Call for Participants for OSI-HESP Regional Seminar for Excellence in
Teaching

ALTERNATIVE CULTURE BEYOND BORDERS: PAST AND PRESENT OF THE ARTS AND MEDIA
IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALIZATION (2007-2010)

Deadline: 15 May 2007 

Please see the program description and application information at
http://alternativeculture.org (from 22 March 2007)

OVERVIEW
Alternative Culture Beyond Borders: Past and Present of the Arts and Media
in the Context of Globalization is a three-year (2007-2010) international
research and teaching project which explores the continued relevance and
significance of the concept of *alternative* culture in the era of
globalization-a moment in which many of the frameworks that have been used
to study culture have been placed into question and new theories are being
developed. This exploration of contemporary alternative culture begins from
a comparative, cross-cultural analysis of the phenomenon and idea of
*alternativeness* from the nineteenth century to the present, with an
especial emphasis on the recent history of Central and Eastern European
societies after World War II and their similarities and difference to
Western *Cold War* culture.

This project connects resource faculty from around the world with
participants from Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe, the former Soviet
Union, and Mongolia. Participants consist of junior faculty with teaching
positions who are dedicated to the advancement of undergraduate teaching in
these regions. 

ELIGIBILITY
The project is open to young faculty in institutions of higher education who
intend to pursue comparative, interdisciplinary research on alternative
culture(s), globalization, identities and the arts and media, with a
geographical emphasis on post-communist transition countries. Fellowships
are available for participants from Central and South-Eastern Europe, the
Baltic States, NIS, Mongolia, and Turkey. Participant fellowships cover
transportation, accommodation and meal costs. 

Eligible disciplines include Anthropology, Archival and Museum Studies,
Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, History, History
of Art, Media Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and
Sociology.

Participants should: 1) to be ready to take part in the entire three-year
program; 2) be committed to the development of  new teaching practices and
research into new theoretical frameworks; and 3) deliver or plan to deliver
courses pertaining to the general themes of the program.
Participants must be able to demonstrate the English language skills
necessary to take part in the program.

PLANNED ACTIVITIES
The project is organized around intensive 2 week summer sessions which will
be held each August beginning 2007 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The summer
sessions provide faculty and participants with the opportunity to
investigate the major concepts and theories involved in the analysis of
alternative culture, with the aim of expanding and enhancing scholarly
knowledge of this area of research. 

In addition to the summer sessions, there will be on-going winter sessions
on pedagogy and research issues. Throughout the year, participants will also
engage in both individual and group research projects in conjunction with
resource faculty, will be given opportunities to participate in on-going
major research projects organized by resource faculty, and will be given the
opportunity to participate in exchange visits, internships and publishing
opportunities. 


APPLICATION PROCESS
To apply for the Alternative Culture Seminar, the applicant should create an
account at www.alternativeculture.org (from 22 March 2007) through which the
following information must be submitted:

application form (on-line);
curriculum vitae with list of publications; 
500-word statement of purpose; 
sample syllabus for course relevant to the topic, or sample article or
research paper relevant to the topic (10 pages max.)
one letter of recommendation send directly to
[log in to unmask] (please indicate the name and the country
of origin of the applicant in the Subject line)

DEADLINES
Application deadline 15 May 2007
Interviews (where appropriate) to be conducted between 1-15 June 2007
Notification letters to be sent by 15 June 2007 

CONTACT
For further information, please contact [log in to unmask]
or
Imre Szeman ([log in to unmask]) and Olga Zaslavskaya ([log in to unmask])

This project has been organized through the Open Society Institute*s
Regional Seminar for Excellence in Teaching (ReSET) program. For further
information on this program, please visit:
http://www.soros.org/initiatives/hesp/news/reset_20060920 

PROJECT PARTNERS
St. Petersburg State University (Russia); McMaster University (Canada); OSA
Archivum at CEU (Hungary); International Samizdat [Research] Association
(www.samizdatportal.org)