Seminar ”Ukraine in Relation Neighbouring Countries” 18th-19th September 2017, Joensuu
CALL FOR PAPERS AND INVITATION: “Ukraine in relation neighbouring countries: religion, politics and culture in the era of conflicts”, 18th-19th September 2017, Joensuu, at the School of Theology, University of Eastern Finland
The intention of seminar is to map out issues of power and beliefs and related institutions at Russian ‘borderlands’, which are of utmost importance for Europe, too. Islamic terrorism now dominates the public media, but, as the well-known scholar of Ukraine, Richard Sakwa, has stated, events in Ukraine and bordering areas alarmingly resemble what happened in roughly the same areas in the 1930s, and in the long run affects politics (we think here, for example, the rise of right-wing populism in, say, Poland and Hungary), culture (Huntingtonian stereotypes of clashes of civilizations will evidently gain larger constituency), migration streams and immigrants’ and others’ well-being, both in Ukraine at large and (Eastern) Europe in general.
Purpose of the seminar is:
- to gather together scholars who (in Finland) make Ukraine and neighbouring countries -related research in the fields of religious, political or cultural studies combining somehow religion and politics and/or religion and culture, or all three;
- to find out what kinds of studies and university-level teaching there exist in Finland about Ukraine and its relations to its neighbours;
- to discuss on intensification of co-operation and shared education of the subject; and
- to ponder the possibilities for joint projects.
For these purposes we invite 20 minute presentations (+10 minutes discussion) fitting the topic of the seminar and keeping in mind that the seminar does not focus only on Ukraine but also on its neigbouring countries.
As keynote speakers are invited Dr. Jouni Järvinen (Aleksanteri Institute) and Dr. Joni Virkkunen (UEF, Chairman of FAREES)
Seminar is a two-day seminar and starts at 3pm on the 18th September ends at 2pm on the 19th September. Symposium is free from charge, but every participant is responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs.
Registration by 30th August 2017 here »