, American studies, ethnic studies, and Asian American studies. Thinking across these fields, Southeast Asian/American studies fulfills the intellectual and political promise of what Kandice Chuh imagines as “studies in comparative racialization and intersectional projects that deliberately unravel seemingly stable distinctions among identificatory categories and disciplinary divisions.” Complicating the examination of nationalisms and transnationalisms, Southeast Asian/American studies questions the circulation of, the negotiation with, or challenges to the knowledge regimes of U.S. nation and empire. In order to explore the dissolution of disciplinary distinctions and the complexities of intersectional analyses, we are soliciting papers, panels, roundtables, workshops, films, videos, readings, and performances. Submissions are open to scholars, artists, and community members. This is an interdisciplinary event welcoming individual and panel proposals from a wide variety of disciplines including, but not limited to, queer studies, literature, history, sociology, art history, visual cultures, political science, ethnic studies, women's and gender studies, performance studies, cultural studies, postcolonial studies, Asian studies and area studies, the performing arts, film or video making, writing, and community activism and leadership. Participants will be informed of acceptance in December 2007. The conference is being held to coincide with the Association of Asian American Studies (AAAS) conference in Chicago , 16-20 April 2008. As a note, AAAS does have limited funding for which graduate students may apply.
Please mail all materials to:
Fiona I. B. Ng <ngo@uiuc.edu> or
Asian American Studies Program
1208 W. Nevada St. , MC-142
Urbana , IL 61801
(217) 265-6240
For updates and more information:
http://www.aasp.uiuc.edu/SEAsianDiaspora
Hmong Studies at Concordia University
Check out this new book on Southern Thailand and Malaysia edited
by Michael Montesano and Patrick Jory:
http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/newmandala/2008/04/12/thai-south-and-malay-north/
The Cornell Southeast Asia Program invites submissions for its 10th Annual Southeast Asian Studies Graduate Conference. This year this annual event will be held at the Kahin Center for Advanced Research on Southeast Asia at Cornell University in Ithaca , New York on March 14-16, 2008 . We welcome submissions from graduate students at any stage engaged in original research related to Southeast Asia . Graduate students working in the following disciplines as well as other related fields that contribute to the understanding of Southeast Asia are encouraged to apply: history, literature, art history, sociology, musicology, religion, anthropology, archeology, architectural history, gender studies, political science, economics, linguistics and literature.
This year we are honored to announce that our keynote speaker will be Professor Thongchai Winichakul, the author of Siam Mapped: A History of the Geo-body of a Nation (1994), and "Remembering/Silencing the Traumatic Past: the Ambivalent Memories of the October 1976 Massacre in Bangkok " in Cultural Crisis and Social Memory: Modernity and Identity in Thailand and Laos (2002), edited by Charles F Keyes and Shigeharu Tanabe. Papers related to Professor Winichakul's interests are strongly encouraged.
Please submit a one-page abstract and curriculum vitae to the following email address: seapgradconference@gmail.com. All abstracts should be limited to one page (using 1" margins on all sides, Times New Roman, and 12pt font size), including examples and references, and submitted as attachments, in Word format only. The filename should be unique. You should use your first name's initial and your last name to name the abstract. For example: John Smith's abstract would be named jsmith.doc. The subject of the message should specify "Abstract", and the body should include the following information:
• author's name(s), affiliation and e-mail address
• title of abstract
• discipline(s)
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: January 31, 2008
NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE: Early February, 2008
Final papers will be due by February 29, 2008 . Papers should be in English. Presentations should be no more than 20 minutes and will be followed by 10 minutes of discussion.
Please see http://www.einaudi.cornell.edu/southeastasia/symposium/2008.asp for further information and future updates.
A limited number of modest travel grants are available. Please indicate in your email when you submit the abstract if you would like to apply for a travel grant.
The Judiciary and Policymaking: Experiences from Southeast Asia
Partly under the funding of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, we are assembling a select group of either established and/or emerging scholars with an interest in and understanding of constitutionalism, the judiciary, and the public policy process, to contribute to a planned volume to be published in late 2008 on the evolving role of the judiciary in policymaking in several Southeast Asian countries. We are currently looking for contributors-preferably social scientists-to write original empirical papers based on a general template and engaging with the relevant theoretical literature. Arrangements are underway for the volume to be published by reputable publisher. In preparation for the volume, a small workshop for the selected contributors is planned during the recess week of the National University of Singapore (February Sat 23 Feb - Sun 2 Mar 2008 ).
The workshop, like the planned volume for which it isorganized, will explore the extent of (and variations in) the judiciaries' increasing importance in both public policy and politics in Southeast Asian states during the last two or so decades. Of particular interest are judiciaries in the most recent post-authoritarian periods in Indonesia , the Philippines nd Thailand (the latter obviously a special case). Contributors with a knowledge of the judiciary's role in policymaking (if any) from elsewhere in Southeast Asia (in particular, Cambodia , Malaysia , and Vietnam ) are currently also being sought. All contributors to the volume will examine recent developments in four potential policymaking roles of the judiciary: veto player, policy player, impartial referee, and societal representative. In addition, the contributors will also examine factors affecting the judiciary's policy independence and activism in the respective countries, including, judicial budget autonomy, appointment systems of judges, terms and tenure of judges, and judicial review powers.
Interested participants are invited to send brief expressions of interest, highlighting among other things, prior interest/work in this area, institutional affiliation, and availability during the planned dates for the workshop, by November 1, 2007 . Address emails to: <amutebi@nus.edu.sg>.
Organizer:
Dr. Alex Mutebi
Assistant Professor
LKY School of Public Policy
National University of Singapore
496C Bukit Timah Road
Oei Tiong Ham Building
Singapore 259772
___________________________________________
The Southeast Asia Club of Northern Illinois University would like to announce a call for papers for our 2008 Student Conference on Southeast Asian Studies. Papers on any topic related to Southeast Asia will be considered for admission. We are accepting papers from both undergraduate and graduate students. Once accepted, the papers will be read by a panel of judges who will decide upon the best undergraduate and graduate papers. Prize money of $150 will be awarded for the best undergraduate paper and $250 for the best graduate paper.
The conference will be held at Northern Illinois University , DeKalb , Illinois on Saturday, Feb 23, 2008 .
One-page abstracts are due by Dec. 14th, 2007 . Final drafts are due by Feb. 1, 2008 . Papers can be emailed to cseas@niu.edu
Papers can be mailed to:
Center for Southeast Asian Studies
Northern Illinois University 520 College View Court
DeKalb , Illinois 60115
Housing with students on campus can also be arranged.
Please direct questions to:
Tiffany Reed, conference coordinator Southeast Asia Club at NIU
847-770-2753
Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism, a bi-annual, fully-refereed journal published in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics, invites the submission of high-quality interdisciplinary articles on issues pertaining to nationalism, ethnicity and related themes. Examples of these themes include:
• Nationalism in the Post Cold War World
• Myths, Memories and the Representations of the Past
• Ethnic Relations and Conflicts
• Nationalism and Regional Conflicts
• Separatism and Irredentism
• Great Powers and Nationalism
• Imperialism and Nationalism
• Issues of Minority Rights in Multinational States
For this call, the editors are particularly interested in papers relating to the following themes:
Migration, Diaspora and Nationalism
The editors welcome submissions of work in progress as well as contributions from young professionals, post-docs and lecturers in the early stages of their careers. SEN especially encourages submissions from advanced PhD candidates and Post Doctoral Fellows. For submissions to be considered for publication in 2008, please ensure your paper reaches us by Friday 30th November 2007 via email (SEN@lse.ac.uk). The word limit is 6000 words, including bibliography and references. The SEN style guide can be found at http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/ASEN/SEN%20Guidelines.pdf . Submissions that do not conform to the style guide will not be accepted. For more information, please visit the SEN website: http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/ASEN/
Thammasat University, Thailand
January 9-12, 2008
Program available at:
http://www.thaiconference.tu.ac.th/program.html
International Conference http://www.khmerstudies.org/ Siem Reap, Cambodia, March 14-15, 2008 Cambodia and Southeast Asia is undergoing dramatic political, economic and social changes, placing new pressures on minority groups and vulnerable peoples. Some changes are driven by Cambodia's uniquely troubled history. Other forces are global, affecting Cambodia and all other nations in the region. The conference invites innovative interpretations of "margins," "borders" and "minority groups" in Southeast Asia. The problems of ethnic groups are one central concern. Transnational and cross-border influences are creating new challenges and opportunities for ethnic minorities. The Cham and other Muslim communities are reconnecting to international Islam. Labor markets cross national boundaries. Vietnamese migrant workers travel to Cambodia, as Cambodian workers travel to Thailand. International loans, agencies and programs targeting "development," itself an often disruptive cross-border force, are transforming many Cambodian institutions and redefining traditional social margins in the process. This clash of forces is most profoundly felt by the indigenous peoples. The conference invites examination of other minorities and vulnerable groups “on the margins” who have been systematically denied access to important social resources. Theories of social exclusion teach that the landlessness, street children, victims of domestic violence and gay and lesbian persons are on the margins of different Cambodian institutions and that significant borders and boundaries need not be of a strictly geographic nature. Developing from the sixth semester session of the Center for Khmer Studies' Rockefeller Foundation funded Building Capacity in Higher Education (BIC-HE) program covering vulnerable peoples and ethnic minorities in Mainland Southeast Asia, this two day conference provides a forum in which early career Cambodian academics present their research alongside international scholars with related interests. With an emphasis on developing comparisons between Cambodia and other countries in Southeast Asia, individual presentations and panel discussions provide opportunities for the presentation of research, trends and analyses covering minority groups in Southeast Asia. Scholars based in Southeast Asia are especially encouraged to participate, and some limited funding may be available to support their attendance. Please submit titles, short abstracts with 300 words maximum and contact details to cheanmen@khmerstudies.org by December 15, 2007. Conference Advisory Committee: Peter Hammer, Kate Frieson, Chean R. Men.
_______________________________________________
I
Thammasat University, Thailand
January 9-12, 2008
Program available at:
http://www.thaiconference.tu.ac.th/program.html
For more information see:
http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/newmandala/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/soas-shan-conference.pdf
_____________________________________________________
Two locations, two dates:
February 18, 2007
and
June 22-23, 2007
[ National Museum of Bangkok / Chulalongkorn University ]
Bangkok , Thailand
Papers are invited from those working in religion, history, art, and cartography that re-examine images of the universe through the lens of Buddhist cosmology. These images may include maps, diagrams, art or artifacts that embody spatial representations created in Buddhist terms. Topics may explore Buddhist concepts but are also encouraged to seek the changes, cross-influences, and conflicts arising from Buddhist contact with non-Buddhist forms and perspectives. Proposals that engage questions related to historical or contemporary technologies of spatial representation will be considered, and may address a range of forms: printed and painted maps, architectural forms, murals, steles, calendars, horoscopes, inscriptions, amulets, tattoo, astrological and tantric diagrams. Through the varied responses and examples arising in a range of Buddhist traditions, participants hope to trace the shifting negotiation of evolving understandings.
Proposals of up to 300 words, together with CV, email, address, phone, and fax information, should be sent by email to Program Co-chairs at the following addresses. Limited support may be available for qualified graduate student participants.
Participants can choose to attend one of two conferences (in Riverside , CA or Bangkok ) or both. Please indicate which venue you would wish to present your paper. Participants who wish to go to both conferences can submit two different (albeit related) paper proposals.
Justin McDaniel, University of California , Riverside
Email: justinm@ucr.edu
and
Pattaratorn Chirapravati , California State University, Sacramento
Email: pchirapravati@csus.edu
Proposals due: October 10, 2006
Acceptance Notification: December 1, 2006
International Conference on Syncretism in South and
Southeast Asia: Adoption and Adaptation.
We have the pleasure of extending to you with this E-mail the
information of our forthcoming International Conference on Syncretism
in South and Southeast Asia: Adoption and Adaptation. This is
an SSEASR Conference dealing with South and Southeast Asia and
is co-sponsored as a Regional Conference by International Association
for the History of Religions (IAHR), Member of CIPSH, a n affiliate
organization of the UNESCO. We plan to hold the Conference in
Bangkok from May 24 to 27, 2007 . We would be pleased if you would
present paper on any subject covering the scope of the Conference
(as suggested in the First announcement attached here). The information
can be seen also at www.sseasr.org < http://www.sseasr.org/
> by this week and the Pre-registration form can be filled
in online. At the same time, if you find the opportunity to send
the information to the scholars from your region, we would appreciate
it very much. If you have any query, please do not hesitate to
enquire. Please see the attached file. Thank you for the cooperation.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
With best wishes,
Thanking you,
Sophana Srichampa, Ph.D .
Chair, Organizing Committee,
2nd SSEASR Conference, 2007
http://sseasr.org/
www.icvsolutions.com/iahr
E-mail: conf2007@sseasr.org
sseasr@gmail.com
Second International Lao Studies Conference
The 2nd International Lao Studies Conference for May 3-6, 2007 at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. As details develop we will send more information.
Religious Festival in Contemporary Southeast Asia
In celebration of its commencement, the academic program Southeast Asian Text, Ritual, and Performance (SEATRiP) of the University of California, Riverside will organize a conference entitled, “Religious Festival in Contemporary Southeast Asia,” on February 16-18, 2007 in Riverside. The conference will explore festivals as embodied narratives in which the connections between religion and nationalism, globality and locality, tourism and politics are drawn, urgent issues that invite careful unfoldings in Southeast Asian Studies today. Our ideas for this conference are steered by two complementary assumptions. Firstly, religious festivals are pivotal events in the life of a local community, no matter how heterogeneous itself. Secondly, in spite of its differences, Southeast Asia is tied together by certain commonalities, and a discussion of religious festivals could make a substantial contribution to determining these commonalities.
In order to make the conference lively and focused—to be commemorated by the publication of a volume of interconnected essays—participants are invited to address some of the following issues and questions:
• Religious festivals are concentrated moments of communality and expressions of a community’s faith. However they are also a means of empowering political and economic networks. What is the nature of the intersection of the sacred and the secular in religious festivals celebrated in Southeast Asia today.
• Increasingly inherent to religious festivals are the concerns of the tourist industry: religious festivals are actively employed for tourist consumption. In this process of touristification, issues of authenticity, locality, and heritage have become more prominent, but also more problematic.
• Religious festivals often foreground narratives of various sorts, which are stories of origins and beginnings. Performative activities such as dancing, singing, chanting, procession, and theatrical presentations, i.e the central elements in every festival, are embodiments of these narratives, evoking those very beginnings in a continuous cycle. How do these embodiments occur?
• Religious festivals are extraordinary occasions in which, among many other things, gender is played out and displayed in public. How are festivals gendered in contemporary Southeast Asia?
• Festivals are by nature repetitive, and repetitions are by definition a process of similarities and differentiations. A discussion of any festival necessarily implies articulation and a distinct interest in shifts and changes over time.
Kindly email your title and abstract (not to exceed 2 pages, double spaced), no later than 15 July 2006 to:
Dr. Patrick Alcedo
Program for Southeast Asian Studies
Department of Comparative Literature and Foreign Languages
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
patrickalcedo@gmail.com
If you have additional questions and concerns, please do not hesitate to contact him.
Patrick Alcedo
Hendrik M.J. Maier
Sally Ann Ness
(Conference Organizers and Editors)
