CfP: Seventh Annual Tartu Conference on East European and Eurasian Studies, deadline 20 January 2023

Call for Papers

SEVENTH ANNUAL TARTU CONFERENCE
ON EAST EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN STUDIES

War and Peace
What’s Next for Eastern Europe and Eurasia?

11–13 June 2023, Tartu, Estonia

Scholars of area studies, comparative politics, international relations, economics, history, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies and related disciplines are invited to submit proposals for full panels, roundtables and papers for the Seventh Annual Tartu Conference on East European and Eurasian Studies. The conference will take place in Tartu (in person, with opportunities to join online offered to Ukrainian scholars).

The Tartu Conference is a venue for academic discussion of the fundamental cultural, social, economic and political trends affecting all aspects of life in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Organised by the Centre for Eurasian and Russian Studies (CEURUS) at the University of Tartu, this forum brings together scholars from multiple disciplines from the region and beyond. The organisers expect that, as in previous years, more than 200 scholars will attend the event.

Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has dramatically transformed the discussion about the history and future of Eastern Europe and Eurasia. This military conflict – by most measurements, the largest in Europe since WWII – has left its mark on the lives of millions of people and will impact the development of the region for decades to come. It is the most violent chapter in the recent history of conflict, injustice and displacement that forms an integral part of the past and present of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, as it does in many other parts of the world. While many inhabitants of the region have enjoyed unprecedented peace and prosperity after the end of the Cold War, this experience has been far from universal.

The role of war in our past and present requires scholarly reflection. We need to examine the causes and consequences of war on various levels and obtain a deeper understanding of the experiences of victims and perpetrators and the ways in which war and violence affect different social groups. The task of studying peace is of no less significance: how do we end armed conflicts, which in some cases have been dragging on for decades? What are the conditions for stable peace at the global and regional level? What are the prospects of bringing perpetrators to justice and ensuring that the rules-based order is restored? How can we move beyond what Johan Galtung called ‘negative peace’, as the mere absence of violence, and secure social security and justice in a world troubled by multiple overlapping crises?

The Programme Committee will consider proposals addressing the above and related questions as well as other issues relevant to the development of Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia from any disciplinary angle. Comparative research focusing on the region and beyond as well as interdisciplinary perspectives are especially welcome.

The conference will begin with the evening plenary session on Sunday, 11 June, and end in late afternoon on Tuesday, 13 June. The programme will include academic panels, roundtables focused on current issues, and plenary sessions.

The organisers welcome individual paper submissions as well as proposals for full panels and roundtables. The Programme Committee will give careful and unbiased consideration to all proposals; however, full panel proposals are particularly encouraged.

Each paper proposal must include an abstract of no more than 250 words. Panel and roundtable proposals should list all speakers (as a general rule, 4–5 per panel/roundtable), along with abstracts and, if available, information about the chair and the discussant (alternatively, these can be assigned by the Programme Committee). Please use this link to submit your proposal by 20 January 2023.

All proposals will undergo rigorous selection by the Programme Committee. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by email by 20 February. Accepted participants will be expected to register by 20 April and pay a registration fee of 100 euros. Students are eligible for a reduced fee of 70 euros. Please see Rules of Participation and Important Dates for other deadlines and requirements.

To facilitate and encourage the participation of Ukrainian scholars, the following measures will be in place for the 2023 Conference:

for scholars affiliated with Ukrainian institutions, participation fee will be waived;
the organisers are currently working to secure funding that would enable providing travel grants for Ukrainian scholars. Details will be made available to accepted participants in February 2023;
upon request, Ukrainian presenters will be able to join the conference online. Due to on-site restrictions, this will apply only to selected sessions.

All participants should plan to make their own travel arrangements. The organisers will issue visa invitations, where applicable. Practical information regarding travel and accommodation is available on the conference website. If you have any questions, please contact the organisers at info@tartuconference.ut.ee.