CALL FOR PAPERS3rd Annual Navrus/Noorus Postgraduate Workshop on Central Asia

CALL FOR PAPERS3rd Annual Navrus/Noorus Postgraduate Workshop on Central Asia

Thursday 21st - Friday 22nd March, 2013

School of Geography, Politics and Sociology / School of Modern LanguagesFaculty of Humanities and Social SciencesNewcastle University

Convened by: Alisher Khamidov, Nick Megoran and Joanne Smith Finley

Building on the success of the Navrus conference over the past two years at Exeter, we are pleased to invite submissions of abstracts for the 2013 event. The contemporary history of Central Asia, including the disintegration of the U.S.S.R and emergence of independent nation-states in 1991, highlights the need for an ongoing and evolving exploration of what it means to be placed at this Eurasian crossroads of languages, cultures and societies.

This Workshop invites postgraduate researchers to share their cutting edge knowledge of this fascinating region, focusing on continuities, changes and newly emergent trends in the post-1991 period. Our focus includes both the former Soviet Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, as well as Afghanistan, and the neighbouring region of Chinese Central Asia, currently incorporated into the People's Republic of China as the 'Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region'.  Presentations will be grouped, according to research theme, into 4 sessions over the 2 days.

Participants are invited to address any theme in contemporary social science and humanities scholarship, including (although not limited to):  . What is the nature of protest in Central Asia and how is it related to the mass political upheavals which have been witnessed since independence?. Which kinds of states are produced by societal ties, hierarchies and global inter-connections? What roles have external statebuilding and development projects had in shaping state formation? . To what extent are social, cultural and/or religious practices specific to independent countries, common among the former Soviet states, or 'pan-Central Asian' (i.e. connecting the former Russian Central Asia with contemporary Chinese Central Asia)?. How have diverse global flows influenced the outlook of the Central Asian youth?. In the context of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation headed up by Beijing, what is the nature of bilateral relations between the former Central Asian states and the PRC, and how are these viewed by the lay person?. How are patterns of language use and language domain developing and changing?. How can we characterise the intersection of new political configurations and alliances with long-standing clan allegiances and social hierarchies? . To what extent does Soviet / PRC ideology maintain a (residual) influence in the everyday lives of Central Asian peoples?. What is the nature of borders in the Central Asia region?. To what extent do distinctions between nomadic-pastoral and sedentary-agricultural societies persist in contemporary times?. How far can we speak of a 'rural-urban divide' in Central Asia?. In what ways is migration affecting the economic and political landscape of Central Asia?. How applicable is post-colonial or de-colonial theory to the Central Asian context?. How can we analyse the question of 'political Islam' in Central Asia retrospectively?Topics relating to all aspects of humanities and social science scholarship on Central Eurasia are invited.

Proposals may be submitted for: individual papers (25 minutes + 20 minutes for questions and discussion), or for organised panels of 2-4 papers linked around a theme. They should include: . Name, contact details and institutional affiliation of proposer and contributors. Paper (and, where applicable, panel) titles. An abstract of 300 words maximum for each presenter Proposals should be submitted to Alisher Khamidov (alisher.khamidov@ncl.ac.uk)by Friday 14th December 2012. We are delighted to announce that Professor Deniz Kandiyoti (London University, School of Oriental and African Studies; editor of Central Asian Survey) will deliver a Keynote address on: 'The Current State and Future of Central Asian Studies'.  Professor Kandiyoti will also lead a training session for postgraduate participants titled: 'Publishing your Results'. This session will deliver valuable advice on how to transform dissertation chapters and conference papers into academic publications, and how to go about publishing findings in international refereed journals. 

The Workshop has been kindly funded by the Centre for Russian, Central and East
European Studies (CRCEES), University of Glasgow; by the Department of Politics at Exeter University; and by Central Asian Survey. As a result, we are pleased to provide free accommodation as well as a small travel bursary of up to £50 for a limited number of postgraduate participants.To: akhamido@hotmail.com