Hanoi, Vietnam - September 19, 2014: View of people crossing the Huc Bridge in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Conference on InterAsian Connections VI: Hanoi
December 4–7, 2018
Hosted by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences

Organized by: Social Science Research Council InterAsia Program, Duke University Global Asia Initiative, Göttingen University Global and Transregional Studies Platform, the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong, Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore, Seoul National University Asia Center, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, and Yale University – collectively the Organizers.

Call For Workshop Papers
Deadline: February 28, 2018

We are pleased to announce an open call for papers from researchers in any world region who wish to participate in one of eight thematic workshops at InterAsian Connections VI: Hanoi, the sixth in this international conference series. This conference will be held December 4–7, 2018, in Hanoi, Vietnam and will be hosted by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS).

This series showcases innovative research from across the social sciences and related disciplines and explores themes that transform conventional understandings of Asia. Crossing traditional area studies boundaries and creating international and interdisciplinary networks of scholars working to theorize the intersection of the “global” and the “regional” in a variety of contexts, the conference reconceptualizes Asia as a dynamic and interconnected historical, geographical, and cultural formation stretching from West Asia through Eurasia, South Asia and Southeast Asia to East Asia.

Copies of previous conference programs, including detailed workshop descriptions and individual paper abstracts, can be downloaded from each conference webpage.

Following the model used in previous conferences, the 2018 Hanoi conference—comprising eight concurrent, closed director-led workshops as well as plenary sessions open across workshops and to the general public—will be structured to enable intensive working group interactions on specific research themes as well as broader interactions on topics of shared interest and concern.

We are no longer accepting paper proposals and workshop participants have been selected. For the full Calls for Papers and detailed descriptions of the individual workshops, see links below. 

Conference Workshops

Application Process

  1. In order to apply, applicants must complete and submit an online application. Applicants will be asked to provide: (a) basic background details, (b) a 500-word abstract of the research paper to be presented at the workshop, (c) a short statement (200-300 words) explaining how the paper fits the theme of the workshop; (d) a short statement about the status of the research project (200-300 words), and (d) 1-2 page C.V. (academic qualifications and employment history; list of publications).
  2. Participants will be selected by workshop directors in consultation with the conference’s organizers.
  3. Selection decisions will be announced in  April 2018. Selected participants must confirm their decision to participate by e-mail (interasia@ssrc.org) within one week of receiving the selection notification.

Please direct all questions about the application process to the conference organizers at interasia@ssrc.org

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  1. What do you mean by InterAsia?
    Applicants are encouraged to think about “InterAsia” in the context of connections, convergences, and comparisons, while also paying attention to the particular way or ways that this rubric has been conceptualized by workshop directors. 
    • Connections—the exploration of historical and/or contemporary transnational/cross-national/transregional processes, structures, practices, and flows within and across the territorial and imaginative space of Asia;
    • Convergences—viewed as the responses of different Asian societies to common processes or the traces of international connections within a particular location or around a set of objects and/or phenomena; and
    • Comparisons—involving the investigation of particular topics across specific societies/polities across Asia, especially those that explore diverse and innovative units of comparison.

    Through InterAsian Contexts and Connections we seek to reconceptualize Asia as a dynamic and interconnected formation and to move discussions beyond the territorial fixities of area-studies research without discounting the importance of contextually grounded, place-based knowledge. InterAsia as a theme not only helps examine connections and continuums that transcend traditional area studies divides but also reexamines topics such as urban transformations, knowledge networks and migration as forms of “Asia‐making.” More broadly, through a focus on the “reregionalization” of Asia, the projects supported by the fellowship program will further the understanding of how globalization operates through various types of territorial and extraterritorial processes.
    For examples, see workshops and conferences organized by the InterAsia partnership on this theme and project abstracts for the SSRC Transregional Research Junior Scholar Fellows.
  2. Can I apply to participate in more than one workshop? No. Please read the list of workshops and individual workshop CfPs carefully before submitting your application. You can only apply to one workshop. 
  3. Can I apply to participate if I have participated in or applied to a previous InterAsian Connections event?
    Yes.
  4. Can I submit a joint application with another researcher?
    Yes; however while we are able to accept co-authored/joint paper proposals, we can only provide financial support for one author per accepted application to participate in the conference. Those submitting co-authored paper proposals should indicate the primary author. If selected, second authors are welcome to attend at their own expense.
  5. Are there language requirements for this event?
    Yes. A working language of English is required, and the papers and presentations will be in English. No translation/interpretation services will be available during the closed workshop sessions.
  6. If my paper proposal is accepted, what will be required of me as a conference and workshop participant?
    The responsibilities of conference participants include:
    • Submission of a DRAFT research paper of approximately 30 pages (double-spaced) by July 30, 2018. Papers should be high-quality original research in line with the workshop description available on the conference’s website. Papers should correspond to the original abstract and proposal submitted by the author(s).
    • Submission of a REVISED research paper by November 15, 2018, taking into account any guidelines and suggestions received from workshop directors (directors’ comments on all first drafts are due in early September 2018).
    • Reading the pre-circulated papers of all other participants in your workshop prior to arrival in Hanoi. Note that all conference papers will be circulated electronically in advance to your fellow workshop participants (~10–12), and made available to all conference participants (~100) at the time of the conference.
    • Participation in all workshop sessions and attendance at all conference events, including the Welcome & Closing Sessions and all Conference Plenary Sessions. Final details on the conference, including the conference agenda, will be available in advance of the event.
  7. If selected, will I be able to participate in more than one workshop (based on my research interests)?
    Unfortunately, no. The InterAsian Connections conference series is based around closed workshops and seeks to promote a working group atmosphere. Participants in these workshops are selected based on their shared research interests and are asked to submit draft papers approximately six-months in advance of the conference so that the workshops themselves are not starting points, but occasions for continued, in depth, substantive conversations. Due to the nature and format of these workshops, participants are unable to move freely between workshops sessions. However, we try to provide multiple opportunities for cross-workshop conversations and networking throughout the three-and-a-half-day event, including group meals, and open, general sessions.
  8. Will financial support be provided for conference participants?
    The InterAsia partners have made every effort to insure funding for InterAsian Connections VI: Hanoi, but will not be able to cover participant costs in-full. We can confirm the following level of financial assistance:
    • single room accommodations including breakfast for all non-local participants for up to five-nights;
    • local transport to/from the conference site daily;lunch on-site daily;
    • one group dinner; and
    • partial airfare stipend equal to 50–75% of the ticket cost for economy-class airfare (based on participant’s point of origin, total ticket costs, and access to other funding sources)

    We cannot cover extended hotel stays, full airfare costs, or any other incidentals, including meals not provided by the organizers, ground transportation, visa processing fees, etc. Therefore, we encourage participants to seek funding from third parties (such as their home institutions). 

    As noted in 4., we will only cover costs for one author per accepted application. Second authors may attend at their own expense.
  9. What are the anticipated research outcomes of the workshops and conference, and plans for follow-on activities, if any?
    Anticipated research outcomes of the workshops vary, and will be determined largely by the individual workshop directors, often in collaboration with the selected workshop participants. While there are no set conference-wide plans for follow-on activities, individual workshops may wish to pursue various options, including the production of edited volumes and special journal issues or sections (please see an overview of previous conference-related publications). In addition, the InterAsia partners hope to facilitate collaborations among the expanding network of InterAsian scholars, and will work to develop these cross-workshop and cross-conference collaborations on an ongoing basis, including through the development of a participant database, on-line resources, and other activities that connect participants across various partner institutions (or “nodes”).

Deadline/Timeline

  • October 31, 2017 – Workshop director proposals due
  • December 2017 – Workshop director selections announced
  • January 10, 2018 – Call for individual workshop papers circulated
  • February 28, 2018 – Workshop paper proposals due
  • April 2018 – Workshop participant selection
  • July 2018 – Draft workshop papers due
  • August 2018 – Director comments due to participants on all draft papers
  • November 2018 – Final, revised workshop papers due
  • December 4-7, 2018 – InterAsian Connections VI: Hanoi

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