CFP: 20th Annual Aleksanteri Conference: Eurasia and Global Migration (University of Helsinki)

Deadline: May 15, 2020

Dates and venue: 21–23 October 2020, University of Helsinki, Finland

The 20th Annual Aleksanteri Conference brings together scholars exploring dimensions of global migration to, from and within the Eurasian space. For the purposes of this conference, the geographic domain of the Eurasian space includes Central and Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet space. We discuss migration and the agency of migrants in terms of social, political, cultural and economic processes and flows, which redefine the contours of national boundaries and affect societal development in both sending and receiving societies. Migration to, from and within the Eurasian space has been a part of flows and processes between the Global North and Global South, but also a part of the building of past empires.

Historically, the impact of migration in many fields, such as economy and culture, has been enormous. In addition to these, migration affects national politics, global inequality, urbanization, local communities, travel of ideas, cultural renewal, institutional development, labor markets, innovation, education and social policy,  as well as foreign and security policy. Migration also requires transnational solutions as a part of national and regional migration policy. New migration flows and processes can be expected due to political upheavals, environmental degradation and climate change.

In the 20th Aleksanteri Conference, we ask what kind of migratory flows and processes can we detect in Eurasia? What has been the impact economically, culturally, politically and strategically in both sending and receiving countries? What has been the significance of Eurasian migration in other parts of the world? What are the peculiarities of today´s Eurasian migration? What kinds of transnational solutions to migration are required in Eurasia? Who are migrants and how do they live their lives? What has been the contribution of migrants to innovation and development in different fields? How have transnational communities and the travel of ideas changed the Eurasian space?

We invite you to discuss a broad range of migration related topics through these contemporary and historical perspectives. The conference organising committee will also consider other relevant questions related to Russian, Central and Eastern European and Eurasian Studies.

Confirmed keynote speakers and programme:

Ulf Brunnbauer, Professor & Academic Director, Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies, Regensburg, Germany

Franklin Obeng-Odoom, Associate Professor of Development Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland

Madeleine Reeves, Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology, University of Manchester, UK

Sergey Ryazantsev, Professor & Director of the Institute for Social and Political Studies of the Federal Scientific Research Sociological Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

Caress Schenk, Associate Professor of Political Science, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan

Teivo Teivainen, Professor of World Politics, University of Helsinki, Finland.

In addition to plenary sessions, the conference features scientific panels, roundtables and a poster session. Complementing academic activity, the conference programme will also include cultural events and discussions with practitioners and public figures involved in global migration. We will organise a guided tour of the Slavonic Library, which is a world-renowned treasure, especially for scholars of Russian history and culture. Conference guests are invited to attend evening receptions hosted by the City of Helsinki and University of Helsinki. This year we will again organise a book exhibition at the main conference venue.

Conference schedule and deadlines:

•                          Deadline for submitting paper, poster, panel and roundtable proposals: 15 May 2020

•                          Notification of acceptance: 17 June 2020

•                          Online registration and registration fees due by 21 August 2020

•                          Conference programme published by early September 2020

•                          Conference: 21-23 October 2020

Submissions:

The deadline for submitting paper, poster, panel and roundtable proposals is 15 May 2020. Please submit your proposal via our website at https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/eurasia-and-global-migration/call-for-papers

Registration rates:

Paper presenters, chairs, and discussants 120 €

Graduate students and participants with a yearly income of less than 30,000 euros 60 €

Accompanying persons and observers not presenting a paper (partial participation in the conference is allowed) 30 €

General information:

The working language of the conference is English. Unfortunately, no translations can be provided.

Participants are requested to make their own arrangements for travel and accommodation. Costs related to participation are also the responsibility of the participant. Information on hotels will be provided later on the conference webpage. For Helsinki hotel and tourism information, please see https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en/info.

Participants and observers who do not wish to give a paper or organise a panel or roundtable are also welcome to take part in the conference.

Please consult our website for information and discussion:

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/eurasia-and-global-migration

For further information, or if you wish to ask any questions, please contact the conference organisers at: fcree-aleksconf@helsinki.fi