Call for Panels, Roundtables, and Papers
Programme convenor: Dr Aliaksei Kazharski, Comenius University, Bratislava
Recent developments in Europe have highlighted the significance of borders, margins, and marginality. The 30th anniversary of the fall of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe was marked by centrifugal tendencies. The once popular narrative of a ‘return to the West’ that had inspired the post-Communist transitions of many countries in the region has been superseded by a much more ambiguous stance. Scepticism towards European integration and ‘Western’ or ‘liberal’ values seems to have taken deep root, and the centre-periphery relations appear to have moved beyond the teacher-student paradigm. Some countries (like Hungary) now find themselves at the margins of the European normative order, yet also position themselves as protectors of common European borders, and ‘European civilization’ as such, against hostile invaders.
In this context, the migration crises - whether spontaneous or engineered – have brought forth the significance of borders and bordering, provoking some to question the liberal-globalist de-territorialised models of organizing political life. In the meantime, the contemporary crises point to the inevitably globalised nature of today’s international relations, as various cross-border flows become increasingly difficult to contain. This effect has been further amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, but this time with respect to the EU’s internal borders. Previously invisible to many, and virtually unknown to those born at the turn of the millennium, these intra-EU borders have suddenly become a physical reality again, disrupting the routine of cross-border activity. These newly palpable borders are sometimes triggering ontological anxiety, but also amplifying the political message of those sovereigntists and nationalists who have traditionally emphasised the sacrosanctity of national borders. COVID-19 has further exposed the status of marginalised and disadvantaged groups and communities, as well as the uneven distribution of the impact of both the pandemic and the enforced restrictions along ethnic, racial, and gender lines. These developments have created new openings for critical approaches to these topics and issues that may be situated at the borderline between domestic and international politics.
The 2022 CEEISA Convention will take place at the University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia, at the site of the former Limes Romanus, the one-time border of the Roman Empire. The participants are thus invited to “return to the margins” not just in the historical and metaphorical, but, above all, in the conceptual sense. The conference invites submissions that will explore the diverse meanings of borders, margins, and marginality and their multifaceted impact on international relations in the age of crisis.
Proposals for panels and roundtables should include:
Name, institutional affiliation, email address of the proposed chair
Proposed panel title and summary of its rationale (no more than 250 words).
List of papers, paper authors and abstracts (200 words each).
Submissions and inquiries:
Please submit your panel, roundtable and paper proposals at the conference ConfTool site by 31 January 2022.
Schedule:
Call for Papers, Panels and Roundtable proposals launched: 21 November 2021
Abstract submission deadline: 31 January 2022
Acceptance emails – Registration Opens: 1 March 2022
Registration Closes: 15 April 2022
Finalisation of Programme: 23 May 2022
Conference: 22-24 June 2022
For conference fees and registration types, see the conference website.
For any general enquiries about the 2022 CEEISA Convention, please contact: bratislava2022@ceeisa.net.